New Zealand Secondary Schools Athletics Champs

The New Zealand Secondary Schools Track & Field and Road Race championships will be held this weekend in Timaru.

The championships have attracted over 1300 athletes from 208 schools for the two days of competition.

The largest entry is in the senior boys 6km road race (105), while the most popular track event will see sixty four junior boys contesting the eight heats in the Junior Boys 100 metres. Of the field events, the junior girls long jump (40) will have the biggest field.

The standard will be very high with entries from numerous athletes who have represented New Zealand at Oceania championships, the Commonwealth Youth Games, Olympic Youth Festivals and World Youth championships.

It is expected that the championships will turn up new stars who will go on to become senior New Zealand champions, and Commonwealth and Olympic Games athletes.

Competition begins at 9.00am on Saturday and will conclude at 4.20pm on Sunday.

For more information, go to http://nzssaa.org.nz/Information/nztf2009.