There is considerable additional interest as each of the three meetings has Commonwealth Games trials attached to them.
The Cooks Classic has trials in both the 110m Hurdles and 100m hurdles and the men's high jump. The women's long jump, the men's and women's javelin and the metric mile (1500 metres) has not unexpectedly been granted to Cooks Gardens, which is the home of the mile.
There should have been a 5000 metres women, but unfortunately leading contenders are based overseas and have been granted exemption and the event has been taken out of the programme.
Injury and such exemptions are part and parcel of such events, however, we are left with some very strong and competitive fields none more so than the women's 100 metre hurdles where a full field of eight leading runners will face the starter in the first major track event in the evening programme at 7.25pm.
Both the men's and women's javelin has New Zealand's top performers competing with NZ record holder Tori Peeters having strong competition from Stephanie Wrathall. In the men's event Ben Langton-Burnell will follow in the footsteps of former training partner and Commonwealth Games medal winner Stuart Farquhar.
Both have been coached by Debbie Strange and both love competing at Cooks Gardens where favourable over-the-shoulder winds usually prevail. Peeters and Langton Burnell hope that Cooks Gardens is a step on the way to the Commonwealth Games podium on the Gold Coast in April.
Kelsey Berryman loves competing in the long jump at Cooks Gardens where on so many occasions she has set her season's best and hopes the special Cooks Gardens atmosphere will help her nail a Commonwealth Games berth.
In the high jump Hamish Kerr set his personal best at Cooks Gardens last February and the closeness of spectators to the high jump area will hopefully see him jump above 2.20 metres for the first time. In the field is former Whanganui decathlete Max Attwell fresh from a personal best in the high jump at the Queensland Decathlon last week.
The junior 1500 metres and the Commonwealth Games 1500 metre trial has attracted the largest fields. Although Nick Willis and Hamish Carson have exemptions as they are competing on the USA indoor circuit there is some real depth to both fields for the final two events of the evening.
The juniors have the added incentive of trying to qualify for the World Junior Championships later in the year. Their standard is a demanding 3 minutes 48 seconds.
The tradition of fast middle distance races at Cooks Gardens has been a major reason for the large fields. Young Whanganui athlete Liam Back who has just turned 16 will help with the pace for the juniors.
There is an excellent supporting programme with real quality in both the A and B 100 metre women including our own New Zealand Schools junior 100 metre champion, Genna Maples, amongst the starters. The men also have a competitive field.
Between the two 100m races the popular "Fastest kid on the Block" will be run. Qualifying heats have been run and there are six age groups with representatives from city suburbs and beyond competing and enjoying the special magic of Cooks Gardens.
There is a handicap shot put and also very big entries in the 400 metre handicap where there is substantial prize money in the winner-takes-all event.
Runners will all run in graded heats over the full one lap distance but will have time deducted based on their 2017 best performances. Last year less than half a second separated the leading five athletes. The field includes local New Zealand Schools Internationals Emma Osborne and Tayla Brunger who competed so well in Australia at the end of last year.
The evening programme starts with the men's high jump at 7pm with the opening track event at 7.25pm.
