Australian Athletics (AA), and Little Athletics Australia (LAA), are happy to announce dates and particulars for the inaugural aligned athletics championships in Brisbane in 2026. Reflecting nearer working relationships between the 2 our bodies, the Australian Athletics Junior Championships (AAJC) which kinds a part of the Chemist Warehouse Summer season Collection will probably be performed side-by-side with the Coles Australian Little Athletics Championships (ALAC).
As beforehand introduced, each occasions will probably be performed in Brisbane on the Queensland Sports activities and Athletics Centre (QSAC). Key dates for the championships in 2026 are:
April 12 – 14: Coles Australian Little Athletics Championships; and
April 15 – 20: Australian Athletics Junior Championships – a part of the Chemist Warehouse Summer season Collection.
Throughout each occasions athletes from round Australia will compete as a part of a celebration of the game and its rising success as we head in the direction of a 2032 dwelling video games. The championships will showcase the depth and potential of the nation’s subsequent technology with hundreds of school-aged athletes by way of to Beneath-20s collaborating. For a lot of younger rivals, this celebration of athletics may also mark step one on their path to future international occasions.
“Brisbane offers our juniors and Beneath-20 athletes the prospect to be impressed by a future Olympic and Paralympic metropolis,” Australian Athletics CEO Simon Hollingsworth stated.
“These championships symbolize the rising expertise in our sport, and we’re thrilled to present this occasion the separate highlight that it deserves.”
The championships may also function a stepping stone within the lead-up to the 2026 World Athletics Beneath 20 Championships in Eugene, USA, offering a vital choice and preparation alternative for Australia’s brightest younger expertise.
Little Athletics Australia CEO Myles Foreman famous the thrill for the aligned occasion as a pathway for our future champions, “Greater than seventy former Little Athletics contributors have been on the Australian World Championship workforce in Tokyo. ALAC is a incredible teams-based championship that engenders a love for the game and builds a pathway for teenagers to proceed in athletics, together with right through to representing Australia.”
The Australian Junior Athletics Championships is supported by the Queensland Authorities, by way of Tourism and Occasions Queensland’s Main Occasions Program and Brisbane Metropolis Council, by way of Brisbane Financial Improvement Company.
The draft timetable for each occasions will probably be obtainable nearer to the Championships, noting that Beneath 14 occasions will probably be held in the direction of the beginning of the Australian Junior Athletics Championships to allow athletes who want to compete in each championships to minimise journey prices.
As a part of the alignment AA and LAA have agreed to quite a lot of modifications in 2026 to the 2 occasions. In abstract:
The youngest age group at AAJC will probably be Beneath 14 (athletes born in 2013, or for PV and HT solely, 2014). AAJC is not going to embrace an Beneath 13s competitors (athletes born in 2014 or later).
The age teams competing on the ALAC will probably be Beneath 12 – Athletes born in 2014 and Beneath 13 – Athletes born in 2013 (LAA age group definition) and won’t embrace any age teams for athletes born earlier than 2013.
Eligibility for each championships will probably be open to the entire of sport.
ALAC may have elevated workforce numbers to supply extra alternatives for nationwide championships for athletes throughout the entire of sport.
Little Athletics athletes who obtain the requisite AA entry requirements will probably be eligible to compete within the AAJC.
ALAC Entries will probably be managed / facilitated by way of LAA Member Associations.
AAJC Entries will probably be managed/facilitated by way of AA State Member Associations.
AA and LAA observe that this would be the first aligned championships reflecting higher collaboration. Each organisations are dedicated to enterprise a complete assessment after the aligned championships to hunt suggestions from the athletics group to tell and enhance future championships.
Dates and placement for the 2026 Australian Open Athletics Championships will probably be introduced quickly, with a concentrate on optimising the occasion in a Commonwealth Video games yr which options each ready and Para athletes.
FAQs on Aligned Junior Athletics Championships – Yr 1 Scope (April 2026)
Date posted 19/09/2025
