Centre Championships
The Centre Championships are a special time for our athletes to put all their training and hard work to the test, and marks the final time each event is run for the season.
This seasons Centre Championships will be held:
- Day 1 – Saturday 17th February 2024
- Day 2 – Saturday 24th February 2024
- Day 3 – Saturday 2nd March 2024
These days are generally longer than a normal meet due to heats and finals being conducted in laned track events. Timed finals will be conducted for 400m and Hurdles events.
Medals and ribbons are presented to all competing athletes in each event. Presentation ceremonies will be held as soon as possible after each event…don’t forget your camera!
There are a few rules surrounding Centre Championships that everyone needs to be aware of:
1. Athletes must have competed in the event at least once during the season to be eligible. If an athlete has not competed in the event at least once in an event, they may request an exemption in writing by the advertised consideration date (usually the last regular Saturday meet each season). These are generally only granted in exceptional circumstances.
2. Athletes must be in Centre Uniform. This means our competition top, and plain black shorts. Shorts must comply with the Uniform Policy outlined at point 6 of the Rules of Competition in the Information Manual, ie
- plain black
- above the knee
- logos/branding displayed only once and no larger than 20cm2, maximum height 4cm.
3. Only Officials and designated assistants are allowed at field sites. An independent Chief Official will be assigned to each event. The Chief Official will be easily identified by their high visibility vest. If you want to see your child compete at a field site, the only way is to nominate yourself to assist at the site. If you are not a site assistant, you must not be at the site.
4. False Starts (breaks) in races. Centre Championships bring out the best in our athletes. They can be very competitive. There are also lots of nerves, which can result in breaks at the start of races. The first time an athlete breaks, they will be warned, and the Chief Judge will hold up an yellow flag to indicate which lane the break occurred. If the same athlete breaks a second time, they will be disqualified from the race.
5. Laned race events are run in both heats and finals, with the exception of hurdles and 400m. Seeding for heats is determined by the athletes best performance (PB) recorded at Gormley Park. If there are less athletes than the number required for the final, then a straight final shall be undertaken.
At the end of the heats, the Track Recording Officials will give the names of the finalists to the Announcer. For events run on the sprint track (70m and 100m), the fastest 8 athletes from the heats will compete in the final. For events on the outside track (150m and 200m), the fastest 6 athletes will compete in the final. These athletes will be called out by name to marshal for the finals. Please remind your athletes to listen carefully for these announcements. If an athlete misses their final, the race will not be re-run.
For hurdles (sprint and long hurdles), 400m and all distance events, races are timed finals. The times achieved from each race are combined to determine the final placings for the event.
6. The Programs are slightly different. We run special Programs for Centre Championships – Programs 4, 5 and 6, which are available here.
7. No coaching is strictly observed. Coaching is not permitted during Centre Championship events. Any athlete who gains a competitive advantage from parents, guardians or coaches at a site may be disqualified from the event.
8. Cancellations of Centre Championship Meets. Should a Saturday meet be cancelled the preferred day for rescheduling is the Sunday of the same weekend. Due to the potential length of the meet it is not possible to hold a twilight.