This event has been a nursery for many runners over the years who have gone on to represent Australia in Commonweath and Olympic games.

The North West primary team includes six Gunnedah South Public School runners – Jake Atkins, Chad Fisher, Finnegan Leader, Stella Robertson, Harry Ryman and Oliver Shoesmith.

Runners have been putting in the hard yards at training over the past month since qualifying for the North West PSSA team at the regional championships at Coolah. 

The North West team is managed by Joh Mulligan.

The teams includes regional champions Mia Gentle, 9, (Nemingha Public) and 12-year-old Morgan English (Tamworth Public).

Both runner are targeting a top-20 placing in their respective events. 

Simon Mattheus, 11, (Tamworth Public), has been very consistent in his preparation. 

Mike Cashman, spokesman for the North West team, said training alongside nine-year-old Liam Griffiths (Tamworth Public), 10-year-old Saskia Fitzgerald (Nundle Public), 11-year-old Coben Battle (Westdale Public) and 11-year-old Megan Johnson (Kootingal Public) had brought a strong supportive element to the squad.

Two members of the North West contingent of 48 appear to have a significant chance of going on to represent NSW at Friday’s competition, he said.

They are Armidale City’s Chiyo Brown, 11, and Tamworth Public’s Adam Williams, 12.

Cashman commented on the sacrifices required for runners to compete at the championships.

Cashman said runners “come from far and wide” to do so.

He said for the North West team, there were runners from as far north as Tenterfield and as far west as Walgett and Lightning Ridge.

“This obviously comes at considerable cost in money and time for their parents,” he said.

“With the Tamworth zone runners we have, for example, 10-year-old Saskia Fitzgerald, who has travelled all the way in from Nundle to Tamworth over the past couple of years to train with other keen runners.

“Her efforts have been rewarded with her being the regional champion for her age group in 2016 and missing out by only two metres this year in her placing second in the closest finish of the day at [the regional titles in] Coolah.”

Cashman said with the “multiplicity” of sports and other activities available to children, very few opted for distance running as their main sport.

“What distance running sorely lacks in Australia these days are role models,” he said.

“There are plenty of these, however, in rugby league, soccer, AFL, netball, hockey, et cetera, et cetera.

“Jonathan Thurston, for example, would surely have made a world-class distance runner, but he grew up very much in a football culture.”