Summer Program 2023-24
The 2023-24 Summer T&F Season commenced on 27 September 2023
SAMA Track & Field Competition is held on Wednesday nights at SA Athletics Stadium at Mile End.
The complete 2023/24 summer program is now available, and can be downloaded using the button below.
A full range of track and field disciplines is covered during the summer season. Multi-events, steeplechase, hurdles and 10,000m run/walk are not held as part of the normal program, but are included in the SAMA summer championships.
Results for all our competitions, including Championships, can be found on the Results page. The photos from previous SAMA competitions can be viewed via our Facebook Gallery.
All are welcome to take part in our weekly competitions. However, only financial SAMA members are eligible for placing in State Age Group (SAG) Championships events. SAMA membership covers competition fees for the normal weekly program, but all competitors must pay a stadium training fee levied by the Stadium management payable by EFTPOS at the stadium entry gate (see the ORSR website for details of the fees). Registration for events is done at the SAMA desk inside the stadium (please allow 30 minutes before your first event).
The dates for all SAMA events including Championships will be listed in the Summer Program, and full details of competition each week are also shown in the Events Calendar.
A number of the walks and runs during the season are conducted using predetermined handicaps, with the remainder held as scratch races, which include the SAG Championship events. See additional information regarding Scratch vs Handicap Weeks below.
The track events are again divided between three separate programs, alternating over a three week cycle, which are designated A, B and C . The field events programs will continue to alternate every two weeks, and these are designated as 1 and 2. The timetables for both track and field programs and the specific dates on which each type of program will be held can be found in the Summer Program.
Innovation for 2023/24 – the Walkers Challenge
Similar to the Bob Clarke Challenge, SAMA is to trial a Walkers Challenge in its 2023/24 Summer competition, with prizes to be won (for more information click on the button below).
View the final placings in the 2023 Walkers Challenge.
Bob Clarke Challenge
SAMA continued with the Bob Clarke Challenge series of races as part of its 2023/24 Summer Program, which was bigger and better this time with more prizes to be won!
The event caters for sprinters as well as middle distance & distance runners of all ages, both male and female, competing together in two handicapped rounds (200m & 1000m) with the aim of competing in a 500m handicapped final.
The two rounds and final of the Challenge were run over three Wednesday evenings during the month of November 2023.
View the Final Report and Results for the 2023 Bob Clarke Challenge.
View the results from each round of the Bob Clarke Challenge (Nov 2023).
2023 Bay Sheffield Carnival – the Exurbia SA Masters 800m Event
South Australian Masters Athletics has again been invited by the South Australian Athletic League to stage a distance handicapped 800m on 27 December 2023 as part of the Bay Sheffield Carnival at Colley Reserve, Glenelg, which runs from 27-28 December 2023.
Distance handicapping will be based on 800m performances at SAMA and ASA events.
See the Event for further information.
View the results of the last Exurbia 800m Masters race (postponed to January 2023).
SAMA Achievers Award
The SAMA Achievers Award will be continued to recognise individual athletes who strive from week to week to improve their performance ratings but who may not necessarily be at a “high” standard. The Achievers Award will be applicable only to financial members of SAMA and is based on their performances during the weekly SAMA competitions (for full details refer to the Awards section).
Championships & Special Events
AMA T&F National Championships Hobart 2024
Friday 29 March – Monday 1 April 2024.
Domain Athletic Centre, Hobart
Registrations are now open
See the Event for further information.
SAMA Summer Championships 2023-24
State Masters Athletics Championships (State Age Group Championships)
The Summer Championships are for all SAMA members, and we encourage you to enter. NB. Only financial members can enter summer championship events.
If you enjoy competing in the regular Track & Field competition you will enjoy the Championship competition. They are run basically as per our normal competition but results are determined by 5 year age groups and this means you will competing against those in your age group. A Certificate is awarded to all participating entrants, showing placing, performance and age-graded percentage for all their events. Please do not be put off by the fact that they are Championships – it will still be the same friendly competition.
The SAMA 10000m Track Walk Championships, 10000m Run Championships and Throws Pentathlon Championships will be held on Sunday 3 March 2024. See the Event for details.
The remainder of the Championships will be held as part of our normal Wednesday competition during 2024 as shown in the Summer Program.
An Information Sheet about the SAMA Summer Championships will be provided here soon.
Athletics SA Track & Field Season 2023-24
SAMA is a full member club with Athletics SA (ASA), so that our members who are financial for the 2023-24 membership year also have Basic membership of Athletics SA included as part of the SAMA registration fee, which allows participation in all ASA competitions with payment of applicable entry fees.
For an extra annual fee, individuals may choose to upgrade their ASA membership to Gold in order to reduce the cost per day/event when competing in ASA competitions and championships. See Competing with ASA 2023-24 for further details.
Financial members with SAMA as their Primary ASA club, who wish to upgrade their ASA membership from Basic, should contact the following to initiate the upgrade:
SAMA Registrar (registrar@samastersathletics.org.au).
Information about the ASA Summer Track & Field Season can also be found on the ASA Website.
Program Information
COVID-19 Precautions
SAMA competition will be conducted to comply with the COVID-19 Public Activity Requirements for South Australia , which currently allows outdoor Athletics competitions to be conducted without any restrictions. However, it is recommended that all participants in SAMA competition continue to observe social distancing and take precautions to ensure the health and safety of all participants.
SAMA is no longer required to operate under a COVID-Safe Plan.
Walking Events
In the spirit of inclusion SAMA introduced Club Walking into its program, to encourage current walkers who struggle with bent knees, previous walkers who no longer compete for fear of disqualification, and others who might like to try walking without the pressure of full Race Walking rules.
SAMA will continue to have two types of walking in its competition – Race Walking and Club Walking.
Race Walking will be conducted under IAAF rules with the “No advantage” concept applied as is done at National and International competition (for further information see Walking as an Athletic Event).
For Club Walking the only rule is that there would be no running – which for our purposes will be defined by the requirement to always have one foot on the ground (bent knees will not be an issue). Walkers in this category can still be disqualified if they break the contact rule!
During normal SAMA competition, the differentiation between the two groups of walkers will only apply for ‘scratch’ races. For ‘handicap’ races (which are not judged) all walkers will be competing in a single Club Walk group.
As both types of walking would be in the same race the type of walking must be nominated on entry into ‘scratch races’. We will have some distinguishing feature on Race Walkers. Both types will have their own Club Championship events but there will only be records for Race Walking (which must fulfill the criteria for setting SAG records) and only Race Walkers would be eligible for the SAMA Walks Award (for further details refer to the Records & Awards section).
Other Information
Unless indicated as a ‘scratch’ program, the runs and walks are conducted using predetermined handicaps – see the SAMA Handicapping Information.
Lap scoring – please read the information in accompanying document.
Each week the program will be designated either as ‘scratch’ or as ‘handicap’, which will alternate in a bi-weekly cycle. The Summer Program shows the dates for scratch and handicap weeks.
On handicap days if more than one heat is required for 400m – the faster heat will be scratch.
Men and women compete together. W designates a walk (separate Race-walk & Club-walk events on Scratch days only).
The weight and size of implements used for the throws varies according the gender and age group of the competitor (see the AMA website for current specifications).
A summary of the Hot Weather Contingencies (extracted from the Extreme Weather section of the SAMA By-Laws) can be downloaded here.
Air pollution (including smoke from bushfires) can have detrimental effects on the performance and health of athletes. In particular, high risk groups such as people over 65 and individuals suffering from medical conditions such as Asthma are advised to take precautions when the air quality is poor.
Winter Program 2023
The 2023 Winter Season has finished. Results for all our competitions, including Championships, can be found on the Results page. The photos from previous SAMA competitions can be viewed via our Facebook Gallery.