Treloar Shield Soars to New Heights

Record participation will mark the start of the NSW Athletics summer season when the Treloar Shield gets underway at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre on Saturday, 11 October.

Compared to the opening round in 2024, athlete participation has risen by 32%, making the 2025 opener the largest Treloar Shield ever conducted. More than 1,000 athletes representing 91 clubs will take part, highlighting the continued growth and strength of athletics in New South Wales.

The Treloar Shield, a weekly team-based competition, allows athletes to represent their clubs and compete for a place in the final across seven age categories. Last season’s average increase of 27% growth per round prompted the introduction of a two-venue model this year, an essential step to ensure NSW Athletics can continue providing sustainable participation opportunities for athletes and clubs across the state while also accommodating the tremendous growth in the series.

Little Athletics NSW Chair, Costa Zakis, said: “It’s fantastic to see such strong numbers in the early stages of the season. The Treloar Shield showcases the pathway from Little Athletics through to senior competition, and this continued growth is a testament to the partnership between Little Athletics NSW and Athletics NSW, which keeps athletes at the centre of everything we do.”

Athletics NSW Chair, Matthew Whitbread, said: “The Treloar Shield continues to be a cornerstone of club athletics in New South Wales. Expanding to the multi-venue structure this season has been a key step in accommodating the enormous and growing popularity of the Treloar Shield and in ensuring that we expand competition opportunities across a wider area. This level of engagement reflects the health of our athletics community and the success of NSW Athletics in providing a unified competition experience.”