Rule Changes

The Board has endorsed some rule changes for the 2025/26 season. (Note – some other rules are still being reviewed). The changes endorsed are as follows:

Stawell Bonus Criteria: To be eligible for a lift, athletes must have competed a set number of times over the 100m/120m sprint distance in the previous and current season as follows:

For elite (top 20 nationwide / international / marquee runners) – none specified

Below novice handicap – 4 runs

Interstate athletes – 4 runs (but at least 2 in the current season)

Established athletes > 6m – 6 runs

2. 800m Masters 45+ Revise Ceiling Time to 2:00.00 and Starting Target Time to 2:05.00

3. 100m Masters deviation set to 0.45 secs.

4. Handicapper to have discretion to apply a lift (with some restrictions) in allocating start marks, to be used for established athletes who are behind their notional starting handicap, and are either uncompetitive, or have not won a race over the distance. The variation on a starting handicap is set at no greater than 20% of the last handicap allocated, and will require approval of the Director of Handicapping

5. All 200m events will now be handicapped on a discretionary basis

6. For distance races (550m and over), the calculated notional starting

handicap will now be determined by dividing the average of the athlete’s best Metres Per Second (MPS) from the last 4 seasons and the next best MPS from the last 2 seasons, into the starting time for that event.

7. All interstate athletes will be classified as OGA

8. Women and Masters athletes who win an Open race may be penalised in both the women and Masters categories over the equivalent distance. (changed from WILL)

Once all rule changes for the season have been finalised, an updated copy of the Handicapping Guidelines in their entirety will be posted on the Website.