2024 season is now over, 2025 season will be announced early next year.

The Ballina Athletics Club embraces the joy of running during the cooler months, typically starting their season in the last two weeks of March and extending it for 25 weeks.

Every Sunday, the action kicks off at the respectable hour of 9:00 a.m. as participants, spanning an age range from 1 to 100 (though last year it capped at 89), gather on Shelly Beach in Ballina. There, they have the delightful dilemma of choosing between a 1K, 3K, or 6K course to traverse.

These courses, loosely labelled as “cross country,” weave through beachfront pathways and bush trails. Athletes (a term used liberally in some instances) compete in categorised groups segregated by age and gender. Each runner carries a personal time handicap tailored to their athletic abilities.

Participants secure coverage for the entire season for a mere $20 per individual runner or $50 for a family. Thanks to a dynamically adjusted handicap system, providing everyone with an equal chance at victory each week, runners accrue points towards monthly and year-end trophies or opt for cash prizes. The club’s bountiful prize ceremonies, the weekly beachside lucky draw, and occasional complimentary barbecues for members make this club arguably the best investment this side of Bitcoin.