Bendigo high school athletics clubs thrive while building stronger community ties

Bendigo high school athletics clubs recorded a 28 percent rise in registered participants this winter season compared with 2025 figures released by the Bendigo Athletics Association.

The increase arrives as schools resume full timetables after mid-year exams and families seek affordable weekend activities that keep teenagers active during the cooler months.

Training hubs draw families from across the city

Coaches at the Bendigo Sports and Fitness Centre on View Street now run three after-school squads each Tuesday and Thursday for students from Weeroona College and Bendigo Senior Secondary College. The same groups meet on Saturday mornings at the Golden Square Athletics Track, where parents organise a rotating roster for car-pooling and post-session barbecues on the adjacent oval.

These two venues sit less than four kilometres apart, allowing athletes from Strathfieldsaye and Kangaroo Flat to reach either site within fifteen minutes by bus or bike.

Numbers and costs show sustained growth

Association records list 412 active high school members as of 10 July, up from 322 last year, with season fees held at $145 including uniform hire and event entry. Club volunteers also reported that 67 percent of families now stay for the full two-hour session rather than dropping off and collecting later.

Next term the association will open an additional beginner squad at the View Street centre on Monday evenings to handle the waiting list that reached forty names last month. Families can register through the Bendigo Athletics Association office on Bridge Street before 1 August to secure a place.