"We feel now is the right time to pass on the baton to another organisation," Aviva's chief marketing officer Amanda Mackenzie said.

The announcement from the insurance and finance group, whose four-year deal with UK Athletics to 2012 is thought to have been worth £8 million ($12 million/€10 million) annually, comes four months after speculation that UK Athletics was considering pursuing a multi-brand sponsorship model in its next deal.

Earlier this year the frozen food company McCain decided not to renew its £1 million ($1.6 million/€1.2 million) sponsorship of UK Athletics.

Niels de Vos, the UK Athletic's chief executive, commented today: "The appetite for companies to invest in athletics following our success in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games is strong, and we look forward to establishing a new series of commercial partnerships alongside those ongoing strong relationships we already have with companies such as the BBC, adidas, Spar and Alfa Romeo.

Jonnie Peacock was one of the British success stories of the London 2012 Paralympics, claiming a gold in the T44 100 metres

He added: "Aviva has been a superb partner for UK Athletics for 13 years.

"Without their support over these past years, there is no doubt that athletics would not find itself in the robust good health that it does – as the country's number one Olympic and Paralympic sport with a vibrant commercial programme of televised events and activities from the school playground to elite preparation camps."

Norwich Union, which assumed the name of its parent company Aviva in 2009, established sponsorship with UK Athletics in 1998, and Aviva has taken it over in the last three years.

The announcement also follows the appointment of Sophia Warner, who competed in the London 2012 Paralympics, as UK Athletics' new commercial director.

Mackenzie added: "The sponsorship has also enabled us to build awareness of the Aviva brand among the millions of sporting fans across the United Kingdom.

"The support we've given has helped athletes such as Jessica Ennis (pictured top) and Jonnie Peacock reach the very top of their sport, with stellar performance in London over the summer."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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