Adelaide’s very own record-breaker Aidan Murphy is set to run alongside a strong field including Diamond League champion Jacory Patterson in the Golden North Men’s 200m on Saturday, March 14 at the Adelaide Invitational.
Murphy has started the season off incredibly; his run of 45.12 during Round 7 of the Copyworld Toshiba Summer Premiership saw him beat out Bruce Frayne’s long-standing State 400m record that was set at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
But Murphy gave himself only a short amount of time to celebrate, bettering his own record with a 44.81 at another Premiership meet just last weekend, proving his efforts were more than just a fluke.
“It’s special. Any time you break a record, especially one with history behind it, it means something. But what has probably meant more to me is the progression,” Murphy said.
“To go under it once is exciting. To come back and run even faster shows it was not a one off.
“For me it is less about the record itself and more about what the time represents. It tells me the work is translating. It tells me we are moving in the right direction.
“And it gives me belief that there is still more there.”
And with an eye towards the Commonwealth Games and World Relay Championships, Murphy is hoping to use the Adelaide Invitational as a springboard to continue to build on his performances.
“Competing at home in front of a South Australian crowd always adds something extra,” he said.
“But beyond that, it is a key checkpoint. It allows me to test where I am at against quality competition without the travel load.
“The focus now is building momentum through this year so that by the time the Commonwealth Games and World Relays arrive, I am not chasing standards. I am chasing medals.
“So, the Invitational is not the end goal, but it is a very important step toward it.”
2025 saw Murphy selected in Australian representative teams for the World Athletics Championships, World University Games and World Relay Championships, which proved to be valuable experiences for him.
He came away from those events not just with another notch on his belt – but with newfound knowledge of elite competition, and bucketloads of self-belief.
“Last year taught me what the very top actually looks like,” he said.
“I learned that execution under pressure is everything. But maybe the biggest takeaway was belief. I proved to myself that I belong in those environments.
“That changes how you approach training. It changes how you approach competition. You are not hoping to compete anymore. You expect to.”
Highlighting the field in the Golden North Men’s 200m at the Adelaide Invitational will be US sprinter Jacory Patterson, alongside highly-rated Australians Calab Law, Christopher Ius and Reece Holder, as well as fellow South Australian Luca Schmitt.
“I am really looking forward to it,” Murphy said.
“After running 44.81, there is definitely momentum building, and to bring that into a meet like the Adelaide Invitational makes it even more exciting.
“Any time you get to compete at home at a high level meet, you want to make it count. That is the plan.”
The 2026 Adelaide Invitational will be hosted as part of the Chemist Warehouse Summer Series, taking place at the SA Athletics Stadium from March 13-14.
Tickets can be purchased HERE.
By Jacob Stevens, Athletics South Australia
Posted 2/3/2026
