Bendigo High School Athletics Programs Need Upgraded Local Venues to Thrive

Bendigo high school athletics teams opened their winter season last week using resurfaced tracks at two central venues rather than travelling to Melbourne facilities.

The timing aligns with increased state funding for regional sports after the national teams returned from overseas events in July 2026. Local schools report higher entry numbers for interschool meets because students can now train daily without long bus rides.

Named facilities in daily use

Year 9 and 10 squads from Weeroona College train three afternoons each week on the eight-lane synthetic track at Tom Flood Sports Centre on Napier Street in Kennington. The same students use the adjacent throwing circles for discus and shot put sessions before returning to classrooms. Bendigo Senior Secondary College athletes instead head to the grass oval and long-jump pits at Queen Elizabeth Oval on View Street each Tuesday and Thursday evening.

Both sites sit within five kilometres of the city centre, allowing teams from Strathfieldsaye and Flora Hill to reach training on public buses before 5 pm.

Investment and usage figures

The City of Greater Bendigo completed a $1.75 million resurfacing of the Tom Flood track in March 2026. Usage records show 2,400 student training hours logged at the venue in the first quarter after reopening, up from 1,650 hours in the same period of 2025. Queen Elizabeth Oval received new drainage and fencing at a cost of $620,000 in late 2025.

Schools now book slots through an online portal managed by the Bendigo Sports Council. Families can check availability for the August interschool carnival by visiting the council website or calling the sports desk at the council offices on Lyttleton Terrace before the July 25 deadline.