Athletes prepare for relay carnival

MEMBERS of Bacchus Marsh Little Athletics Centre will be heading to Newport Park Athletics Track tomorrow, Saturday 22 November, for the region relay carnival.

The centre is sending 56 teams comprised of 71 athletes.

The carnival is the qualifying event for the state relay championships, which will be held at Lakeside Stadium in December.

“I think our kids will do quite well,” committee member Linda Thompson said.

“I’d imagine that we’d get a fair few through to the state championships and I think our senior athletes will definitely do quite well.”

The relay is the only team event in Little Athletics and Ms Thompson said it provides a chance for socialising and competing with high-level athletes.

“It’s a good opportunity for the kids to compete as a team and quite often you’ll find over that period of time training they get to know each other a lot better,” she said. “They might be running with the fastest kid in their age group, so it gives them the opportunity to experience competition at a higher level.”

Ahead of the competition, club members trained at Melton City Little Athletics Centre to practice on a different track.

“It’s an opportunity to run on a synthetic track and they’ve got all the marked boxes,” Ms Thompson said.

“It gives the kids the opportunity to familiarise themselves before they get there on the competition day.”