Local athletes eager for 2025 Sunshine Coast Track Challenge
An increased cash prize pool is set to draw Olympic, Paralympic and rising star athletes from across Queensland to the Sunshine Coast this weekend for the 2025 Track Challenge. See what the athletes had to say.
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The tidal wave of momentum in Australia’s athletics has led to the sport’s domestic scene being strengthen further by a cash-injection for a Sunshine Coast event that has drawn Olympians.
Australia is enjoying one of its most fruitful eras in track and field, underpinned by the likes of Olympic 1500m silver medallist Jess Hull, a lightning Cam Myers who broke the under-20 world record for the mile again and sprinting prospect Gout Gout.
It’s provided added opportunities domestically, with Olympians and Paralympians both set to compete in a the 2025 Sunshine Coast Track Challenge this weekend.
This year’s event, taking part at UniSC on Saturday, February 15, has been bolstered by a $6000 cash prize pool across the three open races distances as well as vouchers and product prizes for all other age-groups.
Events will include 100m, 800m and the 3000m feature race with competing male and female divisions of under-16, under-17, under-20, Open Elite, Open Para and Masters.
Sunshine Coast Olympic Games athlete Peyton Craig said he was excited to take part after missing out on the event in recent years.
“I’d usually be down at the Adelaide Invitational but I had a bit of a look at my schedule and there was a bit of vacancy here so thought it would be a great chance to give back to a club that’s given me so much,” he said.
Craig made his Olympic debut in Paris, coming in as the world under-20 800m silver medallist and made it to the Olympic Games semi-finals.
“It’s good money up for grabs so I think there will be a decent field in the men’s 3000m race which is good,” he said.
The event’s prize money is split evenly for able-bodied and para-athletes.
Daniel Bounty, who competed at the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2020, has since encountered a series of injury setbacks and said he was extremely excited for the coming days.
“It’ll be my first track race back since all my injuries so I can’t wait to be honest,” he said.
“It’s also really great to be recognised equally because we do work just as hard as the able bodied athletes so it’s quite special to have even prize money.”
Local coach Brendan Mallyon said he hoped to see a number of local and wider Queensland athletes taking part.
“We’re definitely encouraging all of our athletes to have a crack and enjoy having a high level competition here on the Sunshine Coast,” he said.
“We’d love to see anyone at all that wants to come out and have a crack whether they’re local or travelling athletes
“There is certainly a good talent pool here on the Sunshine Coast but we’d love to see any South East Queensland athletes or anyone that’s prepared to travel.”
Athletes must be a part of UniSC Athletics, QA or another Queensland Athletics affiliated club to take part and registrations close at 9am on Thursday, February 13.
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