AW Wednesday Meets

We're now into the final rounds of our Summer Season of Weekly Wednesday meets!  At the 2025/26 Season Presentation, you'll be awarded a certificate with your best performances noted, so be sure to have a red hot go in everything these last weeks.  

A reminder: our results each Wednesday are sponsored by React Facility Solutions.  

React's range of services includes:

• Cleaning (residential, end-of-lease and commercial)
• Maintenance & Handyman Services
• Lawns & Landscaping, and
• Demolition Labour 

Give them a go if you have a need!

NEW Distance Handicap Race

Our March 4th meet will feature a handicapped mile BUT to earn a place on the startline, you'll need to participate in three lead-up races.  29 athletes are still left standing after the first qualifier - a 2000m - was held on January 28th.  The remaining races are:

• 3000m on February 18th
• 1500m on February 25th

One of the issues with handicapping longer races is that people can improve massively if they don't make a proper effort in the events the handicap is based upon.  To somewhat guard against this, athletes who improve 'too much' in the mile will be DQ'd, so it makes sense for athletes to ensure the handicapper's estimate is as accurate as possible by running genuinely in the lead-up races.  We're very interested to see the support for the handicapped mile and the final standings.

The remaining events on this night will be 'catch up' ones.  There were a few times our program was impacted by either equipment failure or weather conditions, so we'll give participants a final opportunity to set a season best in those events.

Wednesday Helper Roster

Our volunteer/helper stocks are in a bit of a trough for the moment.  This is particularly the case with the starter role, where we've recently had to scramble on the night for someone to take up the electronic gun these past months.  Taking our lead from parkrun, we're going to trial having a sign-up list where people can volunteer ahead of time.  You'll find it on the noticeboard outside the track office.  Note that full training will be provided, though there's not really much to it!

Other roles include recorder (writing down names/results at the finish line) and several others for distance races: lap counting, bell ringing and handing out tokens.

For the next two rounds, there will also be a requirement on hurdles participants to either assist in the set-up of the event themselves and/or supply a helper to do so on their behalf.

End of Season Special

Our final event in our season of Wednesday meets will be held on March 11th.  To celebrate, we'll be inviting our members and supporters to enjoy a free BBQ. 

On the track we'll also have some special events:

• The Many-vs-One Relay (AKA Naomi's race) - we'll clear the stands and have everyone on the track for this one.  The Many will pass something down the line hand-to-hand, while The One will try and race it to the finish line.  Naomi is challenging us to try and break her winning streak and some lucky others will get a turn as 'The One' as well.
• 60m Skins Champion of Champions - a series of knockout handicapped 60m races with low recovery.  Fitness will be tested in this fun but challenging event.  ...and that's just to qualify for the final!  Get there and it's a one-and-done run to determine who gets a $100 Run Havoc Gift Voucher, some money, or will go home empty-handed.
• 800m Chocolate Run - our annual test of the performance-enhancing benefits of a chocolate prize.  Unlike our other handicap events, this one is handicapped by time, with everyone running the full 800m distance.  Will our club's fastest chase everyone down, or will a bunny out the front skip away and surprise everyone?!

In the field there will be fun events like the Vortex Throw or Gumboot Throw.  Come along for a great night!

Run Havoc $100 Gift Vouchers

Run Havoc's sponsorship of Athletics Wollongong this season continues to be a great success, with our members earning $100 gift vouchers at our pointscore meets.  Each month we give away one voucher for participation and one for achievement.  

The participation voucher is awarded by lucky draw.  All you need to do to gain entries in the draw is to enter a programmed event on a Wednesday.  The more weeks you attend - and the more events you participate in - the better your chances of winning.  Following that formula, was our January voucher winner James Tebbutt.  Make sure you're maximising your chances in the February and March draws by contesting each and every event.

The achievement voucher is awarded by best performance in a nominated event each month.  The January voucher went to the winner of the 2000m on Jan 28th: Emma O'Sullivan.  February's event was the 400m.  While Harlow Pate had the best performance (as per age-scaled, multi-event scoring) she was a previous voucher winner, so instead the prize went to Adrian See who was runner-up.  Well done, all.

Our final $100 Run Havoc Achievement Voucher will go to the winner of the 60m Skins Champion of Champions.  As this is a handicapped event, everyone has a chance to take out the win, or the minor prizes of $50 (for 2nd) or $30 (3rd).

Show your appreciation of Run Havoc's support by giving them a visit.  You'll find them in Wollongong's lower mall - where AW members can receive a 5% discount - or online HERE.  If you're looking for shoes, running gear or nutrition, then check out Run Havoc.

Presentation Night

The Courtview Function Room of the Wollongong Tennis Club will be the venue for our 2025/26 Presentation Night.  Join us on May 2nd, from 6pm, for a fun farewell to the season of track and field.  Celebrate the achievements of your clubmates - and give your clubmates the opportunity to congratulate you on yours. 

We will have a short break with a few nibbles during the Presentation to keep energy up so, as the date approaches, we'll be collecting RSVPs for catering purposes.  

All athletes who attend our Wednesday meets receive a certificate detailing their Season Bests in each of the events.  Members who have participated in at least 50% of Wednesday Club Meets (and, if they register late, a minimum of 8 Club Meets) are eligible for a club pointscore award and consideration for the Most Improved Newcomer Award (if in their first season of membership), else Most Improved.

Awards are also given to those who break Club Records, achieve the best Age-graded performances in each event, maintain continuous membership, represent at National Championships, and provide great service to the club or demonstrate fine club spirit.

Nominees for major awards (for outstanding achievements in Para, Junior, Masters, Track, and Field categories) will be announced in the lead-up, while some will remain a surprise until the night.  

It's a great opportunity for all members to come together, no matter their individual competitive aims.  We strongly encourage you to book it in your calendar.

Illawarra Track Challenge

The original event was postponed due to oppressive conditions.  The new date for the 2026 Illawarra Track Challenge is Saturday, 28 February.  It will be the largest all-ages athletics event held in the region this season.

All existing athlete entries will automatically be transferred to the new date.  Athletes who were unable to attend the original event are now able to enter.  Entries close at 12:00pm on Tuesday, 24 February.

Even if you’re not competing or eligible to participate, it’s well worth attending as a spectator.  The State 60m and Mile Championships on the program will ensure a high standard of competition. 

Track Classics

The highest-standard annual athletics events in the country are the series of Track Classics.  They showcase the best athletes, who participate by invitation only, as part of a glitzy show for the general public. 

The first of these was held in Perth this past weekend, with Hobart (Feb 28th), Adelaide (March 13th & 14th) and Melbourne (March 28th) to follow.

Athletics Wollongong had their highest representation at a Classic ever, with four duking it out in the West this past weekend:

• Ben Kelly (100m)
• Chelsy Wayne (Discus)
• Mackay Jones (High Jump), and
• Maiya Hewitt (400m Hurdles)

Joining them in upcoming events will be Chase Grant and Delta Amidzovski, with possibly more to follow.  Congratulations to everyone who achieves an invite!

With no Classic in Sydney this season, the best way to catch the action live is via the simulcast on 7Plus.

Australian Short Track Champs Results

Delta Amidzovski was the sole AW rep at the Australian Short Track Championships.  This event has been added to the calendar since outdoor performances were deemed eligible for World Indoors qualifiers.

Delta contested both the 60m Hurdles and Long Jump, with both performances showcasing her smooth transition from Junior star to the Open category.

She finished second to Olympian Michelle Jenneke in the hurdles, with a time that was only 0.04s from the World Indoor Championships qualifying mark.  Delta then took out the Long Jump, claiming the scalp of returning Australian recordholder Brooke Buschkuehl (nee Stratton).

NSW Country Champs Results

It was a long ol' trip to Dubbo and the journey appeared to dissuade quite a few of our members from attending.  Numbers were our lowest in many years and we suffered an understandable drop in the Gibb-Loomes club pointscore standings as a result.

Those that did make the trek represented the club admirably, of course, with full results of our members available HERE.  Special note must be made of those who broke NSW Country records.  These fell to Chelsy Wayne (U20 Discus) and Sidney Bartle (15's Hammer Throw).

No word on the venue of next year's Country Champs, but we will continue to encourage everyone to attend the best event on the calendar.

NSW Combined Champs Results

We endeavour to have members participating in all events on a Wednesday evening, so it's little wonder that our club usually has good representation at the Combined Event Championships.  The events contested here include pentathlons, heptathlons and decathlons - with each of our participating members coming home with a medal.

There was a quinella in the 55-59 Pentathlon, with Rodney Tebbutt and Anthony Howlett bringing home gold and silver respectively.

Christine Shaw continued her dominance in the 65-69 Pentathlon, racking up yet another NSW Title.  While multi-club Member Ben Pittman braved the Open Decathlon, taking silver in the 10-event odyssey.

Let's have even more contesting these Championships next season!

Full results or our members are available HERE.

Region Champs Results

The Region 4 Championships were held at our home track and provided a pathway to the NSW Championships for some of our younger members: finish top 2 and you're through!  A few of the technical events (pole vault and hammer throw, for example) offer direct State entry, but the remaining competitors will be hoping to qualify as a next-best performer.

With the completion of the Region Champs this weekend, who'll be offered a spot in the Junior Championships will become clear.  Best of luck to those hoping to receive an email invitation in the next few days.

Full results of our members at Region are available HERE.

Thank you to those parents who pitched in to satisfy our helper requirements, particularly Kris Lorkin who both coordinated those efforts and was a High Jump judge for the duration.

ACT Champs Results

Our proximity to Canberra makes the ACT a popular destination during Championship season.  

Chase Grant (U20 200m), Delta Amidzovski (Open 60m Hurdles) and Mackay Jones (U20 High Jump) can all call themselves Territory Champions, following the U20 & Open event a few weeks ago.

The Underage Championships were held this past weekend and each of our reps earned the same title - at least twice over!  Congratulations to Emily Perry, Lincoln Gorrie, Sidney Bartle, and Xavier Wilson.

All-Time Records Updates

It's been a fruitful few weeks for those gunning for an Athletics Wollongong Best on Record performance.  Unlike our club records, which can only be claimed via efforts at our Wednesday meets, a Best on Record can happen at any event (of a suitable standard) with Open-age specifications.

• Ben Kelly ran a fire 10.20s 100m at the Perth Track Classic 
• Chase Grant blitzed the ACT Championships with a 46.73s bomb in the 400m
• Matthew Pendleton improved his own 5k mark at the NSW 5000m Championships, leaving it at 16'16.56s
• Delta Amidzovksi ran 8.06s in the 60m Hurdles at the Australian Short Track Championships
• Maiya Hewitt first broke the 400m Hurdles mark in Canberra, before edging by it again at the Perth Track Classic (58.80s)

You can see the Best on Record performances HERE.

NSW Masters Award Nominees & State Champs

Congratulations to our members who have been nominated for NSW Masters awards:

• Rob Bongiorno (Sprint/Hurdles)
• Em O'Sullivan (Distance)
• Christine Shaw (Jumps and Relays)

The Award winners will be announced during the NSW Masters Championships, to be held at Campbelltown's track on February 20th - 22nd.  

There will be terrific representation at the Champs and we wish all of our members the best of luck! 

Wollongong Aquathon Thank You!

A big thank you to all of our helpers at this year’s Aquathon event. With record participation numbers, the morning flew by.

Feedback from entrants was overwhelmingly positive — queues kept moving, and our volunteers made the entire experience warm, welcoming and efficient.

Thanks to our collective hard work, the event organiser will be making a donation to the club, which will help subsidise our Presentation Night.

Those who assisted are also now eligible for financial assistance from the club when competing at the Junior or Open National Championships.

Remember to keep the early hours of January 26th free next year.  It's a lot of fun!

Committee Vacancies

Athletics Wollongong's AGM will be held in June/July, with a lot more information to come in the ensuing months.

This season we have had several members of the Committee pulling double and triple duty - or more! - covering multiple positions to ensure that our members receive the best possible club experience.  It's not a sustainable way of doing things though - and there is a risk of burnout among those who have put their hand up.

I encourage everyone to give some thought as to whether they may be able to assist the club away from the track.  It's the perfect time of year to have a chat with a current Committee Member regarding their experiences, or pop along to a meeting to have a peek at what it's all about.  

Note that we don't need you to have amazing qualifications, we're just after people that want to work towards the best possible outcomes for the club and its members.

Athletics Wollongong Hoodie

Get in early for Winter and purchase an Athletics Wollongong hoodie.  We have sizes available from Junior 14 through to 3XL.  Buy a hoodie HERE or see us on a club night.

SMART Treatments deal

Athletics Wollongong members can receive $15 OFF their first massage treatment at SMART.  That means you’ll get 60 minutes of premium, sports-focused care for only $100.  Give them a call on 0433168151 for the deal.

Coming Dates

• 18th Feb - 2025-26 Athletics Wollongong Pointscore Week 17
• 20th-22nd Feb - NSW Masters Championships, Campbelltown
• 25th Feb - 2025-26 Athletics Wollongong Pointscore Week 18
• 26th Feb -  Milers IV, The Crest
• 28th Feb - Illawarra Track Challenge, Beaton Park
• 28th Feb - Hobart Track Classic
• 4th Mar - 2025-26 Athletics Wollongong Pointscore Week 19
• 6th-9th Mar - Australian Masters Championships, Canberra
• 7th Mar - Milers V, E.S. Mark's
• 8th Mar - High Velocity, Campbelltown
• 11th Mar - 2025-26 Athletics Wollongong End of Season Special
• 12th-15th Mar - NSW Junior Championships, SOPAC
• 13th-14th Mar - Adelaide Track Classic
• 19th-22nd Mar - NSW Open Championships, SOPAC
• 21st-22nd Mar - NSW Littles Championships, SOPAC
• 28th Mar - Maurie Plant Meet, Melbourne
• 9th-12th Apr, Australian Open Championships, SOPAC
• 15th-20th Apr, Australian Junior Championships, Brisbane
• 22nd-24th Apr, Australian Universities Games, Gold Coast
• 2nd May - Athletics Wollongong Presentation Night