Lights, crowds, action for the Maurie Plant Meet 2026
Angus Barnes | Mar 26, 2026
I like stats. They keep you grounded. It’s hard to do hyperbole if the numbers don’t support you.
So when I say this Maurie Plant Meet could see some of the 'greatest' races ever seen in Australia – and that includes the Sydney Olympics – you know I’ve done the numbers on that.
(Some of the potential 'great' races underlined below)
FRIDAY
But first starting with Friday evening’s events, a new initiative that brings in community relays interspersed with mainstream events, including a senior Mixed 4x100m relay.
In the pole vault [Lakeside record: 5.50m]* Dalton di Medio (5.53m) and Lachlan Burns (5.41m) have both set PBs this year and will be looking to fly higher. As too will the high jumpers.
This is the third time Victoria’s three best high jumpers [2.33m] face off at what is becoming a Maurie Plant Meet tradition. Roman Anastasios had his first win amongst this trio last year, while overall Yual Reath has finished ahead three times and Joel Baden two.
In the women’s 400m [51.35] Ellie Beer and Carla Bull are building form as they come into Nationals, while Alexia Loizou and Alice Dixon will be looking to continue their PB setting trend this year.
SATURDAY
IN THE FIELD
Saturday's meet starts with the men’s triple jump [17.23m] where Shemaiah James has been upfront about seeking that 16.50m+ jump to put his 2018 PB behind him. He’s improved each comp this year so Saturday could be his day. Connor Murphy has come back to the field somewhat this season, which has enabled 20-year-old Awan Akuen to finish ahead of him for the first time, with Awan now consistently over the 16 metre mark.
Australian’s are outnumbered by the international field in the women’s discus [66.81m] which will make for a fascinating competition. Sixty metre plus throwers from Nigeria, Obiageri Amaechi, Cameroon, Nora Monie, and Italy, Daisy Osakue, could well push Taryn Gollshewsky to go over that mark for the first time this season, and potentially edged Ashlyn Blackstock ever closer.
For the first time this year we see Chris Mitrevski compete and it’s always a tight competition when he’s up against Liam Adcock. They have been long jumping [8.10m] against each other for well over a decade, and despite being 21 days older than Mitrevski, it took Adcock until 2023 before he finally got the better of him. Since then they are 3-3 head-to-head, and with little between their PBs (Adcock 8.34m / Mitrevski 8.32m), this is a contest to watch. Jalen Rucker and Shay Veitch (NZ) are both eight metre men and will be keen to cause an upset.
It’s thrills all-around with Olympic Champion Nina Kennedy back competing: thrills for the crowd, thrills for the junior Australian pole vaulters [4.71m] with an opportunity to compete alongside her, thrills to see the competition with Amanda and Hana Moll, the twins from the USA, and no doubt thrills for Kennedy herself to break the monotony of training and recovery. Thrilling!
Likewise how lucky are we to have Nicole Olyslagers performing in the high jump [1.99m] days after taking silver at World Indoors. Olyslagers is now one of five Australians with seven global championship medals, but will still have to contend with Izobelle Louison-Roe who is just 1cm off Eleanor Patterson's Australian junior record of 1.96m.
Still on the champions theme, Matthew Denny. We’ve come to expect big things from him – but when he says he’s feeling in his best form and this is the last event before he heads to “throw town” Ramona, then this discus [68.17m] comp is one you need to watch. Particularly when another Olympic Champion, Roje Stona (JAM) is here to compete.
TRACK
Women’s 400m hurdles [56.01] in Australia had become a two-way contest between Sarah Carli and Alanah Yukich. But Marli Wilkinson is approaching career best form and had her first summer series win in Hobart and first victory over Yukich. Winning can become a habit, but Carli still looks to have the edge, given her recent PB form over the 400m flat.
Australia’s second-youngest ever to break the 4-minute mile, and second fastest junior ever over 3000m, Charles Barrett, gets his chance to run against some of the big names in Australian distance running. Stewart McSweyn has been building back, as too has Morgan McDonald who visits Australia from his US-base. Jack Rayner drops down distance for this 3000m [7:41.38] after his recent National half marathon record run. Throw in NCAA alumni Jackson Sharp & Toby Gillen, steeplechasers Ben Buckingham & Ed Trippas, and two of the fastest in this field, Seth O’Donnell and Irishman Brian Fay; whichever way you look at this, its going to be a cracker of a race.
The state of men’s sprinting in Australia is such that a sub 10.18 PB is what you need to get to race at the Maurie Plant Meet 100m [10.17]. It took almost 25 years to find 11 Australians who could run sub 10.18 after Damian Marsh first did it in 1994, and now only 6 years to find the next 11. While the record 5-under-10.20-in-the-same-race from the Nationals final last year in Perth is unlikely to be broken, this race still holds plenty of intrigue: Lachlan Kennedy’s first race over 100m this season, Rohan Browning’s second, Alexander Colgan surprised with a windy 10.01 earlier this year, and New Zealand record holder Tiaan Whelpton (NZL).
In a world where juniors seem to be as competitive as ever, it shouldn't surprise that the fastest woman in Australia this year is an 18-year-old, Zara Hagan (11.16). She’ll be joined by U16 National record holder Emilia Reed, fastest over 60m this year Olivia Dodds, Ebony Lane who ran 11.16 as well albeit windy, and Chloe Mannix-Power who took the victory in Adelaide. This women's 100m [11.20] is looking like it could be a blanket finish and settled by the best dip on the line.
On the theme of returning champions working back to their best, the 3000m [8:34.30] features Rose Davies and Georgia Griffith, over a distance that best pits Griffith’s speed with Davies’ strength. They are joined by a host of juniors who are in a tight battle for an edge before their cut-throat Nationals in April where first two across the line are likely selected given most have the standard.
Australia's three sub-45 men, Reece Holder, Aidan Murphy and Cooper Sherman take on Jacory Patterson (USA) in this 400m [45.14] which is likely the race of the meet. Consider Luke van Ratingen has had two races back on the track this season and PB’ed in both, now down to 45.10. This makes Thomas Reynolds the “slowest” man in the field with his 45.17 PB. Not slow! ... that time would have qualified him for the Sydney Olympics final, a final in which 3 men went under 45 seconds, the record number in Australia on 3 occasions. With this field boasting five men with sub-45 PBs, and two very close, there’s a good chance Australia will never have seen a 400m race like this.
A few years ago if you said there will be five Australians in an 800m [1:44.78] field, and the slowest was 1:44.38, people would questioned your predictive powers, particularly given it took 50 years for Ralph Doubell's 800m National record of 1:44.40 to be broken. The front running, 2024 National champion, Luke Boyes, won’t be phased at being the 'slowest' as he knows how to win against this field, particularly with Peter Bol & Bob Abdelrahim travelling back from Europe. It was Perth Nationals last year where we first saw three Australians under 1:45 in the same race, and a Sydney Olympics semi-final saw four internationals sub-1:45s, something these Australians could better with Peyton Craig & Daniel Williams making up the five under 1:45.
When then John Landy 1500m [3:34.98] has a 1:45 800m man in Brad Mathas (NZL) to pace, then it suggests the pacing is going to be fast. You can almost guarantee Cameron Myers will be slotting right in behind him. Or will he? There’s a few others who like that on-the-front-shoulder positioning: World Indoors bronze medallist, Adam Spencer, US-based German, Robert Farken, and Australian indoor 1000m record holder, Jack Anstey. Callum Davies has shown he’s the form athlete this year, while Jude Thomas will look to make his mark on his return to the track in 2026. Doubtful we'll see eight athletes under 3:38 which is the record in Australia from when the IAAF Grand Prix FInal was hosted in Melbourne, 2001. But could we see an Australian challenge Myers home soil record of 3:33.30?
Women’s 100m hurdles [12.49] sees Michelle Jenneke, after facing the worlds quickest at World Indoors, now facing the challenge domestically. With Celeste Mucci back racing, Emily Britton and Danielle Shaw showing good form this year, and Delta Amidzovski always looking for that next level, Jenneke won’t be taking this race lightly. Unlikely this will be a Japanese clean-sweep of the podium as it was last year.
Olympic, World Championship and World Indoors Champions are competing at Maurie Plant, but none so recently crowned as Georgia Hunter-Bell. Not surprisingly the elite of Australian women’s distance running are turning out – save Jessica Hull having a well-deserved break after her double-medal effort at World Indoors. Linden Hall was the first Australian to break 4 minutes for the 1500m, and surprisingly Claudia Hollingsworth is just the second to do so in Australia, with her recent 3:58.09 the fastest by any woman on Australia soil. Tactics may prove crucial in this race - could we see these two look to push the pace to take the sting out of Hunter-Bell's kick, as well as the other two Australian fast-finishes in Abbey Caldwell and Sarah Billings. Likely we'll see the Lakeside stadium record of 4:05.97 broken, and could we see more than three Australians under that time in the same race in Australia for the first time? Watch also for the battle between juniors Emma Fryga and Milla Roberts who will soak up this experience.
The women’s 200m sees World U20 bronze medallist Jessica Milat take on Monique Hanlon, undefeated over 200m this year. With Kristie Edwards, Mia Gross and junior Amaya Mearns also looking to challenge for the win, this race may well come down to the line.
The difference between the Peter Norman Memorial 200m [20.26] this year and last year is there's no doubting Lachlan Kennedy can run a fast 200m (he started last year's event with a 20.93 PB). Another difference is we have two sprinters who have recently PBed under 20.60 seconds, Christopher Ius & Rory Easton, joining Calab Law (20.42 PB). While all eyes will be glued on Gout Gout to see if he can reverse the result from last year, we may also witness for the first time four Australians sub 20.60 in the same race in Australia, which would surpass three that happened way back in 1998.
Safe to say this is an incredible display of the burgeoning Australian athletics talent, along with some highly-credentialled international athletes visiting our shores. The fact we are talking about 'greatest' races ever seen in Australia points to the competitiveness of these events, as much as the quality. The excitement levels will run high in the Lakeside Stadium ... any sports fan would be crazy not to be there!
* Lakeside track records [in square brackets] sourced from InsideAthletics
Other Events this weekend
Sound Running's "The TEN" sees Brett Robinson and Ky Robinson race against each other for the first time since the 2023 World Cross Country. They race in what is usually one of the fastest 10000m of the year, with Ed Marks in the "B" 10000m. Oliver Hoare has a hit out over 1500m.
A much anticipated second half marathon (Berlin) by former professional cyclist Jimmy Whelan has got people excited given his debut effort was 61:37.