The 2025 Chemist Warehouse Australian Athletics All Schools Championships return to Melbourne’s Lakeside Stadium tomorrow for the first time in 10 years, with the 50th edition of the championships attracting international representatives and Australian record holders.
The heroics of Gout Gout at the 2024 instalment of the championships are a near impossible act to follow, but such is the nature of the competition hosted for Australia’s premier school-aged athletes that the next star in line could be just days away from their arrival.
Nine Para-athletes who represented Australia at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in September will return to the national stage in Melbourne, including Paralympian Telaya Blacksmith (NSW) and local talent Kirra Wright (VIC) – who won silver in the Shot Put F36 in New Delhi.
In a showcase of the emerging talent that exists within Australia, global debutants Lexie Brown (NSW, T47) and Makayla Elcoate (QLD, T44) remain eligible for Under 15 competition this weekend as 14-year-olds, while Samuel Allen (QLD, T37) is ready to rumble off the back of Australian records in the 100m and 200m T37.
“I’m looking forward to racing in Melbourne for the first time. I’ve heard a lot of great things about Lakeside Stadium, so it’ll be good to finally see what i can produce out on the track,” Allen said.
“I’m also keen to hopefully get a Commonwealth Games qualifying position and inspire younger athletes and Para-athletes on and off the track. What we do day in and day out at training all builds up for this one moment, so trust in the training and people around you.”
A host of sprinters will gear up for the race to be crowned Australia’s fastest schoolboy and schoolgirl in what is always a storyline of the championships, with Australian Under 16 record holder Emilia Reed (WA) and Townsville bolter Uwezo Lubenda (NQ) holding the fastest recognised seed times at 11.45 and 10.42-seconds respectively.
Fellow Australian Under 16 record holders will join the party in javelin thrower Tallara Joseph-Riogi (NSW), race walker Ela Uzun (VIC), 800m runner Tate Van Camp (QLD), heptathlete Sophie Williams (WA), sprint hurdlers Ken Ferrante Tanikawa (SA) and Cameron Bader (NSW), while emerging middle-distance talent Lucas Chis (VIC) arrives fresh off setting an Australian Under 18 record over 5000m.
With crowds, colour and Australia’s best teenage talent, the championships have become a celebration of grassroots athletics and a key milestone on the national pathway. Past competitors have included some of the sport’s most iconic names, including Catherine Freeman, Steve Hooker, Sally Pearson and Nina Kennedy.
The four-day championships have attracted 2073 entries across 1328 athletes, representing nine teams – Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, North Queensland, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia.
The 2025 Chemist Warehouse Australian Athletics All Schools Championships will be held at Melbourne’s Lakeside Stadium from December 4-7.
For full entries, live results and timetable – CLICK HERE.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 3/12/2025
