Written by Alex Seftel
The winners of the 2025 National Athletics League Awards have been announced, with three Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow athletes claiming top prizes.
Tyri Donovan, who broke his own NAL 400m hurdles record with a best of 48.46s on his way to the World Athletics Championships, keeps his Male Track Athlete of the Year Award.
His stunning time in Derby obliterated his previous league best of 49.23, and he would run faster still in both the heats and semi-finals in Tokyo on his Great Britain debut.
“Massive honour to retain this award for another year,” said Donovan.
“The NAL have always laid a platform for me to perform at my best and I’m so happy I’m able to continue doing this at club level and transitioning this onto the world stage.”
Hammer thrower Jake Norris also keeps his Male Field Athlete of the Year title, as he won all of his Premiership matches for a third season in a row, reaching a career total of 10 NAL victories.
His best of 74.14m came at Eton in May, while Female Field Athlete of the Year Charlotte Payne’s clean sweep included a best of 70.03m in Birmingham in August.
Glasgow Jaguars’ Alyson Bell won the Female Field Athlete of the Year prize by virtue of her excellent 23.01s performance at Eton, a personal best which dipped inside the 2026 Commonwealth Games standard.
Breakers of NAL records also receive £500, providing that the record remains at the end of the season. Donovan is joined by Blackheath and Bromley’s Jack Kavanagh in having achieved this feat this year, with the latter breaking Phil Sesemann’s 3000m record.
Harrow’s Poppy Malik, who was never outside of the top two across the 200m, 400m and 4x400m NAL races she completed in 2025, is one of two winners of the the David Jeacock Memorial Bursary Award. That included her 52.12s victory at Eton.
The other winner is Sheffield and Dearne’s Lee Thompson, who achieved a 400m lifetime best of 45.58s – his first improvement over one lap in five years.
Divisional award recipients are those who achieve the highest number of points for a single NAL event based upon World Athletics’ scoring tables.
Athletes must be from NAL member clubs and must have been declared as scoring athletes within the event. They cannot also be the recipient of the Athlete of the Year Award.
Birchfield Harriers’ Jake Minshull, who improved his 400m and 400m hurdles personal bests across the 2025 season, has been named as Premiership Athlete of the Year as a result of his 49.37s for second place behind Donovan.
That is almost a carbon copy of 2024, when fellow Birchfield runner Efe Okoro received the same accolade for finishing second behind Donovan with a time of 49.90s.
Edward Laws was one of Herts Phoenix’s strongest performers of the season with three 400m hurdles victories. He is the Championship Athlete of the Year following his win in the Championship East match in Chelmsford, in which he crossed the line in a personal best time of 51.00s.
NAL Awards 2025
NAL Male Field Athlete of the Year – Jake Norris, WSEH 74.14m Hammer
NAL Female Field Athlete of the Year – Charlotte Payne, WSEH 70.03m Hammer
NAL Male Track Athlete of the Year – Tyri Donovan, WSEH 48.46 400m Hurdles
NAL Female Track Athlete of the Year – Alyson Bell, Glasgow Jaguars 23.01 200m
Premiership Champions Trophy 2024 – Harrow AC
Championship Champions Trophy 2024 – Tonbridge AC
David Jeacock Memorial Bursary – Lee Thompson, Sheffield and Dearne 45.58 400m and Poppy Malik, Harrow AC 52.12 400m
Premiership Athlete of the Year – Jake Minshull, Birchfield Harriers 49.37 400m Hurdles
Championship Athlete of the Year – Edward Laws, Herts Phoenix 51.00 400m Hurdles
Championship Divisional Champions – Chelmsford AC (East), City of York (North), Tonbridge AC (South), Swansea Harriers (West)
Officials Trophy – Chris Blyth and Stuart Paul
Chair’s Trophy – City of York AC
