Australian Athletics and Rio Tinto have renewed and expanded their landmark partnership for a further three years, deepening a shared commitment to driving community engagement and promoting athletics at all levels.
Since its inception in 2022, the partnership between Australian Athletics and Rio Tinto has been anchored by Rio Tinto Athletics For The Outback, a program delivering athletics access and participation opportunities for youth across the Northern Territory, Northern Queensland and Western Australia.
The program has reached more than 15,000 young people from across more than 35 remote communities, making it one of the biggest grassroots sports programs in outback Australia.
So far in 2025, the program has engaged with over 4,480 people in key Rio Tinto communities including in Weipa, Gladstone and the Pilbara, ensuring that the program actively contributes to the communities in which the company operates.
Now, Australian Athletics and Rio Tinto are set to build on that impact through a broader lens, with the major partner set to enrich the sport from grassroots through to the elite.
The renewed partnership includes remaining the naming rights partner of Rio Tinto Athletics For The Outback, which will see an increase in its delivery of programs across rural and remote communities with expanded support and coaching accreditation for local leaders to help establish a more sustainable, long-term community led program.
“Whether it’s on the red dirt of the Kimberley or the world stage, Australian Athletics is proud to partner with Rio Tinto to unlock the potential of the sport across the country,” Australian Athletics CEO Simon Hollingsworth said.
“Rio Tinto has helped us turn community dreams into action through the Athletics For The Outback program and now they’re helping us do the same for athlete dreams at every level. This next chapter is about celebrating where we’ve come from and also elevating the sport and everything athletics stands for – access, excellence and impact.”
The partnership also saw the establishment of the Rio Tinto Run Club, which was first piloted in Queensland and has since scaled nationally, offering free, access to community running events that celebrate participation, movement and local connection and support a healthier workforce of employees by leveraging the expertise of Australian Athletics.
With a shared goal to raise the profile of athletics in Australia, Rio Tinto will also invest in a dedicated content series called, Under the Surface, built off the back of the success achieved with other partners including the Perth Lynx, Wildcats and Queensland Reds. The content series is aimed at bringing Australian sporting fans closer to their sporting heroes, creating visibility and further recognition of their status in international sport.
With the Brisbane 2032 Games on the horizon, the extended partnership between Rio Tinto and Australian Athletics stands as a commitment to long-term development, in community, workforce, culture and high performance sport.
By Sascha Ryner, Australian Athletics
Post: 24/9/2025
