McCain is the grassroots sponsor of UK Athletics and headline sponsor of the UK Challenge Series, which is the country's main domestic competition that provides a pathway for athletes to progress from club to international level.

The deal is worth around £1 million ($1.6 million/€1.2 million) a year to UK Athletics and is somewhat of a surprise that McCain decided not to renew the deal considering that London won the right to stage the 2017 World Athletics Championships last month.

"After careful consideration McCain has decided not to renew its current five-year partnership with UK Athletics, which comes to an end in 2013," said a McCain spokesperson.

"The partnership continues to be hugely successful for McCain and UKA in creating a long-term legacy for young British athletes from grassroots through to competitive level."

But despite the blow, UK Athletics claimed that they are optimistic about securing a high-profile new sponsor largely due to the fact that they will host the 2017 World Championships at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford.

"The 2017 World Athletics Championships coming to London gives us a superb commercial platform on which to build post-2012," said a UK Athletics spokesperson, before paying tribute to McCain.

"McCain have invested in the grassroots athletic competitions and have enabled us to deliver an increase in participation and enhance standards," continued the spokesperson.

"We would like to thank McCain for their on-going support."

Earlier this year, UK Athletics announced that they were taking over the organising of the sport's flagship televised events in the build-up to the London 2012 Olympics by ending their 14-year partnership with commercial partners Fast Track.

Fast Track, which is now part of the Chime Communications group, had organised the televised domestic meetings on behalf of the governing body, as well as securing new commercial and television partners and servicing existing clients.


They were behind the £50 million ($83 million/€58 million) six-year deal that UK Athletics signed with Aviva in 2006 that, at the time, was the biggest sponsorship contract signed by a sport outside football.

But UK Athletics were keen to capitalise on the opportunity offered by London 2012 to run their own meetings.

UK Athletics are now one of the richest national governing bodies in the world and will benefit even further if their team enjoys a successful performance at next year's Olympics in London.

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