4th January 2010 03:38
For 30 years it has been a tradition of the meeting that in the afternoon, before the elite athletes perform, approximately 400 young athletes from clubs across Belgium compete in a programme of events that gives them a chance to feel the atmosphere of top athletics and achieve their personal bests.
Caroline Gaul of the event organiser Golazo Sports explains that “the young athletes are thrilled that they can run on the same track as the international stars. They stay on afterwards for the main meeting and feel that they are very much a part of it.”
“They also have a chance to break their own personal records in high quality races. It is a way of promoting athletics and also discovering the stars of tomorrow.”
Athletes who have achieved a minimum entry standard are eligible to enter the races. The number of participants is based on the time available for staging the afternoon events. If too many achieve the minimum in an event or age category, the standard will be adapted for the following year.
Normally the 800m and 1000m are offered but the programme can be adapted for special reasons. In 2009, for example, a girls’ pole vault may be included, to reflect the interest and success in this discipline among junior females.
The budget for the youth programme is included in that of the main meeting, which is supported by the title partner KBC (a banking and insurance company), Belgium’s national lottery, the government department responsible for high-level sports development, regional and city institutional partners and sports drink company AA Drink.
“It is important for all the main programme partners that we include a youth programme,” says Gaul.
“We are seeing some positive trends, which our event is contributing to,” she adds. “Every year the interest of young people to be in the meeting is growing even though we have to limit the number of participants. Importantly, the minimum standards for entry are rising, which shows that the young athletes are motivated to improve.”
| Fact File | |
| Programme: | KBC Night of Atletics |
| Organiser: | Golazo Sport, AVT Athletics Club |
| Start Date: | 1978 |
| Target Group: | Club athletes from 8 to 1 years-old |
| Participants in 2008: | 400 |
| Support: |
KBC, Belgium’s national lottery, government high-level sport programme, regional and city institutional partners, AA Drink. |
| More Information: | Caroline Gaul caroline.gaul@golazo.com |