History of the Little Athletics NSW XC ahead of the 53rd edition this Saturday

15 June 2026

History of the Little Athletics NSW XC ahead of the 53rd edition this Saturday

This Saturday in Nowra, the combined NSW Athletics Cross Country Championships will incorporate the 53rd Little Athletics NSW titles, the 128th men’s Athletics NSW Championship and the 71st women’s Athletics NSW Championship.

Over the 52 years of the LANSW cross country championships, champions have ranged from Olympians Jessica Hull, Ben St Lawrence, Ryan Gregson to Matilda Allana Kennedy and Olympic Modern Pentathlon champion Chloe Esposito.

The inaugural Little Athletics NSW cross country championships were held in the third year of the Association in September 1972. The championships were held at Callum Park in Rozelle. The XC events were held in conjunction with the State Road Walk Championships. Events were conducted for athletes U7 to U12 and over distances from 800m to 1500m. Competing in those inaugural races were Margaret Hamley, a future Australian senior champion and 6.40m long jump and Liz Miller (nee Rose), a future Australian XC representative and Athletics NSW Board Member.

The Little Athletics NSW Cross Country Championship continued until two cancelled COVID years in 2020 and 2021. By the 51st championship in 2024, they were combined with NSW Athletics. Over the decades the cross country championships have been held on the same day, and at the same venue, as the Road Walks. Often athletes competed in both events on the one day and some were able to win both events.

The early venues for the cross country championships were in the Sydney Metropolitan area, until 1986 when they were held in Newcastle. After that, regularly every second year they were in the country includes places like Nowra, Albion Rail, Tamworth, Lithgow, Maitland, Leeton, Parkes, Port Kembla, Tuncurry, Wallerwang and Kariong.

Over the five decades, the cross country championships have included athletes from all disciplines, not just distance runners.

Some notable and interesting past winners were:

1974 – U7 Susie Hartgers, U9 Pam Mountfield

1976 – U8 Martin Lubrano,

1981 – U7 Suzy Walsham, U8 Joanna Swan

1991 – U13 Tim Durer, U14 James Barker

1992 – U12 Fraser Dowling, U13 Martin Dent

1993 – U15 Natalie Saville, U12 Troy Sundstrom

1994 – U15 Martin Dent

1997 – U15 Ben St Lawrence

1998 – U8 Jacinta Doyle (PH)

2000 – U14 Kathryn Herbert (nee Archibold)

2001 – U11 Chloe Tighe, U12 Heidi See (nee Gregson)

2002 – U7 Allana Kennedy, U12 Aaron Royle, U15 James Matthews

2003 – U17 Rhys Stein

2004 – U12 Josh Ralph, U12 Charlotte Wilson

2005 – U9 Erin Blundell, U11 Jenny Blundell, U12 Celia Sullohern, U13 Chloe Esposito, U15 Ryan Gregson

2007 – U12 Anna Laman, U13 Guy Walters

2008 – U8 Tyler Gunn, U12 Stephanie Kalemusic

2010 – U9 Ben Bishop, U13 Jessica Hull

2013 – U7 Mia Toohey, U13 Rose Davies, U15 Josh Phillips, U11 Angus Beer

2014 – U10 Nicola Hogg, U15 Matilda Offord

2015 – U8 Will Kay

2017 – U7 Sienna Latanis, U8 Ben Woodhouse, U9 Harry Halleen, U14 Bailey Habler

2018 – U11 Ivy Boothroyd, U13 Luca Gillard

2019 – U8 Ronia Warszawska, U9 Patrick McMahon, U9 Olivia Scott-Rogers

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: 1973 LANSW cross country championships, U7 girls race