The Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne is an annual outdoor track and field meeting which takes place in February at the Lakeside Stadium in Melbourne, Australia since 2023. Last held under the old name, Melbourne Track Classic, in early March 2016, prior to 2012 the meeting was held at the Olympic Park Stadium.

The competition was inaugurated in the late 1980s at the Olympic Stadium and gained a place on the IAAF Grand Prix circuit in its formative years.Johnson, Len (2011-02-28). Melbourne's Olympic Park - one final look back. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-03-05. It remained on the major international outdoor track and field circuit, featuring as the opening race of the year on the IAAF World Athletics Tour from 2005 to 2009.World Athletics Tour. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-03-05. It was the first race of the IAAF World Challenge series from 2010 through 2016.2010 IAAF World Challenge . IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-03-05. The event was also one of the foremost meets of the Australian Athletics Tour, along with the Sydney Track Classic. In 2023, the meet was upgraded and reimagined as the Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne, held in memory of the athletics luminary as World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Level meet and part of the Chemist Warehouse Summer Series. Plant was known as one of the driving forces in the development and promotion of athletics in Australia. He was a meet promoter and athlete agent as well as strong supporter of the athletes. Plant was not without controversy, however, having asked heptathlete Jane Flemming to provide a substitute urine sample for the javelin thrower Sue Howland, fearing Howland would test positive to an anabolic steroid at the Ulster Games in Belfast on 30 June 1986.

The Melbourne Track Classic featured many high level performances including continental Oceanian records by Tim Forsyth in the men's high jump, Nathan Deakes in the men's 5000 metre walk, Scott Martin in the shot put,Area Outdoor Records - Men - OCEANIA. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-03-05. Lisa Corrigan in the mile run and Bronwyn Thompson in the women's long jump.Area Outdoor Records - Women - OCEANIA. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-03-05. National records have also been set at the meeting by New Zealand and Australia's athletes.

Editions

+Maurie Plant Meet editions Title Venue Date StatusAlcoa Challenge Series - MelbourneMelbourne Olympic Park17 January 1980Alcoa Challenge Series - MelbourneMelbourne Olympic Park15 January 1981Alcoa Challenge Series - MelbourneMelbourne Olympic Park14 January 1982International MeetMelbourne Olympic Park27 January 1983International MeetMelbourne Olympic Park18 January 1984 6 March 1984International MeetMelbourne Olympic Park21 March 1985International MeetMelbourne Olympic Park20 March 19861987NEC ClassicMelbourne Olympic Park17 March 1988NEC ClassicMelbourne Olympic Park9 March 1989NEC ClassicMelbourne Olympic Park8 February 1990NEC ClassicMelbourne Olympic Park7 February 1991NEC ClassicMelbourne Olympic Park25 February 1992NEC ClassicMelbourne Olympic Park25 February 1993NEC ClassicMelbourne Olympic Park24 February 1994NEC ClassicMelbourne Olympic Park23 February 1995NEC ClassicMelbourne Olympic Park29 February 1996IAAF Grand Prix IINike Track ClassicMelbourne Olympic Park20 February 1997IAAF Grand Prix IIMelbourne Track TourMelbourne Olympic Park25 February 1998IAAF Grand Prix IIMelbourne Track ClassicMelbourne Olympic Park25 February 1999IAAF Grand Prix IIMelbourne Track ClassicMelbourne Olympic Park2 March 2000IAAF Grand Prix IITelstra Melbourne Track ClassicMelbourne Olympic Park1 March 2001IAAF Grand Prix FinalTelstra A-series - MelbourneMelbourne Olympic Park7 March 2002IAAF Grand Prix IITelstra A-series - MelbourneMelbourne Olympic Park1 March 2003IAAF Grand Prix IITelstra A-series - MelbourneMelbourne Olympic Park12 February 2004IAAF Grand Prix IITelstra A-series - MelbourneMelbourne Olympic Park17 February 2005IAAF Grand Prix IITelstra A-series - MelbourneMelbourne Olympic Park9 March 2006IAAF Grand PrixTelstra A-series - MelbourneMelbourne Olympic Park2 March 2007IAAF Grand PrixMelbourne Athletic Grand PrixMelbourne Olympic Park21 February 2008IAAF Grand PrixMelbourne GP Series MeetMelbourne Olympic Park5 March 2009IAAF Grand PrixIAAF Melbourne Track ClassicMelbourne Olympic Park4 March 2010IAAF World ChallengeIAAF Melbourne Track ClassicMelbourne Olympic Park3 March 2011IAAF World ChallengeQantas Melbourne Track ClassicLakeside Stadium2-3 March 2012IAAF World ChallengeQantas Melbourne Track ClassicLakeside Stadium6 April 2013IAAF World ChallengeIAAF Melbourne Track ClassicLakeside Stadium22 March 2014IAAF World ChallengeIAAF Melbourne Track ClassicLakeside Stadium21 March 2015IAAF World ChallengeMelbourne Track ClassicLakeside Stadium5 March 2016IAAF World Challengenot held2017not held2018not held2019Melbourne Track ClassicLakeside Stadium6 February 2020Melbourne Track ClassicLakeside Stadium25 February 2021Melbourne Track ClassicLakeside Stadium19 March 2022Area PermitMaurie Plant MeetLakeside Stadium23 February 2023Continental Tour Gold2024 Maurie Plant MeetLakeside Stadium15 February 2024Continental Tour Gold2025 Maurie Plant MeetLakeside Stadium29 March 2025Continental Tour Gold2026 Maurie Plant MeetLakeside Stadium27–28 March 2026Continental Tour Gold

Meeting records

Men

+Men's meeting records of the Maurie Plant Meet Event Record Athlete Nationality Date Meet 100 m10.03 Lachlan Kennedy28 March 20262026200 m19.92Frankie Fredericks1999400 m44.41Jacory Patterson28 March 20262026800 m1:43.15David Rudisha20101500 m3:30.42Cameron Myers28 March 20262026Mile3:51.54Simon Doyle19913000 m7:41.02Jackson Sharp28 March 202620265000 m13:08.43Bernard Lagat3 March 201110,000 m28:30.32Joseph Kimani2000110 m hurdles13.24Colin Jackson19961999400 m hurdles48.40Bryan Bronson19983000 m steeplechase8:19.47John Kosgei2000High jump2.31 mTim Forsyth1996Pole vault5.81 mSteven Hooker2007Long jump8.30 mPeter Burge2000Triple jump16.91 m Henry Frayne3 March 2011Shot put21.37 mTomas Walsh21 March 2015Discus throw68.17 mMatthew Denny29 March 20252025Hammer throw78.91 mStuart Rendell2003Javelin throw87.13 mSergey Makarov19995000 m walk (track)18:38.97Dane Bird-Smith5 March 20164 × 100 m relay39.30Will RobertsJake DoranJacob DespardJack Hale19 March 2022

Women

+Women's meeting records of the Maurie Plant Meet Event Record Athlete Nationality Date Meet 100 m11.01Marion Jones1998200 m22.54Cathy Freeman1993400 m49.85Cathy Freeman1996800 m1:59.42Toni Hodgkinson1997Tamsyn Lewis20001500 m4:01.30Claudia Hollingsworth28 March 20262026Mile4:22.66Lisa Corrigan20073000 m8:34.30Fentaye Belayneh29 March 202520255000 m14:57.54Rose Davies15 February 20242024100 m hurdles12.49 Sally Pearson3 March 2012400 m hurdles54.64Jana Pittman20033000 m steeplechase9:29.93Donna MacFarlane2008High jump1.99 mNicola Olyslagers15 February 20242024Pole vault4.72 mNina Kennedy28 March 20262026Long jump7.00 mBronwyn Thompson2002Triple jump13.89 m Nneka Okpala5 March 2016Shot put20.13 mValerie Adams3 March 2011Discus throw66.10 mDaniela Costian1994Hammer throw71.26 mJillian Shippee29 March 20252025Javelin throw66.83 mKimberley Mickle22 March 20143000 m walk (track)11:51.26Kerry Junna19915000 m walk (track)21:19.46Beki Smith5 March 20164 × 100 m relay43.15Torrie LewisElla ConnollyBree MastersMia Gross19 March 20224 × 400 m relay3:32.41Susan AndrewsKylie HaniganMaree HollandCathy Freeman1993

Mixed

+Mixed meeting records of the Maurie Plant Meet Event Record Athlete Nationality Date Meet 4 × 100 m relay41.26Jacob DespardChloe Mannix-PowerChristopher IusKristie Edwards28 March 20262026

References