Oceania Area Championships in Athletics


The Oceania Area Championships in Athletics is an athletics event run by the Oceania Athletics Association and is held every year. In 1990 the Oceania Athletic Championships started as an area championships for the IAAF member countries of Oceania. Initially conceived as a quadrennial event, the championships change to a biennial format in 1996. The event had junior events until a merger with the Oceania Youth Championships occurred in 2000. Both senior and youth events are now held at the championships in a unified competition. Athletics New Zealand and Athletics Australia generally send weakened teams due to the small size of the other competing nations.
After the year 2010, there were significant changes in the format of the competition, now being held as Oceania Area Championships.

Summary of Oceania Athletics Championships

Oceania Area Championships in Athletics

In the year 2011, the sub-regional Melanesian, Micronesian, and Polynesian Championships were replaced by the new Oceania Regional Championships, using the new "East–West" format. Medals are now awarded for athletes from both the Eastern and the Western Region by separating the results correspondingly. From the year 2012 on, the format was also adopted for the Oceania Championships with a name change to Oceania Area Championships, now being held annually.
YearCityCountryDateVenueNo. of
Events		No. of
Athletes
12011Apia21–23 JuneApia Park35
22012Cairns27–29 JuneBarlow Park40
32013Papeete3–5 JuneStade Pater Te Hono Nui44
42014Rarotonga24–26 JuneBCI Stadium39155
52015Cairns8–10 MayBarlow Park47
62017Suva28 June–1 JulyNational Stadium47
72019Townsville25–28 JuneTownsville Sports Reserve45
82021Port Vilalate May Korman Stadium

Sub-Regional Championships

Between 2000 and 2009, sub-regional championships were held for three regions.

Melanesian Championships

,,,,,, and competed for
the Melanesian Championships.
YearCityCountryDateVenueNo. of
Events		No. of
Athletes
12001SuvaApril
22003Lae25–27 April
32005Lae22–24 AprilSir Ignatius Kilage Stadium
42007Cairns14–19 AugustBarlow Park
52009Gold Coast4–8 AugustGriffith University
62016Suva7–9 JulyANZ Stadium
72018Port Vila9–11 MayKorman Stadium

Micronesian Championships

,,,,,, and competed for
the Micronesian Championships.
YearCityCountryDateVenueNo. of
Events		No. of
Athletes
12003Koror25–26 April
22005Saipan14–15 DecemberOleai Sports Complex
32007Yona14–15 DecemberLeo Palace Resort
42009Gold Coast4–8 AugustGriffith University
52016Kolonia2–4 June
62018Saipan14–16 JuneOleai Sports Complex

Polynesian Championships

,,,,,,, and competed for the Polynesian Championships.
YearCityCountryDateVenueNo. of
Events		No. of
Athletes
12000Apia
22005PapeeteOctober
32007RarotongaOctober 16-17
42009Gold CoastAugust 4-8Griffith University
52016PapeeteApril 7 - 9Pater Stadium

Oceania Cup

In addition, there was a short-lived Oceania Cup, where teams from Australia, New Zealand, and the respective host country competed with combined teams from Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. The Australian team recruited from the winner team of the Australian Clubs Championships, which was, in both years, the University of Queensland Athletic Club.
YearCityCountryDateVenueNo. of
Events		No. of
Athletes
12001Port VilaJuly 14
22003ApiaJune 26-27Apia Park