107 days into 2026, no Australian woman has run faster than Zara Hagan. The 18-year-old would happily deflect this weekend’s spotlight onto Gout Gout, but reluctantly accepts her fate as an emerging name in the sport’s premier event.
In 11.16-seconds at January’s Capital Athletics Open & U20 Championships, Hagan went from a name of the future to a name of the now. The performance made her the sixth fastest Australian woman in history, improving her previous best of 11.43-seconds.
“I didn’t even know I ran that time! When I run past the line, I do not look at the clock at all,” Hagan says.
“My Mum was going crazy and she was so happy for me, but I didn’t realise what I had done.
“My coach knew I was in that shape, but me personally, I don’t like to put much expectation on my times. I just try to execute my race.”
The teenager has been mixing it in the Open ranks with second place at the Adelaide Invitational, fourth at the Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne and sixth at the Australian Athletics Championships – now returning to Brisbane in pursuit of a ticket to the 2026 World Athletics Under 20 Championships.
But for one of the nation’s most promising young talents, Hagan carries a relatively low profile, with little written about her rise or background.
“I would say I’m extremely private, so not many people know much about me!” Hagan says.
“I would rather show you my times and races on the track than speak. That’s just me, I’m pretty quiet.”
Coached by Christopher Dale and training alongside Olympians Reece Holder and Ebony Lane, the Queensland sprinter is pushed daily in her training environment, hoping to achieve her dreams of one day joining them on the Olympic stage.
Hagan will be 24 years old when the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games take place.
“I definitely look up to Torrie Lewis because she has shown me that you can do heaps of things at a young age, but also Cathy Freeman,” Hagan says.
“I’m a proud Quandamooka and Kullilli woman, and being Aboriginal she has always been a very big inspiration for me.”
This weekend’s Australian Athletics Junior (Under Age) Championships will see Hagan contest both the Under 20 Girls 100m and 200m at her home track, with wins in either event securing her ticket to Oregon this July for the 2026 World Athletics Under 20 Championships.
The 18-year-old won’t have it all her own way when taking on Australian Under 16 record holder Emilia Reed and Amaya Mearns, as the trio look the clear-cut favourites on paper.
The Under 20 Girls 100m Final will take place at 2:27pm AEST on Saturday, while the Under 20 Girls 200m Final will be contested at 2:30pm AEST on Monday.
Full entry lists are available HERE.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 16/4/2026
