The Oceania Race Walking Trophy

The Oceania Race Walking Trophy is a bi-annual race-walking match which was first held in February 2010 between Australia and New Zealand. As the competition grows, it is envisaged that it will eventually encompass the wider Oceania region.

The 2012 Oceania Racewalking Trophy

Athletics Australia has formally released its documentation for the 2012 Oceania Race Walking Trophy, to be held in conjunction with the 20km National Championships and Olympic trials in Hobart on Saturday 25 February 2012. See their event link at http://www.athletics.com.au/home/competition/events/2012_australian_20km_walks_cha.

The main rules are as follows:

• The competition will be held over 4 events: 20 km Men, 20 km Women, 10km Under 20 Men and 10km Under 20 Women.


• The Australian 20km team is to be comprised of Under 23 athletes and the NZ team is to be comprised of Open athletes.


• For an athlete to be Under 23 in 2012, the birth date must occur in 1990, 1991 or 1992. Athletes in the Under 20 event must be born in 1993 or later.


• The competition is teams based with each country selecting a team of four men and women in the 20km events and three men and women in the U20 10km events, to be designated as official representatives (OR). Of these OR’s, a maximum of three will score in the Open event and two in the Under 20 event.


• Entries will be taken via the Online Entry Panel on the Athletics Australia website. Entries will open soon.


• Once entries close on Friday 10 February 2012, Athletics Australia will select their team and inform athletes.


• Australian Team Selections will be made based on performances in ratified events from 1 January 2011 until the entry closing date of 10 February 2012. To be eligible for selection, athletes must enter the competition and must have reached the qualifying times listed below.

U23 Men U23 Women    U20 Men U20 Women

20km     20km 10km 10km

1:45:00    2:05:00 0:47:00 0:53:00

A Potted History

In 1974, the Australian and New Zealand Walking Federations finalised the concept of a Trans-Tasman walking carnival, to be held in odd years. The first scheduling was set for October 1975 and the lobbying began with A.A.U. of A. to get the event sanctioned as an official Australian / New Zealand match. Unfortunately, even though the concept was supported by the A.A.U. Walking Committee, headed by Alf Robinson, the difficulties of finding funding and sorting out selection criteria at such short notice were not resolved and the event went ahead as a Federation event with competitors travelling to New Zealand as self funded athletes.

The 1975 match was won by Australia by 1 point with results as follows

1. Peter Fullager     AUS    101.41
2. A. Callow          NZ     104.02
3. Terry Jones        AUS    105.29
4. T. Trowell         NZ     106.36
5. Graham Seater      NZ     107.54
6. Kevin Taylor       NZ     109.44
7. J Rayner           AUS    112.02
8. Brian Carmen       AUS    112.45

By the time the next match was held in August 1977 in Centennial Park in Sydney, A.A.U. of A. had agreed to give the event official status and the competitors wore the official Australian colours under A.A.U. auspices. Once again, Australia won, this time convincingly.

1. Willi Sawall       AUS     95.19
2. Tim Erickson       AUS     96.05
3. Peter Fullager     AUS     96.23
4. Kevin Taylor       NZ     101.46
5. Clarrie Jack       AUS    103.39
6. R Pilkington       NZ     105.06
7. Maurie Hinton      NZ     112.35

Unfortunately the 1979 event was to be held in New Zealand and this would have made it a more expensive option for A.A.U to send a team. Added to that, Australia was sending a team for the first time to the Lugano Cup. A.A.U. felt that this event did not deserve its continued support so once again the event became a Federation event. It went ahead in Auckland in March 1979 and was expanded to include Open 20 km, Open 50 km and Junior 10 km for men. Australia won again with a number of fine performances.

20 Km for Men
1. Bill Dyer          AUS    1.34.05
2. Graham Seater      NZ     1.35.48
3. Joe Anderson       AUS    1.36.28
4. K Henwood          NZ     1.37.40
5. Kevin Taylor       AUS    1.41.43
6. John Sheard        AUS    1.43.39

50 Km for Men
1. Clarrie Jack       AUS    4.37.15
2. Ian Jack           AUS    4.38.24
3. Maurie Hinton      NZ     4.52.56
4. J Raynor           NZ     4.59.24
5. M Wall             Indep  5.05.40
6. Norm Read          NZ     5.12.58

10 km for Junior Men
1. Ian Jacques        AUS      49.26
2. Mark Wall          AUS      50.51
3. P Herbert          NZ       52.39
4. G. Anderson        NZ       54.20

With the continuing Australian participation in the Lugano Cup, this event was discontinued after 1981. It had been right at the time but times and needs change quickly.

The 2010 Oceania Racewalking Trophy Competition

In 2009, the idea of resurrecting the Trans-Tasman match was discussed between Mike Parker of Racewalking New Zealand and Tim Erickson of Racewalking Australia and the idea developed quickly with Athletics Australia and Athletics New Zealand coming on board. The first staging of the new Oceania Race Walking Trophy was held in Hobart on 13 February 2010 in conjunction with the Australian 20km Roadwalking Championships and consisted of 20km events for both men and women, Australia winning with 27 points to 17 points.

20 km Women
1. Nicole Fagan      AUS     1:41:35     7 pts
2. Kate Newitt       NZL     1:47:52     5 pts
3. Rosie Robinson    NZL     1:51:24     4 pts
4. Lauren Bourke     AUS     1:55:35     3 pts
5. Alana Barber      NZL     1:58:58     2 pts
6. Tamara Attard     AUS     2:02:57     1 pt
7. Kelly Mabbett     NZL     2:05:26
8. Caitlin Brunton   AUS     2:11:53

20 km Men
1. Ian Rayson        AUS     1:27:53     7 pts
2. Brendon Reading   AUS     1:28:08     5 pts
3. Derek Mulhearn    AUS     1:33:34     4 pts
4. Quentin Rew       NZL     1:35:16     3 pts
5. Scott Nelson      NZL     1:39:16     2 pts
6. Daniel Payne      AUS     1:43:41    
7. Mike Parker       NZL     1:46:52     1 pt
8. Eric Kemsley      NZL     1:52:40

Final Points
1. Australia U23     27 pts
2. New Zealand       17 pts

The 2010 New Zealand Team	The 2010 Australian U23 Team

We are pleased to see the event back on our fixture for 2012 and to see that it has been extended to include Under 20 10km events.