2020/2021 Series All Set to Proceed 30

Published Thu 01 Oct 2020

The resilience of the Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals continues, with the historic series set to continue in 2020/2021 despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Not even World War 1 stood in the way of the 133-year-old Burnie New Year’s Eve Carnival and it will once again be a highlight on New Year’s Eve in this forthcoming series that will see a number of changes.

The 2020/2021 series will see a new running only carnival at the Dial Athletics Complex in Penguin, featuring the Tasmanian 100 yards and 1-mile championships. An attack on both the Tasmanian and Australian records for both events could very well be on the agenda if past athlete attendances are anything to go off.

Kicking off with some kids’ events, the high-octane meet will then feature a men’s and women’s 100 yards, 400m and mile. A short, sharp, high energy meet that will be a contender for the highest profile meet ever held at the Penguin venue.

Bringing the George Town cycling carnival into the series on December 30 is another innovation. Launceston City Cycling Club conduct a carnival there each season, but with the cancellation of the Latrobe and Devonport carnivals this season, it opened the door for the tiny Tasmanian town that was once home to famed rider Danny Clark, to be included in the series.

New President for the Sport Carnivals Association of Tasmania, Duncan Murfet, said he was determined to get the series to go ahead, despite the destruction that COVID-19 has played on society.

“2020 has been so difficult for many people, but we need events like the Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals in the community. This series means so much to many people, with generations of families flocking to the grounds around the state every year.

“It’s also a proven breeding ground for global talent. Just have a look at the year that Stewart McSweyn has had, breaking Australian records previously held by Ryan Gregson and Craig Mottram. He did that off the back of competing in our series last summer,” Murfet said.

Another significant change to the series structure is the movement of the Hobart Bikes and Spikes to December 27. This change was made after the early cancellation of the Latrobe Carnival.

“Moving the Hobart Bikes and Spikes to the ‘peak week’ we believe is the key to engaging the states capital. We’ll be able to have our top runners and riders in the state to compete at New Town Oval, which will provide some great spectating on a summer Sunday afternoon.

The series once again will visit 7 towns and cities across Tasmania this summer, with the series including;

Rosebery – December 19
Hobart – December 27
Launceston – December 28 (cycling only)
Penguin – December 29 (running only)
George Town – December 30 (cycling only)
Burnie – December 31
St Helens – January 16