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Swiss Athletics — Schweizerischer Leichtathletik-Verband

Switzerland’s national athletics federation, founded on 4 December 1971 according to its own history and known as Swiss Athletics since 1 November 2006; listed by the Athletics Integrity Unit under European Athletics.
✓ Last reviewed: October 2026
Founded4 December 1971, as the Schweizerischer Leichtathletik-Verband, according to Swiss Athletics; name Swiss Athletics since 1 November 2006[5]
HeadquartersHaus des Sports, Talgut-Zentrum 27, 3063 Ittigen, as given by Swiss Athletics[3]
International federationWorld Athletics, as listed by the Athletics Integrity Unit (2026 list)[1]
Area associationEuropean Athletics (EA), as listed by the Athletics Integrity Unit (2026 list)[1]
Clubs and members520 clubs, 19 cantonal and regional associations and about 15,600 members, as given on Swiss Athletics’ Facts & Figures page (as shown in October 2026)[4]

What is Swiss Athletics?

Swiss Athletics, founded as the Schweizerischer Leichtathletik-Verband (SLV), is the national athletics federation of Switzerland. The Athletics Integrity Unit lists it as the Schweizerischer Leichtathletik-Verband (code SUI) among the national federations of World Athletics.[1] The federation’s own history states that the SLV has been known as Swiss Athletics since 1 November 2006 (“seit 1. November 2006 Swiss Athletics”).[5]

What does Swiss Athletics govern or do?

Swiss Athletics publishes results and the competition calendar for athletics in Switzerland, issues competition licences and publishes the sport’s regulations (Reglemente).[3][4] It gives the number of licences it issues each year as about 12,000.[4]

It also runs education courses and national squads: it reports about 60 training and further-education courses a year, 247 squad athletes and 77 staff.[4]

When was Swiss Athletics founded and where is it based?

The federation’s history states: “Der Schweizerische Leichtathletik-Verband wurde am 4. Dezember 1971 gegründet.” On that date the two previous bodies, the SALV and the ELAV, dissolved themselves.[5] The same page traces the SALV to the athletics committee of the Swiss Football Association founded in 1905, which took the name Schweizerischer Amateur-Leichtathletik-Verband in 1949, and the ELAV to the Eidgenössischer Leichtathleten-Verband founded in 1924 within the Swiss gymnastics federation (ETV/STV).[5]

Its office is at the Haus des Sports, Talgut-Zentrum 27, 3063 Ittigen.[3]

How is Swiss Athletics recognised?

World Athletics. The Athletics Integrity Unit lists the Schweizerischer Leichtathletik-Verband (code SUI) in its List of Categorised National Federations as of 2026, drawn up under Rule 15 of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules, placing it in category B.[1][2]

European Athletics. The same list assigns the federation to the area association EA, European Athletics.[1]

What does Swiss Athletics organise?

Swiss Athletics lists Swiss championships and the SVM club competition (“Meisterschaften & SVM”) among its competitions, together with a Cross Cup, and gives the number of its youth competition series (Nachwuchsserien) as five.[3][4] Its home page reported on the Swiss half-marathon championships (“Schweizer Meisterschaften im Halbmarathon”) held in Lugano on 27 September 2026.[3]

Who are its members?

Swiss Athletics’ Facts & Figures page gives 520 clubs across Switzerland, 19 cantonal and regional associations, and about 15,600 Swiss Athletics members (as shown in October 2026).[4] Its site has separate pages for the cantonal associations and for member clubs and other members.[3]

References

  1. Athletics Integrity Unit — Rule 15: List of Categorised National Federations as of 2026 (PDF). Accessed 2026-10-13.
  2. Athletics Integrity Unit — National Federation Anti-Doping Obligations. Accessed 2026-10-13.
  3. Swiss Athletics — official website (home page). Accessed 2026-10-13.
  4. Swiss Athletics — Facts & Figures. Accessed 2026-10-13.
  5. Swiss Athletics — Geschichte (history). Accessed 2026-10-13.