Summer Program 2026-27
The 2026-27 Summer T&F Season will commence on 23 September 2026
SAMA Track & Field Competition is held on Wednesday nights at SA Athletics Stadium at Mile End.
The season will go through to 14 April 2027.
The 2026/27 SAMA summer program can be downloaded using the button below.
Notice to All Athletes
FOR INSURANCE COVER – UNLESS YOU ARE A POTENTIAL NEW MEMBER ON “COME AND TRY”
OR ARE REGISTERED WITH ANOTHER ASA CLUB
– YOU MUST BE FINANCIAL TO COMPETE
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, will be made available 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 an Athlete 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.
Bob Clarke Challenge
SAMA will continue with the Bob Clarke Challenge series of races as part of its 2026/27 Summer Program, with major 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 will be run over three Wednesday evenings during November/December 2026 (refer to the Summer Program). Entrants will need to register up to 72 hours before each round, and sign-in sheets will be available at the stadium on Wednesdays leading up to the Challenge events. Further details will be provided subsequently.
2026 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 2026 as part of the Bay Sheffield Carnival at Colley Reserve, Glenelg, which runs from 27-28 December 2026.
Further details will be provided subsequently.
Click here to see the Results and Photos for the 2025 Bay Sheffield Exurbia 800m Masters race ( December 2025).
Championships & Special Events
SAMA Summer Championships 2026-27
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 competing 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 Main T&F Championships will be held on 31 March 2027 (Day 1) and 7 April 2027 (Day2).
The SAMA 10000m Track Walk Championships, 10000m Run Championships and Throws Pentathlon Championships will be held on Sunday 21 March 2027.
The remainder of the Championships will be held as part of our Wednesday competition during 2027 as shown in the Summer Program, when normal stadium entry fees will apply.
Australian Masters Athletics (AMA) Winter Postal Championship Events
The AMA Postal Half Marathon Racewalking Championships is being held as a postal event in 2026 ( in place of the 20km event held in previous years) covering walks undertaken between 1 May 2026 and 30 September 2026 (see the AMA website for further details).
SAMA held a Half-Marathon Walk Championships on Sunday 9 August 2026 (see the Event for details). The 21.1km Race Walk was a recognised event for the 2026 AMA Postal Half Marathon Racewalking Championships.
The other SA race eligible for the AMA Championships was the ASA State Road Walk Championships on 4th July 2026.
The AMA Postal 10km Road Championships is being held as a postal event in 2026, covering runs undertaken between February and 20 October (see the AMA website for full details).
The SAMA 10km Championships held on 17 May 2026 (see the Event for details), together with races at the Adelaide Marathon Festival on 3 May, and the Barossa Marathon Festival on 23 August were the South Australian races eligible for the AMA 2026 Postal 10km Road Championships.
2026 National Cross Country Short Course Championships / Mixed Relay Championships
Saturday 22 August – Sunday 23 August 2026.
Victoria Park, Ballarat, Victoria
Entries have now closed. See the Event for further information.
World Masters Athletics Championships -Daegu 2026
August 22, 2026 – September 3, 2026.
Daegu, Republic of Korea.
Registration has closed
See the Event for further information.
2027 Oceania Masters Athletics Championships
27th – 31st January 2027.
Christchurch, New Zealand.
Registrations open 1 September 2026
See the Event for further information.
2027 WMA Indoor Championships
18th – 26th March 2027.
Gainesville Florida, USA.
Registrations open
See the Event for further information.
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. Refer to SAMA By-Laws Section 24. WALKING AS AN ATHLETIC EVENT
Race Walking will be conducted under IAAF rules with the “No advantage” concept applied as is done at National (refer to the AMA website) and International competition.
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
A summary of the Hot Weather Contingencies (extracted from the Extreme Weather section of the SAMA By-Laws updated in 2026) 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.
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 the 400m, 800m, 1000m and
1500m – 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).
Winter Program 2026
The 2026 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.