The agreement will run through to 2017 – the year when London stages the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Athletics Championships – and will begin with the three events this year, which will be called the Sainsbury's Summer Series.

The series will see the British firm serve as title sponsor of the Grand Prix event at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham on June 29 and 30 and the British Championships at the same venue on July 12 until 14, before of the three-day Sainsbury's Anniversary Games on July 26 until 28.

The announcement means that the Sainsbury's Summer Series will feature two IAAF Diamond League events with one at Alexander Stadium on June 30 and one at the Olympic Stadium on July 26 and 27.

It will also include the final of the IPC Grand Prix Series at Alexander Stadium on June 29 and a one-off IPC International Challenge at the Olympic Stadium on July 28.

This partnership, which includes long-term support for the British Athletics Paralympic programme, follows the Sainsbury's Tier One sponsorship of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

They replace Aviva, who announced last October that they were ending their 13-year headline sponsorship of UK Athletics. 

"Sainsbury's is an experienced and committed partner who embraced and promoted the Paralympics hugely successfully in 2012 and I am excited to work with them again, as they bring that expertise to the promotion of British Athletics," said British Athletics chairman Ed Warner.

"Being back in the stadium on the anniversary of the lighting of the Olympic Flame ensures we can recreate the excitement of 2012 and build momentum towards the amazing summer of 2017, and our IAAF and IPC World Championships.

"Sainsbury's long term commitment to Paralympic sport will ensure that we continue to grow the British Athletics Paralympic Programme through to Rio 2016 and London 2017."


Sainsbury's chief executive Justin King explained the deal is a great way for the retailer to build on its sponsorship of the London 2012 Paralympics.

"Last summer the whole country was inspired and uplifted as we celebrated the very best of human sporting achievement through the Olympics and Paralympics," he said.

"As the first ever sole-sponsor of the Paralympics, Sainsbury's saw firsthand the power of sport to bring people and communities together.

"We said at the time that we saw our involvement as much more than a one-off sponsorship – we wanted to be part of the movement, and to play our part in ensuring a lasting legacy building on the momentum created last summer.

"Now with this partnership and our sponsorship of the Summer Series, we're proud to be part of Britain's renewed love of athletes and sport for all, supporting our current crop of world class athletes as well as inspiring the sporting stars of tomorrow."

The British Athletics Paralympic programme Sainsbury's will sponsor includes the talent identification scheme "Parallel Success", which discovered Paralympic stars like leg amputee sprinter Jonnie Peacock, who won the T44 100 metres gold at London 2012.

Sainsbury's already sponsors the School Games with this year's event set to take place  September 12 until 15 in Sheffield after last year's event was staged at the Olympic Park.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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