Record numbers set for Bay Sheffield at Glenelg during annual Boxing Day carnival

ORGANISERS of South Australia’s richest footrace hope unprecedented entries and a new three-day format will help draw bumper crowds for next week’s iconic athletics carnival.

• Bay Sheffield at Glenelg will become three-day event
• Women’s sprint prizemoney matches the men’s Bay Sheffield

BAY Sheffield organisers hope record entries and a new three-day format will help draw bumper crowds for next week’s iconic athletics carnival.

Entries have shot above 900 this year for the first time say since SA’s richest footrace came to Colley Reserve in 1887.

SA Athletic League (SAAL) chief executive Leon Burckhardt put the registration boost down to booming juniors competition and strong interest from interstate runners.

“Generally we get under 900 (entries) so it’s a pretty good benchmark for us and a record for the Bay Sheffield,” he said.

“It’s been gradually getting bigger but we’ve had a big influx of juniors over the past couple of seasons then again this season.”

SAAL announced in September it would add an extra day to the traditional two-day carnival because it was “bursting at the seams”.

Jessica Payne (yellow) wins the 2016 Women's 120m Bay Sheffield race from Patricia Taea (blue and Mikayla Round (green) at Colley Reserve, Glenelg. Picture: Dylan Coker.

“Fitting all the events in two days has become a real challenge, with more people entering each year there’s more heats needed and so forth,” Mr Burckhardt said.

He hoped the extra day of competition would boost already strong crowd numbers, after last year’s carnival drew 30,000 people.

The Bay Sheffield’s increasing popularity is also indicative of the sport in general.

Athletics SA’s participation numbers have jumped 52 per cent over the past three years, according to its annual report, released last month.

“Athletics is certainly getting a bit more of a profile,” Mr Burckhardt said.

“You’ve got the Commonwealth Games coming up next year in the Gold Coast, which always brings an increase, as well as fresh concepts for competitions.”

Both the men’s and women’s open 120m events – the Bay Sheffield’s showcase events – will again attract $20,000 for first place.

The men’s 120m is set to be hotly contested with a strong field headlined by reigning champion Ryan Atkins returning to defend his crown.

Ryan Atkins (blue) takes out last year’s men’s Bay Sheffield at Colley Reserve, Glenelg. Picture: Dylan Coker.

Queensland backmarker Tjimarri Sanderson-Milera and West Australian Evan Jarvis, who finished just behind Atkins last year, will also be back.

They will be joined by a swag of former winners including Jordan Caldow and Clay Watkins.

However, the competition format will be altered due to the extra day, with the first day primarily featuring junior heats and finals.

Mr Burckhardt said more food vans and other aspects of the event outside of the running would add to a carnival atmosphere at Colley Reserve.