Colgate Games

The Colgate Games are an iconic part of athletics and have been running for over 45 years.

The Colgate Games

The biggest athletics event for children! attended by hundreds of athletes aged 7-14 years old.

The Colgate Games are held in January every year and are made up of two events, one in the North Island and one in the South Island.

2025 North Island Games will be held at Mitre 10 Park, Hawke's Bay
2025 South Island Games will be held at Nga Puna Wai Sports Hub, Christchurch

Entry is open to any child aged 7-14 years who is a member of an affiliated athletics club, and both events present an opportunity for children to compete in a fun and encouraging environment.

You don’t need to be selected or be a top athlete, though medals are awarded for 10-14 year old’s in each event. For 7-9 year old’s, the focus is on participation.

North Island Games

South Island Games

Event Format

The games run from Friday morning through to Sunday afternoon – with relays being the last event of each day
An Opening Ceremony and Marchpast is held for each Games. Please be aware of times and dates for each Games.
All athletes in Grade 14 will be celebrated on Sunday afternoon, culminating in the announcement of the Nick Willis Scholarship winners.
Athletes will be considered visitors if they are registered with an overseas club or a club within the opposite island to the Games. Ie: a North Island athlete competing at the South Island Games will be considered a visitor and vice versa.
Athletes enter through our Gameday and must pre-enter by November 11 2024. Clubs will select relay teams after all individual entries have been processed.
Athletes wear their club uniform and a Colgate Games bib
Athletes can enter up to five events plus relays

7–9 Years

10-14 Years

calling officials and volunteers to assist us in delivering the Colgate Games.

Qualified officials and enthusiastic volunteers are much needed to ensure the event is delivered successfully.

Please contact the Athletics New Zealand events team if you have any questions: [email protected]

Volunteers

Please see specific details below on volunteer roles:

Runners – help move groups of children around different events
Merchandise shop – assist in selling Colgate Games merchandise
Gate entry – provide entry passes to spectators

Register your interest to VOLUNTEER at the 2025 North Island Colgate Games here

Register your interest to VOLUNTEER at the 2025 South Island Colgate Games here

Officials

Register your interest to OFFICIATE at the 2025 North Island Colgate Games here

Register your interested to OFFICIATE at the 2025 South Island Colgate Games here

Frequently Asked Questions

To enter Colgate Games, the athlete must be registered with an Athletics New Zealand Club for the 24/25 season. If you are receiving the 'No available products' error, please try the following.

Check that your child is registered with their club for the 24/25 season
Use the same email address to login to the Colgate entry form that you used to complete their 24/25 Membership form

If the above options don't work, please contact [email protected] with the full name of the child you are trying to enter.

Spectator tickets can be purchased via our ticketing platform Flicket on the following links,

North Island Games
South Island Games

Options are available for day, weekend, and three day passes for both adults and children. Everyone must hold a ticket for the relevant day to enter the venue, with the exception of competing athletes, who will be issued a wristband via their Team Managers to be worn for the duration of the event/competition, along with their club uniform to gain access.

Yes, all Team Managers and Parents of competing athletes are required to purchase a spectator ticket to enter the venue. Spectator Tickets are available via our ticketing platform Flicket, on the links below.

North Island Games
South Island Games

Team Managers can speak with their clubs to see if costs can be reimbursed.

Note: A Team Managers wristband will only give you access to restricted areas for competition and not the venue. You must have a valid spectator ticket to gain entry to the venue.

As laid out in our Refund Policy found within out Conditions of Entry for Athletes, regarding Colgate merchandise is below,

Please choose your merchandise carefully as no refunds for change of mind, or incorrectly purchased merchandise are offered. If you would like to exchange merchandise, you may notify via email [email protected] within two weeks from the purchase date and it may be possible to accommodate exchanges taking into account stock levels, event timing. If you receive damaged merchandise, you can make a claim for a refund or replacement. To lodge a claim, please send an email with a clear photo of the damaged merchandise via email on [email protected]. Please ensure that you keep hold of any damaged merchandise until advised that they can be discarded.

No, pre-orders close for 2025 Colgate games event t-shirts on Monday 14 October 2024, midday (12pm).
You can still purchase an event t-shirt from the Merchandise area onsite at the venue, from the Thursday prior to the event, but you can no longer pre-order one.

A limited quantity of each size will be available onsite. We recommend that you arrive early on the Thursday when merchandise opens to get the size you require for your athlete, to avoid disappointment.

Clubs will receive a collated list of individual athletes 1-2 weeks prior to individual entries closing to begin forming their relay teams ahead of relay entries opening on Monday 11 November at midday (12pm).

A final list of individual entries will be sent once late individual entries close on Monday 11 November.

From these lists you will have until Monday 18 November, midday (12pm) to enter your relay teams via Game Day, where you will include your Team Manager/s details.

Grade 7, 8 and 9 athletes can run up grade within these age grades, if they are not already in a relay team, without prior approval from the Competitions Director. For example, a 7-year-old may run in a Grade 9 Relay. Grade 7, 8 and 9 athletes are NOT generally permitted to compete in Grade 10 and above 4x100, relays and medley relays. However, at the discretion of the Entries Manager (prior to relay entries closing) and Competition Director (at the Games) a 9-year-old may run in a grade 10 4x100m or the 100/200m leg of a Grade 10 Medley Relay, where if they did not a team would not be able to compete. Under no circumstances will they run the 400 or 800 leg in the medley relay, or wear spikes or shoes capable of taking spikes.

Grade 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 athletes can run up 1 or 2 grades within these age grades, if they are not already in a relay team, without requiring approval from the Competitions Director.

For athletes running up an age, athletes within the existing age group much be exhausted first. Only then can clubs use their next best eligible option from a lower age group who is not already in a relay team.

Clubs will receive a collated list of individual athletes 1-2 weeks prior to entries closing to begin forming their relay teams ahead of relay entries opening on Monday 11 November at midday (12pm).

A final list of individual entries will be sent once late entries close on Monday 11 November.

From these lists you will have until Monday 18 November, midday (12pm) to enter your relay teams via Game Day.

Enter the Colgate Games using the standard entry links. There will be a question where you can declare as a para athlete and then send us details of how we can best support you at the games. If you are entering an athlete with a disability, they must either,

Hold a current Provisional Classification*

Hold a current National or International Classification

Apply for a Provisional Classification*

To apply for a provisional classification, or for more information on the classification process, please contact Athletics New Zealand Classification Coordinator Rebecca on [email protected] or 021 0223 7776 or check Conditions of Entry for further information.

*Provisional classifications are temporary classifications allocated to an athlete and are valid until such time the athlete can be classified by a National Classification panel; or for a maximum of four years until they leave school. A provisional classification may be subject to change upon National Classification by the sports specific classification panel.

Our refund policy for Athlete Entry,

If you withdraw from an event after entries close for the 2025 Colgate Games, there is a strict NO REFUND policy from this date. NO EXCEPTIONS. The refund policy will be applied in every case without regard to the reason for the withdrawal. Fees are not transferable from one participant to another. No refunds will be issued if events are cancelled due to events beyond the reasonable control of Athletics NZ such as, but not limited to adverse weather conditions, epidemics (including but not limited to measles and Covid-19), natural disasters, unavailability of venue and so on. Refunds requested prior to entries closing, will incur a $10 NZD administration fee and must be sent via email to [email protected].

Our refund policy for Spectators,

Refund and Cancellation Policy: The Event is an all-weather event. The Event will take place rain, hail or shine. The Event Organiser reserves the right to change, add, withdraw or substitute elements of the event, vary the advertised program, date and/or vary the venue without prior notification and deny admission to the venue with reasonable cause. No refunds on tickets except where required by the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993. No refunds or other compensation will be given if an advertised athlete or event is changed, cancelled or the length or content of the programme is changed.

Subject to this clause, the Event Organiser is not liable for any loss, damage or compensation as a result of the Event being cancelled, postponed, relocated or changed for any reason.

There will be no refund of any unused portion of an Event Ticket if you or your invitees are asked or forced to leave the Event for any of the reasons set out in the Event T+Cs or if you decide not to attend the Event.