Nationals Athletics Returns to the Gold Coast in 2025

The 2025 UniSport Nationals Athletics Championships is set to ignite the track and field scene when it returns to the Gold Coast Performance Centre from 22-24 April 2025. An estimated 500 student-athletes from over 30 universities across the country will converge for three days of intense competition, showcasing the very best in emerging talent and athletic excellence. Since relocating to the Gold Coast in 2022, this premier event has become synonymous with world-class facilities and delivering unforgettable moments for athletes and spectators alike.

Universities are already rallying their top student-athletes in a bid to dethrone the reigning champions, the University of Sydney (USYD). The defending champions are expected to bring another formidable contingent to the Gold Coast, determined to retain their titles in both the men’s and women’s divisions. Lucy Adler, Co-Captain of the 2024 University of Sydney team, expressed her excitement in returning to the Gold Coast in 2025, “It was an honour to co-captain the 2024 Sydney University [Nationals Athletics] team to the win, and I know we are all looking forward to getting back up to the Gold Coast in April to defend our title.”

The stage is set for a fierce showdown, with university challengers from 2023 and 2024, Griffith University and The University of Queensland (UQ) ready to push USYD to the limit. With every lead change and every race, the Nationals Athletics promises to deliver unforgettable drama as these track and field giants battle for supremacy.

Recent Standout performances

Notable performances from recent Nationals Athletics include Jai Gordon of the University of Southern Queensland setting a jaw-dropping time of 10.26 seconds in the men’s 100m, shattering a 57-year-old record in 2023. With Tryphena Hewett from the University of South Australia also etching her name into history, clearing an impressive 4.10m in the women’s pole vault, surpassing the previous record set in 2022 by Raphaela Corney (University of Tasmania). These remarkable achievements underscore Nationals Athletics as a launchpad for student-athletes with aspirations of reaching the global stage. The event has a storied history of nurturing elite talent, with alumni such as Tamsyn Lewis, a three-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games medallist who set the women’s 400m record in 1997 while representing Swinburne University, and Nicola McDermott, Tokyo 2020 silver medallist, who holds the meet record in the women’s high jump while representing the University of Sydney.

The Nationals Athletics will feature a wide array of track and field disciplines, including the heptathlon and decathlon results from the 2025 Australian Open and Under 20 Athletics Championships.

“Nationals [Athletics] is one of my favourite competitions of the whole season. It’s a great opportunity to meet others from around Australia,” Adler added, “one of the highlights for us is always a friendly (but highly competitive) game of touch against UQ at the end of the competition”.

Inclusivity remains a cornerstone of Nationals Athletics, with multi-class athletes continuing to inspire. In 2024, standout performers such as Summer Giddings (Macquarie University) and Tamsin Colley (University of New South Wales) set multiple multi-class records, exemplifying the growing opportunities for para-athletes in university sports. These achievements highlight the commitment of UniSport Australia and Australian Athletics to fostering diversity and inclusion, ensuring a supportive environment for athletes of all abilities.

“The UniSport Nationals Athletics Championships is a premier event on the university sporting calendar,” UniSport CEO Mark Sinderberry said, “it provides student-athletes with a platform to compete, develop, and make lasting connections. The Gold Coast Performance Centre continues to be an outstanding venue, offering world-class facilities that elevate the competition year after year. We look forward to witnessing the next generation of Australian athletic talent showcase their skills in 2025.”

Hosted at the state-of-the-art Gold Coast Performance Centre, the UniSport Nationals Athletics Championship reinforces the Gold Coast’s reputation as a hub for high-performance sport. This strong partnership between UniSport and Australian Athletics ensures that student-athletes compete in world-class facilities, gaining invaluable experience.

“Australian Athletics has been proud over recent years to extend its partnership with UniSport Australia and be part of the growth of Uniport Nationals Athletics,” Australian Athletics Family Relations Manager, Brian Roe said, “in the perfect location at Runaway Bay in Queensland, the meet is emerging each year as a must include on the performance calendar of eligible athletes.”

“As a result, we worked with World Athletics to designate it as a World Ranking Competition and to elevate it to E Status,” Roe added, “and as the depth and quality of performances increase, we are confident they will, we will push again for a further elevation.”

With records waiting to be broken and champions eager to be crowned, the 2025 UniSport Nationals Athletics Championship is set to be a showcase of passion, determination, and athletic brilliance.

Early Bird Registrations open today, 3 February 2025.

For more information and the full schedule of events, visit unisport.com.au.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Damian Murphy

General Manager: Marketing & Communications

damian.murphy@unisport.com.au