NSW Country Champs: Historic point score win for Dubbo Club

21 January 2026

NSW Country Champs: Historic point score win for Dubbo Club

Dubbo Athletics Club, hosts for the 2026 NSW Country Championships, have dominated the championships claiming an historic win in the points score. Dubbo scored 915.5, to defeat Blue Mountains/Springwood (611.5), Mingara (467) and Athletics Wollongong (431).

In the last three decades coastal regional clubs, Athletics Wollongong, Mingara, IBS, Gosford, Wallsend and Coffs Harbour have won the point score. This year Dubbo claimed the Gibbs/Loomes Shield for the leading club at the Country Championships. At the Annual Awards, later in the year, they will be named the NSW Athletics Country Club of the Year. The Gibbs/Loomes Shield, which was inaugurated in 2024, recognises over 170 years of extraordinary volunteer service by three stalwarts of country athletics - Rod Gibb, Jan Gibb and Valmai Loomes.

For a keen observer of Dubbo’s performances over the last decade this win is not entirely unexpected. The opportunity to host the NSW Country Championships on four occasions since 2017 and the establishment of a terrific synthetic track has helped to ensure athletics flourishes in the area. 

The first year they hosted the Country Championships, Dubbo placed eighth with the only inland club placing ahead being Armidale. The second year they hosted in 2020, Dubbo was up to fourth, with only Mingara, Nowra and IBS ahead of them. After a solid ninth place in 2022, when they next hosted in 2023, Dubbo placed a brilliant third on 892 points, behind Wollongong and Nowra, but ahead of Mingara Macquarie Hunter and IBS. Dubbo were 12th in the last two years ahead of their 2026 victory.

Second place in the points score this year, Blue Mountains/Springwood, are another club on the move after consecutive third places in 2024 and 2025. Tamworth were also very impressive in fifth place scoring 363 points. They showed glimpses of potential with seventh in 2023 and a couple of other recent top-12 places. 
There were so many big scorers for Dubbo, here are a few: Stephen Howlett 30-39y four gold, Paul Clark 40-49y four gold & six medals, Peter Starr 60-69y four gold, Marissa Morey 30-39y six gold, Chloe McCarthy 9s two gold & two meet records, Emily Lousick 15s two gold & four medals and Kobe Kilby 12s three medals & one record.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW
Image courtesy of Stephane Thomas

Gibb/Loomes Shield
Inaugurated at the 79th edition of the NSW Country Championships in 2024, the Gibb/Loomes Shield replaces the Hooper Cup which was donated by a Physical Education Centre in Ryde some decades ago. The club winning the point score at the annual three-day country championships is awarded the shield and also named Athletics NSW Country Club of the Year in the end of year awards. 

Individually Rod Gibb, Jan Gibb and Valmai Loomes have volunteered in athletics for nearly their entire lives and particularly country athletics. Over the more than six decades that they have been involved, they have provided opportunities and assisted tens of thousands of athletes. Imagine how many athletes have run the Willandra cross country course that Rod has manicured? The number of athletes that have been members of Illawarra Blue Stars or run at Kerryn McCann Athletics Track that Valmai has supported for over 60 years or the number of athletes that Jan has assisted at her clubs Nowra and Victory Runners or the number of athletes who have competed at the Country Championships over three decades when Jan managed the entries and program. There positive impact through sport is immeasurable on so many people.