Get set for a season of athletics to remember

A bumper Athletics Australia calendar is set to deliver the highest-standard of competition for athletes and world-class excitement to sports fans throughout the summer.

As the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games loom in April, our athletes will need to perform when it matters most – at the Australian Athletics Championships & Nomination Trial this coming February 15-18. Carrara Stadium will no doubt provide plenty of inspiration, the venue also host to the athletics track and field competition at the Commonwealth Games. Performances at these Championships will be critical for many Australian team selections, and will no doubt deliver one of the best domestic meets seen in a decade.

The pressure will be on and you won’t want to miss a minute of the action. Tickets for the four-day event go on sale shortly, but if you can make it, Athletics Australia will deliver a live stream and unprecedented highlights across our digital channels.

The season gets underway this week with some of the next generation going head to head in Adelaide at the Australian All Schools Championships and Schools Knockout Final.

Christmas will come early for a few of our best distance runners, the Zatopek:10 at Melbourne's Lakeside Stadium (December 14) delivering the first round of automatic nominations for Athletics for the Australian Commonwealth Games Team. The world’s longest-running named distance running meet and Australia’s premiere distance event will be live streamed via Athletics Victoria’s Facebook page.

Rounding out the National competition for 2017 will be the rescheduled Australian 50km Race Walking Championships at Melbourne's Fawkner Park, a true highlight for our endurance athletes.

Commonwealth Games spots will also go on the line in Adelaide, at the Australian 20km Race Walking Championships on February 11 with athletes vying for places for the Gold Coast 2018 team to help continue Australia’s strong race walking tradition.

Sydney will host Australia’s best junior talent in March at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships. Athletics Australia will live stream the bumper five-day program across March 14-18, with highlights available across our digital channels.

The national championship season rounds out with the Australian Little Athletics Championships over two days with the Gold Coast again playing host.

State championships will provide another opportunity to post qualifying times with fierce competition across the new year. Don’t miss –

·         Western Australian Athletics Championships, Perth, January 19-21
·         Australian Capital Territory Athletics Championships, Canberra, January 26-28
·         New South Wales Athletics Championships, Sydney, February 2-4
·         Queensland Athletics Championships, Brisbane, February 2-4
·         South Australian Athletics Championships, Adelaide, February 2-4
·         Victorian Athletics Championships, Melbourne, March 2-4
·         Tasmanian Athletics Championships, Hobart, March 23-25

In fact, no matter where you are around Australia, you can access spectacular athletics competition this season.

Australia’s dual 100m hurdles World Champion Sally Pearson headlines the action under lights at the Jandakot Airport Track Classic on January 13 in Perth.

The Hunter Track Classic in Newcastle is certain to deliver fast times and incredible performances on January 20 and the Sydney Athletics Grand Prix makes for unmissable Saturday night of action, following on from the Australian Junior Athletics Championships on March 17.

For those who can’t get to the Commonwealth Games, Brisbane hosts the Summer of Athletics Grand Prix (March 22) and the Queensland Track Classic (March 28) as our athletes get one last hit-out before Gold Coast 2018 gets underway.

Both the Sydney Athletics Grand Prix and the Summer of Athletics Grand Prix will be live streamed so stay tuned to our website for details.

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