FAST Running athletes produced a strong and encouraging set of performances at the ACT Under 20 and Open Championships, with medals, personal bests and valuable championship learning across sprints, jumps and one‑lap events.
Importantly, ACT Championship medals are awarded to the first three ACT athletes in each event, regardless of overall placing. This structure allows local athletes to test themselves against national‑level competition while still being recognised for state performance.
Across two demanding days — including extreme heat — FAST athletes demonstrated resilience, maturity and a clear commitment to long‑term development.
Brooklyn – U20 Triple Jump
Brooklyn was crowned ACT Gold Medallist in the U20 Triple Jump, producing a new personal best of 12.90m. The 16‑year‑old delivered a composed and technically sound series to claim the title, marking a significant breakthrough performance and reinforcing his steady progression in the event.
Rose – Open Women’s 100m
Rose secured ACT Bronze in the Open Women’s 100m. While still building back toward peak form, her performance (13.48s) sets her up well as she prepares for her second Uni Games campaign and the Australian National Championships in April.
Sam Blood – U20 Men’s 100m
Sixteen‑year‑old Sam Blood finished as the fourth ACT athlete in the U20 100m, recording a solid 11.2 seconds. Racing against older and more experienced competitors, Sam showed he belongs at this level, making an excellent start to his summer campaign despite being slightly off his personal best.
Chris – Open Men’s 400m
Competing in his first ACT Championships, Chris claimed ACT Bronze in the Open Men’s 400m with a new personal best of 56.77 seconds. The race provided valuable championship experience, and Chris continues to show a strong appetite for learning and improvement. He also finished second fastest ACT athlete in the Men’s 800m in a new PB of 2:11.67.
Ellie – Open Women’s 400m
Ellie also earned ACT Bronze in the Open Women’s 400m, running 63.99 seconds in extremely challenging heatwave conditions. Her performance was only marginally outside her personal best and highlighted her consistency and toughness under pressure.
Tom – U20 Men’s 400m
Fourteen‑year‑old Tom claimed ACT Bronze in the U20 Men’s 400m, stopping the clock at 53.67 seconds. Racing up against significantly older athletes, Tom embraced the challenge and made the most of the learning opportunity, showing maturity well beyond his years. A great first performance to kick off his summer competition campaign.
Bree – Sprints & Hurdles
After an earlier stumble in the 80m hurdles, Bree rebounded strongly across the weekend. Competing in non‑championship events, she set a new 100m personal best of 13.39 seconds, finishing just outside the automatic qualifying standard for the Australian Junior Championships. It was a big and productive meet for the developing sprinter and hurdler. Her 200m Hurdles performance (31.38s) is an Australian Championships auto qualifier and the first time she has raced the event in a competition. Bree also ran a personal best in the 200m (27.31s).
Sanjna – First Competitive 400m
Sanjna stepped up for her first competitive 400m, producing an encouraging performance (1:19.53) with strong form and intent through the opening 250 metres. At just 13 years old, she is still learning the demands of the event and is targeting further championship experience at the ACT Championships in February.
Cecilia – U20 Women’s 200m
Cecilia still unbelievably in her first season of athletics competed in the U20 Women’s 200m (26.69s) as her season opener. The 16 year old finished third ACT Athlete overall again highlighting her impressive athleticism and progress since committing to sprinting earlier in 2025.
Afsa and Chloe
Afsa Chowdhury competed in the non-championship 200m (27.49s) and 100m (13.39s). Chloe Prstec finished third to Bree and Afsa in the 200m (27.58s) in what was a clean sweep of the placings for FAST Females. Chloe was also first home form the ACT in the 800m (2:19.61) which was her first race back from injury and setback.
A Weekend Built on Development
Across medals, personal bests and first‑time championship experiences, the ACT U20 & Open Championships reinforced a core FAST Running principle: development comes first.
Racing up in age groups, competing in extreme conditions, and learning to perform under pressure are all part of building resilient, confident athletes. The performances delivered across the weekend reflect a program focused on long‑term progression, athlete wellbeing and sustainable excellence.
Running Excellence is never rushed.
Comments are closed