He is Australia’s fastest schoolboy and the teen who blitzed rivals for the 100-metre title in his first open-age foray, Hobart’s Briggs Track Classic, a fortnight ago.

Hale was billed as the headline act for this weekend’s Ballarat Gift and remains the professional running meet’s ambassador, despite pulling out late with a hamstring strain.

The buzz about Hale is not at quite the same level had he been competing in Ballarat, but there is still the intrigue.

How much hype is too much hype for a 16-year-old to shoulder?

Olympian Dave Culbert – who made an international career in Hale’s pet event, the long jump – told Fairfax Media earlier this week the Hale hype was getting a little over the top.

“I think it’s time to stop talking about him; that’s the best thing for his long-term future,” Culbert, now a sporting commentator, said.

“I’d much prefer him to be in the Olympic final in 2020 than be a sparkler now who burns brightly for five minutes and is gone.”

That line is fine when it comes to junior athletes.

There is a fascination, though, in the fundamentals of sport – the swiftest, highest and strongest.

The world’s fastest man,  Usain Bolt, and fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell before him, command a rock star-like presence and entourage wherever they go.

People hear about Australia’s fastest kid and want to see him in action. People, with little interest in pro running, would have trekked to Eastern Oval just to catch a glimpse, to say they saw him. People were already talking.

Hale, without necessarily intending to do so, has sparked a new interest in athletics. Juniors want his autograph; they want to run like him because, really, he is one of them. 

This is a positive for the sport, and the growing hype about his race was unexpected for the young Tasmanian.

“It was very surprising the first time it happened at a meet, but I’m getting more used

to it now. I started to realise maybe I was half-decent,” Hale said. “Breaking the (Australian under-18 100 metres) record was something I was aiming for in the future.

“In the back of my mind, I thought I could do it. I just didn’t expect to do it on the day I did – I didn’t go out there aiming to break it then.”

Talking with Hale at Eastern Oval, he conveys a mature approach to his race.

Columbia is his priority for the IAAF World Youth Championships in July.

A hamstring twinge this week means he will now skip looming track classics and focus on preparations for the Australian junior championships in Brisbane next month – qualifiers for the worlds.

Hale is in town because he promised Ballarat Athletic Club he would be at the Gift and he wanted to fulfil that promise, even if he cannot compete.

The club has paired Hale up with home-town sprint hero Matt Wiltshire, who won the 2012 Stawell Gift but will also be sidelined this weekend with injury.

Hale looked forward to quizzing Wiltshire about a very different athletic path – Wiltshire made his name in handicap sprinting and was quickly thrown into the national spotlight, while Hale captured attention for his 10.42-second sprint in an interschool meet late last year.

“I’m extremely keen to run and disappointed that I can’t this time,” Hale said.

“At least it wasn’t a hamstring tear – I would’ve been more disappointed to end my world youth chances without being able to run qualifiers at all.

“I don’t want to risk it.”

Hale was matter of fact. Not the slightest bit cocky.

This is the makings of a fantastic junior sporting role model and, if well-managed, should be promoted.

Whether Hale will make a successful transition from child star to elite performer is a fine balancing act that plagues most industries.

If by being in Ballarat, purely on the hype about him now, encourages a few Ballarat kids to persist or take up running, then Hale is a good choice to be the face of our Gift.

We will just have to wait for Hale to return and race for our sash another time.

melanie.whelan@fairfaxmedia.com.au