News & Updates

Murray McKinnon identifies the best of the open and Para action on the track over the four-day 2024 Jennian Homes New Zealand Track & Field Championships in Wellington.

Fresh off his appearance at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Tiaan Whelpton will be seeking back-to-back national men’s senior 100m titles. Among those athletes also aiming to make an impact are Felix McDonald, Cody Wilson, Tommy Te Puni, Hayato Yoneto and John Gerber. Also staking claim will be five-times former champion Joseph Millar and Joe Dolphin, whose father James won the title in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

In the women’s equivalent, Zoe Hobbs, who blasted to a brilliant fourth over 60m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow earlier this month will be gunning for an eight successive national women’s 100m title. Georgia Hulls and the in-form New Zealand 400m hurdles record-holder Portia Bing are also entered.

New Zealand number one Lex Revell-Lewis heads a strong line up in the men’s 200m with Tommy Te Puni another strong challenger. Also pressing hard for a medal will be the 2021 champion Cody Wilson, Zachary Saunders and Troy Middleton.

In the women’s 200m, Georgia Hulls is aiming for a fourth successive national crown for the distance but she will face strong opposition from New Zealand record-holder Rosie Elliott, Bing and Camryn Smart.

The men’s 400m final could be one of the most eagerly anticipated races on the podium with defending champion Lex Revell-Lewis the man of the moment. Revell-Lewis made a huge breakthrough on Sunday at the Sir Graeme Douglas International presented by Harcourts Cooper & Co scalping almost a second-and-a-quarter from his lifetime best to run 46.12 and come within 0.03 of the 26-year-old national record of Shaun Farrell. Tommy Te Puni, who showed good early season form, could also be a threat.

Bing is also entered in the women’s 400m and as evidenced by her stunning 52.41 PB for the distance in Auckland at the Sir Graeme Douglas International presented by Harcourts Cooper & Co she will be the athlete to beat. Camryn Smart (54.10) will have an eye on regaining the women’s 400m crown she last snared in 2021. Reigning national 800m champion Alison Andrews-Paul, Jordyn Blake and Stella Pearless are other medal challengers.

Wellington local James Preston has been in outstanding form so far in 2024 and fresh of his New Zealand indoor record at the World Athletics Indoor Championships he hunts a fourth straight national men’s 800m crown. Sam Tanner, however, achieved a PB of 1:46.14 at ITM last month will look to stop him in one of the big showdowns of the next four days.

Alison Andrews-Paul looked in great nick on Sunday at the Sir Graeme Douglas International presented by Harcourts Cooper & Co winning over the two-lap distance in a slick in 2:03.82 and she will be fancied to mount a successful title defence in the women’s 800m. The 2022 champion Holly Manning, Stella Pearless and New Zealand mile champion Rebekah Aitkenhead are also entered. Note, both the senior men’s and women’s 800m will be run as straight finals.

Sam Tanner has looked in imperious form this season, picking up both the national mile and 3000m titles and it is very hard to see the World Championships semi-finalist being denied a fourth national men’s 1500m crown. David Lee, Russell Green and Liam Lamb will also look to feature in the medal shake up.

Laura Nagel will go head-to-head with Rebekah Aitkenhead, Alison Andrews-Paul and Brigid Dennehy, in her defence of the women’s 1500m gold, a title she has won for the last two years. Dennehy comes into the race having won the 2023 national road mile and off the back of a breakthrough 1500m PB of 4:14.03 at the Sir Graeme Douglas International presented by Harcourts Cooper & Co.

Among the prominent entrants in the men’s 5000m are the one-two from 12 months ago defending champion Julian Oakley and Eric Speakman. Other contenders will be William Little, who clocked 13:50.04 at the Daikin Night of 5’s, Conor Melton and Ronan Lee.

In the women’s equivalent Anneke Arlidge will be looking to add the 5000m crown to her growing collection of national title. Brigid Dennehy will be gunning for a podium spot as will national 3000m champion Tillie Hollyer. Others to watch will be the evergreen Lisa Cross, Catherine Lund, Katrina Andrew and Annika Pfitzinger, the 2023 national cross country silver medallist.

New Zealand heptathlon silver medallist Briana Stephenson, Alessandra Macdonald and Celine Pearn are set to battle out the women’s 100m hurdles, while New Zealand record-holder Josh Hawkins will start a heavy favourite to add a ninth senior national men’s 110m hurdles title.

Jonathan Maples will seek to claim a third straight men’s 400m hurdles title while Alessandra Macdonald is among the entrants in the women’s 400m hurdles.

Michael Sutton will be out to retain the men’s 3000m steeplechase title, while Matthew Arnold will be seeking to make amends after leading into the home straight only for his race to dramatically unravel at the final barrier.

Eva Pringle, the 2020 junior 3000m steeplechase champion, is the most prominent entrant in the women’s 3000m steeplechase.

Arnika Nelson is listed to compete in the women’s 3000m and 10,000m race walks. Defending champion Laura Langley will be the women to beat in the 10,000m walk. Alexander Brown and Lucas Martin should go toe to toe in the men’s 3000m and 10,000m walks.

World Para 200m T36 gold medallist and 100m silver medallist Danielle Aitchison has been knocking on the door of a world record in both sprints this year and her participation in the 100m and 200m will be eagerly anticipated. World Para 400m T36 silver medallist Will Stedman competes on the track in both the Para 100m and 400m and look out too for World Para 200m T64 bronze medallist Mitch Joynt and 2023 World Para 100m T37 finalist Joe Smith who are both entered in the Para 100m and 200m.

Sarah James has been closing in on a spot at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe and the Cantabrian is entered in the 100m and 400m.

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