Winter Program 2024
The 2024 Winter Season will run from 4 May to 31 August 2024.
Competition is held each Saturday afternoon at various venues in the parklands around Adelaide. The 2024 Winter Program is available to download using the button below.
The first competition on 4 May will now be held at Park 20 (Adelaide Harriers Clubrooms, Peacock Road). Note that this has changed from the original venue notified.
All are welcome to take part in our weekly walks and runs. However, only financial SAMA members are eligible for placing in State Age Group (SAG) Championships events, to enter the Relay Challenges and to win prizes. The dates for all SAMA events including Championships and Prize days are listed in the Winter Program (click on the button below), and full details of competition each week will be available in the Events Calendar (including venue and course maps). Come at least 20 minutes before your event to register.
Results for all our competitions, including Championships, can be found on the Results page. The photos from previous SAMA competitions can be viewed via our Facebook Gallery.
Some of the walks and runs during the season are conducted using predetermined handicaps, including the Relay Challenge weeks. The remainder are held as scratch races, which include the SAG Championship events, Multi-Event days and a Turkey Handicap event on the Winter Presentation week. The Winter Program shows the dates for all types of races.
Features of the 2024 Winter Program
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The two innovative features introduced last year into the Winter season will be continued:
Relay Challenges (over 3 weeks)
Multi-event days (over 2 weeks) - The SAMA 20km Walks Championships will be held in conjunction with the AMA 20km Road Walk Championships on Sunday 25 August 2024.
- Three events in South Australia will again be eligible for the 2024 AMA Postal Half-Marathon Championships; the Barossa Marathon 21.1km race, the Adelaide Marathon 21.1km race and the SAMA Half-Marathon Championships, to be held on 27 July 2024.
- Runners are also encouraged to join a SAMA team for the ASA Winter Relays – team entry fees will be covered by SAMA. (see the ASA website for full details of the winter Relays in 2024 ).
SAMA Achievers Award
The SAMA Achievers Award will be continued to recognise individual athletes who strive from week to week to improve their performance ratings but who may not necessarily be at a “high” standard. The Achievers Award will be applicable only to financial members of SAMA and is based on their performances during the weekly SAMA competitions (for full details refer to the Awards section).
Championships & Special Events
Australian Masters Athletics (AMA) Winter Championship Events
SAMA will again host the AMA 20km Road Walk Championships in 2024, encompassing the SAMA 20km Walks Championships. SAMA race walkers should note that to be eligible for the National Championships, it is necessary to also submit a separate entry for the AMA 20km Road Walk Championships. See the Events page for further details.
The results of the AMA 20km Road Walk Championships 2023 can be downloaded here.
The SAMA Half-Marathon Championships are to held in conjunction with the SAMA 15km Walks Championships. See the Events page for further details.
The SAMA Half-Marathon, together with the Half-Marathon events at the Barossa Marathon Festival and the Adelaide Marathon Festival, will constitute the three South Australian races eligible for the 2024 AMA Postal Half-Marathon Championships (see the AMA website for full details).
AMA Indoor Throws Championships 2024
Saturday July 20th and Sunday July 21st 2024.
Argentille Equestrian Centre, Lovedale NSW
Registrations open 1 May 2024
See the Event for further information.
World Masters Athletics Championships -Gothenburg 2024
August 13 – 25, 2024.
Slottsskogsvallen Sport Center – Gothenburg, Sweden
Registrations are now open
See the Event for further information.
2025 WMA Indoor Championships
23rd – 30th March 2025.
Gainesville Florida USA
Registrations open 1st June 2024
See the Event for further information.
SAMA Winter Championships 2024
State Masters Athletics Championships (State Age Group Championships)
The Winter Championships are for all SAMA members, and we encourage you to enter. NB. Only financial members can enter championship events.
Entries for all Championships can be made on the day – please come at least 20 minutes before your event to register.
They are run basically as per our normal competition but results are determined by 5 year age groups and this means you will competing against those in your age group. A Certificate is awarded to all participating entrants, showing placing, performance and age-graded percentage for all their events.
The SAMA 20km Walks Championships will be held in conjunction with the AMA 20km Road Walk Championships on Sunday 25 August 2024. See the Event for further details.
The SAMA 15km Walks Championships and the SAMA Half-Marathon Championships will be held on Saturday 27 July 2024. See the Event for further details.
The remainder of the Championships are being held as part of our normal Saturday competition as shown in the Winter Program.
Competing in Athletics SA 2024 Winter Season
SAMA is a full member club with Athletics SA (ASA), so that SAMA members can compete in ASA competition. You will need to compete in a SAMA uniform and if you don’t have one please see the Uniforms page for information about how to obtain one.
All SAMA members who are financial for the 2023-24 membership year have ASA Membership and are eligible to compete in the upcoming 2024 ASA Winter Season, consisting of Road Races, Distance Relays, Cross Country and State Championship events. Each individual event will have an entry fee. Information about the ASA Winter Season Season can be found on the ASA Website.
Program Information
COVID-19 Precautions
SAMA competition will be conducted to comply with the COVID-19 Public Activity Requirements for South Australia , which currently allows outdoor Athletics competitions to be conducted without any restrictions. However, it is recommended that all participants in SAMA competition continue to observe social distancing and take precautions to ensure the health and safety of all participants.
SAMA is no longer required to operate under a COVID-Safe Plan.
Walking Events
In the spirit of inclusion SAMA introduced Club Walking into its program, to encourage current walkers who struggle with bent knees, previous walkers who no longer compete for fear of disqualification, and others who might like to try walking without the pressure of full Race Walking rules.
SAMA will continue to have two types of walking in its competition – Race Walking and Club Walking.
Race Walking will be conducted under IAAF rules with the “No advantage” concept applied as is done at National and International competition (for further information see Walking as an Athletic Event).
For Club Walking the only rule is that there would be no running – which for our purposes will be defined by the requirement to always have one foot on the ground (bent knees will not be an issue). Walkers in this category can still be disqualified if they break the contact rule!
During normal SAMA competition, the differentiation between the two groups of walkers will only apply for ‘scratch’ races. For ‘handicap’ races (which are not judged) all walkers will be competing in a single Club Walk group.
As both types of walking would be in the same race the type of walking must be nominated on entry into ‘scratch races’. We will have some distinguishing feature on Race Walkers. Both types will have their own Club Championship events but there will only be records for Race Walking (which must fulfill the criteria for setting SAG records) and only Race Walkers would be eligible for the SAMA Walks Award (for further details refer to the Records & Awards section).
Other Information
Unless indicated as a ‘scratch’ program, the runs and walks are conducted using predetermined handicaps – see the SAMA Handicapping Information.
Each week the program will be designated either as ‘scratch’ or as ‘handicap’, which will alternate in a bi-weekly cycle. The Winter Program shows the dates for scratch and handicap weeks.
Men and women compete together. W designates a walk (separate Race-walk & Club-walk events on Scratch days only).
Summer Program 2023-24
The 2023-24 Summer Season has finished. Results for all our competitions, including Championships, can be found on the Results page. The photos from previous weekly SAMA competitions and the Summer Presentation Night can be viewed via our Facebook Gallery.
Results of Special Events and Championships
Special Events
View the Final Report and Results for the 2023 Bob Clarke Challenge , and the results of the Bay Sheffield Exurbia 800m Masters race ( December 2023).
Congratulations to the top three placed athletes in the Achievers Award for the 2023-24 Summer season who were as follows:
1st Dean Mortimer, 2nd Liz Neubauer, 3rd (jointly) Mary Abrey & Cassie Neubauer
The winner was announced at the Summer Presentation Night held on 3 April 2024, when all four placegetters received certificates and prizes. The winner received an engraved trophy to keep.
See here for the full list of the Award points accumulated by all members.
AMA T&F National Championships Hobart 2024
Friday 29 March – Monday 1 April 2024.
Domain Athletic Centre, Hobart, Tasmania
See the Event for results.