President’s welcome 2024

Registrations are now open for the APSOC season 2024 – our 93rd season.
Our first event was a cross country race between Old Xaverians, Old Wesley and Old Scotch in 1931. Our competition has grown considerably over the years with eleven affiliated clubs, the number and variety of events and the numbers of competitors, both male and female of all ages.
Our 2024 season comprises twelve events between 6 April and 24 August. These events offer varying distances from 3.8 km to a half marathon (21.1 km), with shorter options for those who find the longer distances too great a challenge. We offer a variety of events in a variety of locations across Melbourne from the iconic Tan track to running with kangaroos at Churchill National Park. Our competition includes scratch runs, ‘time after go’ handicap events and team relays. We have male and female Athlete of the Year awards and handicap awards in many events to give everyone a chance to take home a medal. The season will finish on 31 August with our annual dinner – mark your calendars now and keep an eye open for the sign-up details which will be posted on the website.
Our season calendar is planned so there is no overlap between our APSOC events and the Athletics Victoria cross country and road racing events and we encourage all our competitors, no matter which affiliated club they belong to, to also take part in the AV season through our team APS United (APSU), or through one of our affiliated clubs, Old Xaverians (OXAC) or St Kevin’s (SKAC).
The APSOC competition is open to everyone and offers incredible value for runners, but our season is not just about the competition. Immediately following our events there are morning and afternoon teas, some provided by host clubs, and opportunities to socialise with other competitors.
For those who wish to train with others, SKAC has organised pack runs and OXAC offers the services of an accredited coach for a reasonable fee. Contact details for the club representatives can be found on the APSOC website.
We encourage everyone to register for the 2024 season ahead of the first event, the Jamieson 5 km. Once you register for the season, you do not need to register again until our 2025 season. To be eligible to compete, you must register online no later than 5.00pm on the Thursday before your first event of the season. If you have lost your RFID timing tag, please order a replacement through our online shop, as this tag is required for all of our events other than the relays.
We look forward to welcoming you at the Jamieson 5k at Scotch College on 6 April.
Nigel Watson
President APSOCAAC
Please note that this season, athletes aged under 20 may still register free of charge but must pay $20 for an RFID tag to be eligible to compete.