What is the McKinnon Shield?
The McKinnon Shield is Athletics Auckland's regular summer track & field meet series. There are usually around 10 meets in the series, and it's a great way to get regular racing and competing into your summer schedule. You also earn points for your club, and the winning club at the end of the series takes home the shield.
When does it happen?
Events run on weekend afternoons (usually Saturdays) throughout the summer. You can check out the Athletics Auckland events calendar for dates and deets.
Where does it happen?
Typically, McKinnon Shield meets are held at Mt Smart Stadium, which is looking fantastic this season with a brand new track and fresh landscaping.
Who can compete?
All registered athletes aged 12+ in the calendar year of the event are eligible to compete at the McKinnon Shield. This means that if you turn 12 on/before 31 December 2023, you can compete in this year's McKinnon Shield meets. If you turn 12 on/before 31 December 2024, you can start to compete in McKinnon Shield events from Jan 2024.
What events are included?
The programme changes event to event, check out the McKinnon Shield event grid to plan your 2023/24 season or just see what's coming up.
Sometimes Auckland championship events are included in McKinnon Shield meets as well.
How do I enter?
Enter via the Athletics Auckland website, using your GameDay login. Entries close at 11:59pm on the Wednesday before the weekend's competition.
When you enter, you will be asked to enter your season's best or personal best time/distance - this is used to seed events. If you haven't registered a PB for that event yet, you can leave it blank - and note your time/distance after the event, to use next time!
Where can I see results?
Results are posted at the track, and on the Track Meet mobile
app. They are also posted on the Athletics Auckland website after the event.
How are points calculated?
A club must have a minimum of 4 athletes competing at each meet to qualify for team points. For clubs with less than 4 athletes competing, the club will score 1 point.
Points are awarded to athletes based on event placings. The total event points are divided by the number of events entered by club athletes, and then clubs are allocated ranking points based on their overall placing. It's a little complicated but all part of the fun - you can read all the details here if you're interested in the mechanics!
Some events are designated non-scoring meets.