The 2026 Australian Athletics Championships were held at SOPAC from 9th to 12th April.
On Friday night, Emily McLaren competed in the Open 3000m steeplechase. One of the youngest athletes in a field of 17, Emily delivered an outstanding performance, smashing her PB by 16 seconds to record 11:59.32. Just five months on from surgery, Emily has shown incredible determination and resilience to return to competitive running. Well done, Em!
Also competing on Friday was Will Dyball in Heat 1 of the highly competitive Open 800m. Will ran a solid 1:53.88 to finish 6th in his heat, placing him 25th overall in a field of 37 athletes.
A fantastic start to the national championships, with both athletes setting a strong tone for the days ahead. Now we turn our attention to the Australian Athletics Junior (Under Age) Championships in Brisbane. Good luck to Emerson Boatswain, Emily McLaren, Evie Binney, Flynn Kelly, Hamish McLaren, Isla Bailie, Kadance Naylor, Lana Crawford and Lily Sproule.