Title #9 for Jack McGinniskin at the NSW Team Race Walking Championships

31 May 2026

Title #9 for Jack McGinniskin at the NSW Team Race Walking Championships

On a beautiful morning at the Armory in Newington in Sydney, Mingara’s Jack McGinniskin continued his dominance of the NSW Winter race walking championships, while in the women’s it was an all-World Juniors podium led home by Chelsea Roberts. They were competing in the second NSW Athletics winter race walking championship of the year – the Team Walks.

MEN Open 10km Walk

Until the later stages of the 10km race, conducted on a 1km loop, race favourite Jack McGinniskin and junior winner Joel Byatt worked together. Towards the end McGinniskin asserted his authority as he put a gap between himself and Byatt, to come home with yet another victory in a time of 44:23. 17-year-old Christopher Nilon, who had just recently returned from the Oceania Championships in Darwin, claimed the silver medal in a time of 53:18.0, with Brendan Popischil, a part time NSW Athletics Technical Official, was third with a time of 53:51.0.

“The time was pretty average if I'm being honest,” said McGinniskin. “But it's probably the best I've felt this year so far, so pretty happy with it.”

Since moving into the senior ranks in 2022, McGinniskin has completely dominated the five years of our winter race walking program. Today’s win was his ninth in total and sixth consecutive.

McGinniskin now turns his attention to a national championship in Canberra next weekend.

“I'm racing the half marathon and then the five kilometre in the afternoon”

WOMEN Open 10km Walk

In the women’s race, 2024 World Junior competitor Chelsea Roberts took an early lead from 2026 World Junior Championships bound duo Zoe Woods and Sophie Polkinghorne. Roberts gradually extended her lead to 57 seconds by the finishing tape in a time of 49:25. Late in the race, Woods put a gap on her Oregon-bound teammate Polkinghorne, finishing in a time of 50:22.0 with Polkinghorne third in 51:51.0.

“I wasn't really focusing on the time today, it was more just a test before next week,” said Roberts, referring to the Australian Half Marathon Championship in Canberra.

As she graduates to senior competition, the 19-year-old is in those challenging transition years. Next week will be her longest race of her career as she moves from the 10km event to the 21.2km race.

“I’m just getting used to the longer distance,” said the second year Exercise and Sport Science student at Sydney University.

No surprise that today Zoe Woods and Sophie Polkinghore were racing with an eye towards the World U20 Championships in seven weeks. Both are next week heading north to warmer weather for training camps.

Woods raced today after an extended warmup. “It was pretty good today. It was mostly just part of my training block so I did a quick five (kilometres) before it (the race). I wasn't really planning on going that quick, but the pace started out and I just like kept consistent and kept going. I’m pretty happy with it as I felt comfortable.”

Sophie Polkinghorne was just back from Darwin where she won had won a medal at the Oceania Championships.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Images: Jack McGinniskin (courtesy of David Tarbotton)