Monday 13 to Tuesday 14 April, 2026 - State Athletics Facility QSAC, Brisbane

The 2026 Coles Australian Little Athletics Championships (ALAC) will take place from Monday 13 to Tuesday 14 April at the State Athletics Facility (QSAC) in Brisbane. As part of the inaugural aligned national championships, the Australian Athletics Junior Championships (AAJC) which form part of the Chemist Warehouse Summer Series will immediately follow ALAC, also at QSAC, from Wednesday 15 April to Monday 20 April.

This alignment of the two national junior championships reflects the increasingly close working relationship between Australian Athletics and Little Athletics Australia, first announced in July 2025, and further reinforced by the announcement earlier this month that the two organisations have officially unified at a national level.

This historic milestone marks a new era for athletics in Australia, bringing the sport together under one structure. The unification strengthens connections between grassroots participation and high-performance pathways, while supporting the long-term growth and sustainability of the sport.

Importantly, the unified approach will deliver clearer athlete pathways, enhanced support for centres, clubs and volunteers, and create new opportunities across all levels of the sport—particularly as Australia looks ahead to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Side-by-side event delivery in Brisbane in April 2026, with consecutive schedules at the same venue, has been introduced to create a single national junior opportunity, clearer pathways, and reduced travel duplication for families and officials.

The core of Unification is to strengthen the foundation, systems, and identity of Australian athletics through unified leadership, sustainable operations, and a cohesive national voice.

While in Brisbane, the newest inductees into the Coles Little Athletics Australia Hall of Fame, along with a number of awards celebrating the contributions of Little Athletics volunteers and centres, will be announced at the Coles Little Athletics Australia Hall of Fame Ceremony on the Monday evening.

Celebrating the dedicated work undertaken at 450+ Little Athletics Centres across the country, the Coles Little Athletics Australia Centre of the Year Awards for Major City, Inner Regional and Outer Regional & Remote Regional categories will also be presented. Supported by Coles, these awards recognise and honour the outstanding efforts of Little Athletics Centres throughout Australia.

New this year is the Grove Juice Volunteer of the Year Award, with one volunteer nominee from each State and Territory, and the national winner selected from this group. With the support of Grove Juice, Little Athletics volunteers will be recognised and celebrated for the many hours of dedication, knowledge and passion they contribute to delivering Family, Fun and Fitness to communities across the country—thanks to more than 60,000 volunteers nationally.

The 2026 Coles Australian Little Athletics Championships consists of Able-bodied and Multi-Class athletes aged U12 and U13 who are selected by their Member Association to represent their State in the State Team based athletics competition. While athletes compete for individual rewards their performances contribute towards the team awards and trophies.

Committed to ensuring sporting events are inclusive and can be enjoyed by all, Little Athletics welcomes athletes, their families, volunteers, coaches and officials from all parts of the community.

Around 500 athletes are expected to compete for Individual Medals and Team Trophies.

“ALAC has a wonderful history dating back to 1973 and has provided memories for many athletes and we look forward to this continuing to grow and develop in 2026 thanks to Coles for their ongoing support of ALAC, our event delivery partner Little Athletics Queensland, and to our other partners and sponsors including Grove Juice that enable the staging of ALAC for our athletes,” said Myles Foreman CEO Coles Little Athletics Australia.

“Coles is delighted to be a major partner of the Coles Australian Little Athletics Championships for the ninth year in a row. We’re committed to helping aspiring athletes compete on a national stage, and as part of our support are proud to donate bananas and other fresh fruit for the Championships so that athletes, volunteers and officials can perform at their best,” said Clive Mathieson, Coles Group Corporate Affairs Officer.

On Monday 14 April, the Coles Little Athletics Australia Hall of Fame Ceremony will be held where former Little Athletes who have achieved at the highest level in their chosen sport or profession across four categories will be inducted:

• Track and Field – Former Little Athletes who have represented Australia in athletics

• Sportsperson – Former Little Athletes who have competed at the highest level in a sport

• Achievers – Former Little Athletes who have achieved in a non-sport-related discipline

• Volunteers – Any person (excluding those eligible for above) who have made an outstanding contribution to Little Athletics across Australia

At the Coles Little Athletics Australia Hall of Fame Ceremony, the significant contributions of those internally involved in Little Athletics will be recognised across four categories:

• Life Membership of Little Athletics Australia

• Coles Little Athletics Australia Official of the Year Award

• Coles Little Athletics Australia Centre of the Year Award

• Grove Juice Volunteer of the Year Award

The Coles Little Athletics Australia Hall of Fame Ceremony is a significant event not only within the Little Athletics community but for the wider Australian sporting community as it celebrates the positive impact Little Athletics has had on influential individuals later in life.

Developing important life skills, such as teamwork and endurance, Little Athletics helps to prepare for success on and off the sporting field.

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