Age Groups
Age Grade 6 - 9
At Aspiring Athletics Club we follow the Athletics NZ sanctioned program of 'Get Set Go'. This is a fun initiative which allows kids to develop the essential movement skills they need to make participation in games and sport, making it more fun and successful, including:
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Physical movement skills
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Knowledge and cognitive skills
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Emotional and social skills
Athletes aged (Grade) 6 - 9 will take part in Club Nights each Thursday from October 17th, starting at 4pm. Athletes registered as Social will take part from October through to December and will finish their session at 4.45pm. Athletes registered as Competitive will finish at 5.15pm and their season finishes in March.
Social members take part in weekly Club Nights and are eligible to attend the Wanaka and Alexandra Country Meet events and also Colgate Games.
Competitive members take part in weekly Club Nights and are eligible to attend any and all events outside of Wanaka.
Age Grade 10 - 14
For Grades 10 and up, we follow the Athletics NZ-approved Run Jump Throw programme. RJT focuses on teaching athletics skills in a fun and inclusive way, encouraging all kids to get involved. This programme uses a bottom-up approach, meaning children learn the basic skills and movements needed for each event before moving on to more advanced techniques.
Run Jump Throw provides a supportive environment where children can learn at their own pace, building confidence and improving their overall athletics skills.
Athletes aged (Grade) 10 - 14 will take part in Club Nights each Thursday from October 17th, starting at 5pm. Athletes registered as Social will take part from October through to December and will finish their session at 6.00pm. Athletes registered as Competitive will finish at 6.30pm and their season finishes in March.
Social members take part in weekly Club Nights and are eligible to attend the Wanaka and Alexandra Country Meet events and also Colgate Games.
Competitive members take part in weekly Club Nights and are eligible to attend any and all events outside of Wanaka.
For athletes aged 12 and over there is the option to join an age 15+ specialised training group (see below).
Age Grade 15+
If you're serious about school and club athletics, there is an option to join our competitive squads that train year-round. These squads are for athletes aged 15 and up but exception may be made for younger athletes.
We offer specialised coaching in distance running, sprints, high jump, and long jump for athletes focused on personal performance and interclub competitions. Athletes typically travel around 4 times during the season to compete, aim for personal bests (PBs), and work towards representative selection.
Training is led by Barbara and Michael Beable, with the expectation that athletes attend at least three sessions a week. Additional costs apply. Please contact the club for more details.
COMPETITIONS
Competitive Calendar
Athletics Otago (AO) in association with Athletics NZ (ANZ) provide an excellent Competitive Program for athletes (junior and senior) who are keen to take part in meets outside of Wānaka. 90% of the competitions are at the Caledonian grounds in Dunedin whilst others, like Colgate Games, are in different locations each year. Travel and accommodation options are available so please speak to your coaches about this. Please see our Calendar tab for the full 2024/2025 Season Program.
Colgate Games 7yrs – 14ys
Colgate Games is held every January in different locations – the 2025 competition is being held in Christchurch over the weekend of 17 – 19th January.
We are once hoping to take a large contingent of Aspiring Athletes – the age groups are 7yrs – 14yrs and members DO NOT need to be registered as Competitive to attend. We offer additional specialised training in the first half of the season for any athletes intending to compete. Athletes can enter up to 5 events and can also take part in a relay, depending on numbers.
This is an excellent opportunity for athletes of all ages (from 7 – 14yrs) to take part in a fun, all-inclusive environment.
Interclub events
7ys – 14yrs
These are run throughout the summer season at the Caledonian Grounds in Dunedin on Saturday mornings. Athletes from Otago clubs compete against each other in a fun competition incorporating a mix of 4 track and field events. The mix of events offered ensures that children get the opportunity to compete in a varied range of run, jump and throw events, encouraging the children to gain skills in all areas and not become specialised too early in their athletics journey.
Mini Multis
7yrs – 14yrs
In the 2024-2025 season the Mini Multis Competition will be held over one weekend (in Dunedin) with children competing on a Saturday afternoon then again on Sunday morning – this allows our traveling families to only require one night of accommodation on the Saturday. The athletes will compete in 4 events per day and points will be accumulated from both days, with the highest accumulated points for all-round 1st, 2nd and 3rds in each age group.
Otago Championships
Held over one weekend in March, the Otago Children’s Championships will offer all Cpmpetitively registered athletes to have the opportunity to compete in their choice of all available events. Offering the children a chance to put all their seasons practice and competing into a grand finale event. This is a wonderful opportunity for the athletes to compete and support their other club members in a championship style of event.
Competitions for Athletes aged 14+
For competitive athletes over the age of 14 there is the opportunity to compete at Inter Club level at the Caledonian in Dunedin. These events usually take place in the afternoons which means you may not have to travel overnight. The full season program will be available soon.
For more information about any of these events, please speak to your coaches.
HARRIERS
Harriers (10+)
The pilot harriers cross-country running group, launched by Aspiring Athletics Club, successfully completed its first season in early 2024 (term 2) for school-aged athletes. The program, designed to enhance middle-distance running skills for year six and above, includes weekly one-hour sessions focused on speed, agility, endurance, and mindset. In preparation for the cross-country season, athletes are coached on hill running technique, obstacle skills and race considerations.
Following the successful pilot the group will expand in 2025; all signed up Aspiring Athletes in year 6 and above will be eligible to join at no additional cost. Harrier’s training will take place at Kelly's Flat on Thursdays through term two from 4-5pm (other locations for specific training will be communicated to athletes). Athletes can represent the club at various local and national events where we already have achieved standout performances, including victories at the Central Otago Cross Country Champs.
Outline Harriers Term 2 program 2025
(subject to change once country race schedule is published)
Week 1
Introduction and baseline measurement (2.5km run)
Week 2
Speed and agility development
Week 3
Introduction to race skills and sprint finishes
Week 4
Techniques for uphill and downhill running
Week 5
Guest coach chat on cross country running mindset
Week 6
Introduction to obstacle running
Week 7
Speed and agility including how to pace during middle distance events
Week 8
Recovery and mobility session
Week 9
Timed run (2.5km run)
Week 10
Final run and end of term celebration