Staff Reporter.
With the domestic and international seasons already underway, South African athletes will have plenty of opportunities to shine this year, both at home and abroad.
In the latest 2023 fixtures list released by Athletics South Africa, there is a packed season on the cards across all disciplines.
On home soil, all eyes will be on the ASA Senior Track and Field Championships, to be held in Potchefstroom between 30 March and 3 April, with youth and junior athletes also being given a platform to showcase their talent at the ASA U16, U18 and U20 Track and Field Championships in Pietermaritzburg between 23-25 March.
In order to prepare and qualify for the national championships, athletes will compete at the various ASA provincial championships to be held around the country between 10-11 March.
Then, in the transition to the international season, ASA Grand Prix meetings (all Continental Tour Challenger meetings) will be held in Tshwane on 12 April, Germiston on 19 April and Potchefstroom on 26 April.
The ASA Grand Prix events will form a crucial stepping stone for the nation’s top athletes in all age groups, as they target bigger platforms on the global stage later in the year, and opportunities will again be made available in abundance.
Following the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia on Saturday, 18 February, the international campaign is packed with a variety of events.
In track and field, at age group level, the African U20 Championships will be held in Zambia between 19-23 April and the Commonwealth Youth Games is in Trinidad & Tobago between 2-10 August.
The African Games will be held in Accra, Ghana between 5-10 August and the World Athletics Championships is in Budapest, Hungary between 19-27 August.
With the local calendar having opened with the ASA 35km Race Walking Championships in Cape Town in January, the season will continue to gain momentum across a variety of events and distances.
The ASA Marathon Championships will be held in Durban on 12 March, the ASA Half-Marathon Championships will be incorporated in the Nelson Mandela Bay Half-Marathon in Gqeberha on 3 June, the ASA 5km Championships is in Johannesburg on 17 June and the ASA Cross Country Championships will be held in Gqeberha on 16 September.
The ASA 10km Championships is scheduled to be held in Mbombela on 4 November.
At international level, the World Road Running Championships will be held in Riga, Latvia between 30 September – 1 October, bringing a close to the top-flight global campaign.
“We are looking forward to another good season, where our young stars take control of their careers in the senior ranks. We also think we are again going to see some great world-class youth and junior performances as athletes break their barriers. We wish everyone a great season,” said James Moloi.