Shot put champion Tom Walsh will be in action in Hamilton next month. Photo / Warren Buckland
Shot put champion Tom Walsh will be in action in Hamilton next month. Photo / Warren Buckland
Athletes from the New Zealand Commonwealth Games squad will light up Porritt Stadium in Hamilton at the 2018 Jennian Homes New Zealand Track & Field Champs from March 9 to 11.
Last year the championships, also held in Hamilton, provided many highlights. This year the championships not only provide theopportunity to take national titles but will also double as a key lead-up competition to the Commonwealth Games that begin on April 4 on the Gold Coast.
More than 600 of the best athletes from around the country will descend on Hamilton for the three-day championships, and for many the event will be the pinnacle of their season. One of New Zealand's oldest sporting competitions, with more than 100 years of history, the national championships provide a great chance for spectators to witness elite level athletics and to see some of the world's best athletes in action.
The championships will feature world shot put champion Tom Walsh, Rio pole vault bronze medallist Eliza McCartney, Double Olympic shot put champion Dame Valerie Adams and many other Commonwealth and Olympic representatives.
Five Waikato athletes have qualified for the Gold Coast, and having a national championships on their home track provides an excellent opportunity to showcase their talents to local fans.
"It's always great to compete on your home track, in front of a home crowd and I know all of the athletes there will be giving it their all.
"I'm extremely excited to don the black singlet in April and to represent New Zealand on the Gold Coast. The Jennian Homes NZ Track & Field Champs will be a key build-up competition for me ahead of the Games," said Hamilton-based New Zealand representative athlete Cameron French.
The championships run from Friday March 9 till Sunday March 11 at Porritt Stadium, Hamilton with competition beginning from 9am daily. Entry for spectators is $15 for adults and $5 for children 16 and under, with adult three-day passes available for $35.
