sprinter Rory Nunn

could be the face of a

new generation of pro

fessional runners cut

ting their teeth at sen

ior gift meetings.

Nunn, 13, won the

boys' 100m handicap fi

nal at the 124th

Stawell Gift Easter

meeting in the special

junior 13-17 age group

from five heats of 40

runners.

The Ballarat Little

Athletics member

came third in a similar

handicap event at the

Ballarat Gift meeting

last month.

His participation

along with an increas

ing number of other

teenage boys and girls

in pro running is seen

as vital for the future

growth of the sport.

The Ballarat Ath

letic Club has contin

ued to expand its jun

ior events program at

its annual February

Tattersalls Gift meet

ing similar to other

gifts such as Bendigo,

Burramine (Yarra

wonga) and Stawell.

"It is not only good

for the pros, but it is

encouraging juniors in

amateur running,

otherwise we are only

catering for the elite,"

treasurer of the BAC

and Rory's coach Peter

O'Dwyer said.

"The push for junior

events at professional

gift meetings is as

much about demand

because junior runners

want to compete," he

said.

"Ballarat Little Ath

letics has been very

supportive in our gift

program. The Little

Aths is run by good

bunch of people keen to

promote athletics."

The junior events

programs at Ballarat

has expanded during

the past few years to

include a 90-minute

morning program to

start the Ballarat Gift

meeting followed by

four 100m handicap

junior events as well as

a novice race and under

21 handicap events dur

ing the senior pro

gram.

"The juniors have a

similar handicap sys

tem to seniors and be

cause they use inter-

club junior perform

ances to base their

handicaps they are

usually very good

races."

"At Ballarat in the

junior program we

have four races for jun

iors and senior girls