Relay preparations underway

MEMBERS of Bacchus Marsh Little Athletics Club are getting ready for the region relay carnival to be held in Werribee later this month.

The event is open to under nine to under 17 athletes and will be a qualifying event for the 2024 to 2025 state relay championships to be held at Meadowglen International Athletics Stadium in December.

The teams have started training with 65 athletes from Bacchus Marsh Little Athletics Club involved in the carnival along with 10 volunteer coaches.

“We’ll be competing at Werribee against other centres in our region with the possibility of those teams progressing through to the state championships,” said committee member Linda Thompson.

“Bacchus Marsh have 48 teams registered for the carnival which is a great representation from our centre.”

Relays are the only team event in Little Athletics and Ms Thompson said it is great for the club members to get to know each other.

“It’s actually an opportunity for the children to compete as a team,” she said.

“It brings the children in their age groups a lot closer together because they’re not individually competing for themselves.”

Ms Thompson said the children are looking forward to cheering each other on in Werribee.

“Our under nines will have their first experience at regional level so it will be new for those children,” she said.

“Obviously their goal is to get through to state but that’s not the most important thing, it’s to get out there and enjoy that experience.

“You’ll find that they all get behind each other and they cheer every team on.”