The Australian Athletics Tour, formerly the Athletics Grand Prix Series, is a series of annual Australian track and field competitions which is held from February to April. Australian athletes aiming to be selected for the Olympic Games, World Championships, or Commonwealth Games are usually required to compete in the meetings that form the series.- Athletics Australia selection criteria

Overview

Each year, Athletics Australia and its member associations conduct a range of athletics meets held around the country in a two-tiered structure. Australian Athletics Tour is part of the Athletics Australia National Athletics Series from November to April, which includes meetings like the Hunter Track Classic in Newcastle, Briggs Athletics Classic in Hobart, Canberra Track Classic, Adelaide Track Classic, Melbourne Track Classic, Perth Track Classic, Sydney Track Classic and Brisbane Track Classic in Brisbane.

From 2005 to 2009, the Melbourne Track Classic was part of the prestigious IAAF World Athletics Tour, at which competing athletes can earn points towards competing in the IAAF World Athletics Final. From 2010 to 2016, the meeting was part of the IAAF World Challenge.

In 2017, Athletics Australia cancelled the entire tour in favour of a Nitro Athletics event in Melbourne from 4–11 February. NSW Athletics continued both events regardless of their inclusion in the tour. Canberra looks to also get a national event with a "summer of athletics grand prix".

Editions

+Australian Athletics Tour editions Season Adelaide Brisbane Canberra Hobart Melbourne Newcastle Perth Sydney1985-8621 Jan 198625 Jan 19861986-8720 Jan 198724 Jan 19871987-889 Feb 198813 Mar 198826 Jan 19885 Jan 198817 Mar 198821 Jan 19881988-891 Feb 198912 Feb 198926 Jan 19894 Jan 19899 Mar 19895 Mar 19898 Feb 19891989-9014 Mar 199018 Mar 199010 Jan 19904 Jan 19908 Feb 199019 Nov 198914 Jan 19901990-9115 Feb 19912 Feb 199126 Jan 19916-7 Jan 19917 Feb 199110 Feb 199120 Jan 19911991-9216 Feb 19921 Feb 199227 Jan 199212 Jan 199225 Feb 199222 Feb 199225 Jan 19921992-9314 Feb 199331 Jan 199325 Jan 199317 Jan 199325 Feb 19937 Feb 199323 Jan 19931993-9411 Feb 19945 Feb 199428 Jan 199426 Feb 199424 Feb 199413 Feb 199430 Jan 19941994-9526 Jan 19954 Feb 199518 Mar 199519 Feb 199523 Feb 199529 Jan 199521 Mar 19951995-9626 Jan 199614 Mar 19963 Dec 199525 Feb 199629 Feb 199628 Jan 199611 Feb 19961996-971 Feb 199715 Mar 199711 Jan 199716 Feb 199720 Feb 199719 Jan 199727 Jan 19971997-9826 Jan 199821 Mar 19988 Feb 199822 Feb 199825 Feb 199824 Jan 199828 Feb 19981998-9926 Jan 199913 Mar 19996 Feb 199928 Feb 199925 Feb 199924 Jan 199920 Feb 19991999-008 Mar 200011 Feb 200015 Jan 200030 Jan 20002 Mar 20005 Feb 200013 Feb 20002000-01not heldnot held18 Feb 200111 Mar 20011 Mar 20014 Mar 200116 Feb 20012001-0223 Mar 2002not held8 Feb 20029 Mar 20027 Mar 200216 Mar 2002not held2002-036 Feb 200323 Jan 200322/23 Feb 2003not held1 Mar 20038 Feb 200322 Mar 20032003-04not held23 Jan 200430/31 Jan 2004not held12 Feb 200410 Jan 2004not held2004-0515 Feb 200526 Nov 20045 Feb 2005not held17 Feb 200522 Jan 2005not held2005-06not held3 Mar 200626 Jan 20066 Jan 20069 Mar 200618 Dec 2005not held2006-07not held20 Jan 200727 Jan 20079 Feb 20072 Mar 20077 Jan 200717 Feb 20072007-08not held2 Feb 200826 Jan 200818 Jan 200821 Feb 200815 Dec 200716 Feb 20082008-09not held7 Feb 200918 Jan 200930 Jan 20095 Mar 200919 Mar 200928 Feb 20092009-10not heldnot heldnot held12 Feb 20104 Mar 2010not held27 Feb 20102010-11not held11 Feb 2011not held20 Feb 20123 Mar 20111 Apr 201119 Mar 20112011-1228 Feb 201214 Feb 2012not held4 Feb 20132-3 Mar 201221 Jan 201211 Feb 201218 Feb 20122012-1316 Feb 201323 Feb 2013not held23 Feb 20136 Apr 20132 Feb 201316 Mar 20139 Mar 20132013-1415 Feb 201429 Mar 2014not held1 Feb 201422 Mar 201418 Jan 201423 Feb 201415 Mar 20142014-1521 Feb 20157 Mar 20157 Feb 201525/26 Jan 201521 Mar 201531 Jan 201514 Feb 201515 Mar 20152015-1620 Feb 201619 Mar 201620 Feb 201613 Feb 20165 Mar 20162 Feb 201612 Mar 201619 Mar 20162016-17not heldnot held11-12 Mar 2017not heldnot held28 Jan 2017not heldnot held2017-18not held28 Mar 2018not heldnot heldnot held20 Jan 201813 Jan 201817 Mar 20182018-19not held23 Mar 201928 Jan 2019not heldnot held25 Jan 201916 Mar 201923 Feb 20192019-20not heldnot held13 Feb 2020not held6 Feb 2020not held1 Feb 202022 Feb 20202020-21not held27 Mar 202111 Mar 2021not held25 Mar 2021not heldnot held13 Mar 20212021-2212 Feb 20229 Apr 2022not heldnot held19 Mar 2022not heldnot held12 Mar 20222022-2311 Feb 202325 Mar 2023not heldnot held23 Feb 2023not heldnot held11 Mar 20232023-2410 Feb 2024not held2 Mar 2024not held15 Feb 2024not heldnot held23 Mar 20242024-2515 Feb 20252024-25not heldnot held29 Mar 2025not held1 Mar 202515 Mar 20252025-2614 Mar 2026not heldnot held28 Feb 202628 Mar 2026not held14 Feb 2026not held

IAAF World Athletics Tour meets

The three IAAF approved meetings held in Australia are:

Canberra AIS meet - traditionally conducted around Australia Day, 26 January Sydney Track Classic - usually conducted in late February Melbourne Track Classic - traditionally conducted in late February

The Australian Championships are held shortly after the conclusion of the Grand Prix series.

The Grand Prix series is usually telecast on SBS Television.

Event sponsorship The series has previously been supported by Athletics Australia's major sponsor and known as: Mobil Grand Prix series Optus Grand Prix series Telstra A-Series Qantas Australian Athletics Tour

Telstra's support for athletics in Australia ended in 2007 and the sport was without a major sponsor during the 2008 series.

References