Do you think you’re Australia’s fastest community footballer? If so, you could be in for a chance to win prize money and glory in this year’s inaugural Gather Round Sprint.
The newly redeveloped Barossa Park in Lyndoch is set to host this epic event, inviting community footballers from across Australia to demonstrate their speed in a 70-metre dash.
The Gather Round Sprint offers a significant prize pool of over $30,000. This will be distributed among the fastest male and female footballers and their respective clubs. Each winner in the Fastest Male and Female Open categories will receive $5,000, with an additional $5,000 going to their registered footy club. The underage categories will see winners taking home $1,000 each, plus another $1,000 for their football club.
“This is an exciting opportunity for male and female community footballers to join in the carnival atmosphere at the new Barossa Park during Gather Round,” said SANFL Executive General Manager Football Matt Duldig.
“We look forward to cheering on some of SA’s fastest footballers, from under-14s to seniors, as they go head-to-head with runners from across the country – and with generous prize money on offer, not only for themselves, but for their club.”
Registrations for the event are currently open and will close at 5pm on Monday, April 7th, with a limited number of spots available. Competitors, including SANFL and SANFLW players, are required to be registered to an affiliated community football club for the 2024 season to participate, with the exclusions of AFL and AFLW-listed players. Each community football club can send a maximum of two representatives per category.
The event will feature live commentary by Stawell Gift commentator Ollie Wurm and is coordinated by the South Australian Athletic League (SAAL), known for facilitating the prestigious Bay Sheffield race.
“The South Australian Athletic League is thrilled to be back in the Barossa Valley working with the State Government, AFL and SANFL to bring the excitement of sprinting to Gather Round,” shared South Australian Athletic League President Kym Steer.
“We can’t wait to see the footballers in action, and we will be offering all winning footballers, free entry into this year’s Bay Sheffield in their category to see how they match up against the nation’s best pro runners in December.”
Winning footballers will also receive free entry into this year’s Bay Sheffield in their category to compete against some of the nation’s top professional runners in December.
Accompanying the sprint event, the Barossa Park Live Site will feature a variety of attractions, including a live DJ, food vendors, an AFL Play interactive footy zone, and a live screening of the Barossa AFL Gather Round match. The site offers family-friendly entertainment and a chance for footy fans and families to experience the festival atmosphere, even if they missed out on match tickets.
The live site is free to enter and will be open from 10am to 4pm on the 12th and 13th of April. It is accessible via match shuttles from the city, Gawler Train Station, or by utilising the Park n Rides located across the Barossa region.
Competition Program:
10am to 12pm, Saturday 12 April
- Heats for the Under 14, Under 16 & Under 18 Male and Female Sprints
- Finals run at half-time of North Melbourne v Gold Coast
10am to 12pm, Sunday 13 April
- Heats for the Open Male and Open Female Sprints & Exhibition races from SAAL Pro Runners
- Finals run at half-time of Richmond v Fremantle
To register for the Gather Round Sprint and to find out more, click here.
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