'Safeguarding issue' prevents Zara Hyde Peters from taking up CEO role at UK Athletics

Zara Hyde Peters will not take up her role as the next chief executive of UK Athletics as planned.

The former international long-distance runner and British Triathlon chief was due to start work as UK Athletics CEO in December, but wide-spread press reports regarding a "safeguarding issue" have now put stop to her appointment.

In a short statement, Chris Clark, chair UK Athletics, said: "Following recent press reports and significant media attention focused on Zara Hyde Peters, the UK Athletics Board convened a meeting this past Sunday 24 November and discussed the situation fully.

"Following the meeting I had time with Zara to review the situation and we have agreed together, that she will now not be taking up her position as CEO on 1 December."

Hyde Peters had been appointed to the role in August, following a near-one year search for a permanent UK Athletics CEO, following the stepping down of Niels de Vos in September 2018.

Hyde Peters’ career as an elite athlete saw her compete for Great Britain in endurance events during the 1990s – and she represented England in the 1994 Commonwealth Games in the 10,000m race.

After her active career, she has enjoyed a distinguished career in sports governance.

As well as working for UK Sport, Hyde Peters spent eight years at UK Athletics – from 2000 to 2008 – first as technical director for the endurance running programme and then four years as director of athlete development.

After leaving UK Athletics in 2008, she took up the role of CEO of British Triathlon Federation, where she spent six years, until 2014.