Athletics is a group of sporting events that involves competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and racewalking.
Masters athletics is a class of the sport of athletics for athletes of over 35 years of age. The events include track and field, road running and cross country running. Competitors are bracketed into five-year age groups. For international events the first age group is 35 to 39. Men as old as 105 and women in their 100s have competed in running, jumping and throwing events. Masters athletes are sometimes known as "veterans" and the European Masters Championships, for instance, is known as "Eurovets." This and other high level events including biennial World Championships cater largely to elite-level athletes, but many masters athletes are novices to athletics and enjoy the camaraderie offered by masters competition at the local, National and International level. Most National governing bodies for track and field hold annual Masters championships. Prestigious National meets such as the Penn Relays and the United States Olympic Trials put on exhibition events for top masters athletes. Masters athletics is growing Internationally with over 6000 athletes competing at recent World Championships. World; National and Regional records are maintained for each age group.
The Oceania Athletics Championships is an athletics event organized by the Oceania Athletics Association (OAA) for the World Athletics (WA) member associations of the Oceania region. First held in 1990 in Suva, it was initially conceived as a quadrennial event; however, after the second edition in 1994, the championships changed to a biennial event. After the 2010 championships, there were significant changes in the format of the competition. Now being held as a regional championships, the associations were divided into two divisions based on their geographical location. However, the competition was revised back to its original format as an area championships in 2013.
The 2008 Oceania Athletics Championships was the 9th edition of the Oceania Athletics Championships, organised under the supervision of the Oceania Athletic Association, in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands in June. Athletes competed at two age categories: Youth (U18) and open senior. New Caledonia competed as part of Oceania for the first time, having competed as a guest nation in past events. The four-day competition took place from 25 to 28 June
Jack Swift is an Australian athletics competitor and paratriathlete. He was selected to represent Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in athletics in the 400m and 4 × 100 m events.
The 2000 Oceania Athletics Championships were held at the Santos Stadium in Adelaide, Australia, between August 24–26, 2000.
The 2006 Oceania Athletics Championships were held at the Apia Park in Apia, Samoa, between December 12–16, 2006.
The 2012 Oceania Athletics Championships were held at the Barlow Park in Cairns, Australia, between June 27–29, 2012.
The Oceania Cross Country Championships are a biennial Cross country running competition organized by the Oceania Athletics Association (OAA) for athletes representing the countries of its member associations. They were established in 2009, and were held together with either the Australian or New Zealand national championships. Races are featured for senior and U20 and U18 athletes.
The Oceania U20 Athletics Championships is an athletics competition organized by the Oceania Athletics Association (OAA) open to under-20 athletes from member and associate member associations. It was called the Oceania Junior Athletics Championships from 1994 to 2014. The competition is held biennially together with the Oceania Open Championships for the first time in 1994 until 1998, and again since 2010. In 2012, the new regional "East–West" format was applied with Medals now being awarded for athletes from both the Eastern and the Western Region by separating the results correspondingly.
The 2010 Oceania Junior Athletics Championships were held at the Barlow Park in Cairns, Australia, between September 23–25, 2010. They were held together with the 2010 Oceania Open Championships. A total of 33 events were contested, 15 by men and 18 by women.
The 2012 Oceania Junior Athletics Championships were held at the Barlow Park in Cairns, Australia, between June 27–29, 2012. They were held together with the 2012 Oceania Open Championships.
The Oceania Youth Athletics Championships is an athletics event organized by the Oceania Athletics Association (OAA) open for youth (U18) athletes from member and associate member associations. The competition is held biennially for the first time in 1993 until 1999, and between 2000 and 2008 together with the Oceania Open Championships. In 2010 and 2011, it was held together with the Australian Junior Athletics Championships, and in 2013 again together with the Oceania Open Championships.
The 2013 Oceania Athletics Championships were held at the Stade Pater Te Hono Nui in Papeete, French Polynesia, between June 3–5, 2013. The event was held jointly with the 2013 Oceania Youth Athletics Championships, and there were also exhibition events for masters, athletes with a disability and children. Detailed reports on a day by day basis were given.
The 2007 Melanesian Championships in Athletics took place between August 14–19, 2007. The event was held at the Barlow Park in Cairns, Australia, jointly with the OAA Grand Prix Series. Many athletes utilised the competitions preparing for the upcoming IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan. Detailed reports were given for the OAA.
The 2009 Melanesian Championships in Athletics took place between August 4–8, 2009. The event was held at the Griffith University in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, jointly with the OAA Grand Prix Series, and the OAA sub-regional Micronesian and Polynesian Championships. Many athletes utilised the competitions preparing for the upcoming IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany. Detailed reports were given for the OAA.
The 2015 Oceania Athletics Championships were held at Barlow Park in Cairns, Australia, between May 8–10, 2015. The event was held jointly with the 2015 Oceania Youth Athletics Championships and the 2015 Oceania Combined Events Championships. Moreover, there were also exhibition events for masters and athletes with a disability (parasports), as well as school events for age groups 5 to 15 years. Detailed reports on a day by day basis were given.
The 2015 Oceania Youth Athletics Championships were held at the Barlow Park in Cairns, Queensland, Australia, between May 8–10, 2015. They were held together with the 2015 Oceania Area Championships. Detailed reports on a day by day basis were given.
Ben Buckingham is an Australian track and field athlete who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase.
