 | |
| Sport | Track and field |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1887 |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Related competitions | Australasian Athletics Championships |
The New Zealand Athletics Championships is an annual outdoor track and field competition organised by Athletics New Zealand, which serves as the national championship for the sport in New Zealand. It usually takes place over a three-day period from Friday to Sunday. Typically organised in the Southern Hemisphere summer months of February or March, the competition was inaugurated in 1887 as a men-only event, with women's events being added to the programme from 1926 onwards.
In 1893, teams from the Australasian colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and New Zealand competed in the first formalised Australasian Athletics Championships meeting. A New Zealand team continued to compete in this event until the 1927/28 event (since only Australian Athletics Championships).[1]
National championship events were held twice in 1973 and 1989, with the 1974 and 1990 championships brought forward and not being held that year.[2]
The early years of the meet served as a colonial competition for the British dominion. New Zealand also sent teams for the Australasian Athletics Championships during its lifetime from 1890 to 1927.
Separate annual championship events are held for the 10,000 metres, 3000 metres, combined track and field events, cross country running, mountain running, road running and racewalking events.[3]
- ^ Australasian Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
- ^ New Zealand Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
- ^ Summer Championships. Athletics New Zealand. Retrieved 2018-04-22.