WITH a year off while the new Barden Park complex was built Dubbo Athletics Club officials are pleased to announce the New Year Athletics Carnival is back this weekend, January 3 and 4.
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The highly anticipated event has attracted about 300 athletes with ages ranging from the under-6s to competitors over 80 years old said Dubbo Athletics Club president David Williams.
"There are less people than the last event (in 2013), but there are more events," he said.
"It's hard to put a finger on why there are less people.
"It's the first one on the new track and people are just getting used to things.
"No doubt if this carnival is a success more people will come to the next one."
With more than 460 events this year's carnival is the biggest in its 38 years and competitors travel from across the state to compete, Williams said.
"Some people still think this is the best carnival in the state," he said.
"It's a well thought out carnival and each event is timed, as it has been for years."
“We were one of the first in the state to run the carnival that way, now other events have followed.”
The New Year Athletics Carnival will feature automatic turning gates, which Williams said will enable events to be run quicker and smoother.
Competition starts at 10am on Saturday morning with the official opening, tiny tots sprint and the men’s and women’s invitational sprint races beginning at 1pm.
Top young sprinters from the region and across the state will battle for the $1000 prize in the carnival’s feature event, the 110m handicapped sprint.
Orana Mutual Credit Union is again sponsoring the men’s race and Wilson Towing are sponsors of the women’s race.
A lot of planning and organisation goes into the carnival, but it is one of the Dubbo Athletics Club’s biggest fundraisers, Williams said.
“We’re hoping to raise $4000, which would once upon a time go into facility upgrades, but I think we’ve got that covered now,” he said.
“We’re always looking to replace equipment though- we like to have good equipment for our competitors.”
Williams said Barden Park still has the “wow factor” and the younger competitors are enjoying running on the international-standard track.
With the complex now at this standard the Dubbo Athletics Club is looking towards the future with Steeple chase and hammer throw among new events on the horizon.
Williams said it looks to re-introduce the events in 2015 and make use of the diversity Barden Park brings to local athletics.
“We want to make sure we’re using the facility to its fullest,” he said.
“If we’ve got the facilities available to us then we should use them.”
