Knox Little Athletics Centre Inc.

A huge thank you to everyone who turned up and supported Knox Cross Country yesterday.

What started as a challenging morning due to the unexpected double booking quickly turned into a great example of teamwork, cooperation and community spirit. It was fantastic to see Knox, Caulfield Grammar and the other APS schools all working together to make sure the cross country events could run smoothly.

A very big thank you to Kim Mullhall and the team at Caulfield Grammar, along with the other APS schools, for accommodating us and working so cooperatively with Knox throughout the morning. Their support and flexibility helped turn a tricky situation into a really positive morning of cross-country.

While the course was different to what our athletes were expecting, it was great to see them embrace the challenge, adapt quickly and give it their best. Cross country is all about determination, resilience and having a go, and our Knox athletes showed plenty of that.

Thank you also to our amazing volunteers, officials, families and supporters who assisted with set-up, course changes, marshalling, parent duties, timing, pack-up and encouraging the athletes around the course. Events like this only happen because of the people who step in and help.

Well done to all athletes who competed. You took on the challenge, ran hard and represented Knox proudly.

Thank you again to everyone involved for helping make it a fantastic morning of cross country.

We have been made aware late this afternoon that APS has also booked Nortons Park for a cross-country event tomorrow morning.

While this is unfortunate, it is a result that was beyond ours and APS’s control. We have contacted APS this evening to find a suitable solution so that both cross-country events can proceed with minimal impact on each other.

Knox Cross Country will still go ahead; however, we ask everyone to please be patient and considerate tomorrow morning as we work through on-site logistics.

Car parking will be affected, and we may need to make some adjustments to our course arrangements.

FURTHER UPDATE:

We have had further discussions with APS tonight and made some changes to our race program to suit both programs being run.

Our new race order for tomorrow will be:

NEW Race Order:

U9-10 1500m > U6 500m > U13-17 3000m > U7-8 1000m > U11-12 2000m.

Our U13-U17 will run in the APS 3 km race.

Please note that if you are an under-6 runner, the race will be earlier than usual tomorrow.

APS have already set up their course for tomorrow and have kindly offered to allow us to use it, albeit with some additions for our 500m loop. Knox will be on site from 7am to set up our Knox equipment.

APS Course map

The course map below has been provided by APS for tomorrow; it will give athletes an idea of the course layout we are using. Please note that there will be some adjustments to the course; however, this gives everyone a sense of the layout.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation

Knox Little Athletics is deeply saddened to hear of the tragic passing of Jemma Stapleton while overseas on a family holiday.

Jemma was part of the Knox Little Athletics community as a Little Athlete with the Rowville Club. From an early age, Jemma showed great talent, determination and love for athletics, achieving success at Knox Championship level and going on to represent Knox at State level.

Jemma later continued her athletics journey in the Victorian Athletic League, where she achieved outstanding success, including winning the Women’s Ringwood Gift and competing with distinction at the Stawell Gift, finishing 3rd in 2025.

Her achievements on the track were a reflection of her dedication, competitive spirit and the joy she brought to the sport.

Many within our Centre will remember Jemma and the Stapleton family with great fondness.

Our heartfelt thoughts, love and condolences are with Jemma’s family, her partner Tyler, and all those who knew and loved her, as they face the unimaginable grief of losing a cherished daughter, sister, partner and friend.

Jemma will be remembered with great fondness by the Knox Little Athletics community and by all whose lives she touched.

A GoFundMe has been established, with the family’s approval

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-stapletons

Knox Little Athletics athletes in the U9 to U17 age groups are invited to register for the 2026 Region Cross-Country Carnival.

The Region Cross-Country Carnival is an individual cross-country event and also acts as the qualifying event for the 2026 State Cross-Country Championships, which will be held at Lake Dewar on Saturday 15 August 2026.

To be eligible to compete at the State Championships, athletes must compete and complete at the Region Cross-Country Carnival.

Although the carnival is an individual event, there is also a team component. Team results are based on the first three athletes from each Centre across the line in each event. Where Knox has more than three athletes in an event, each additional group of three athletes will form another team.

EMR Cross Country Carnival Details

Location: T.H. Westfield Reserve, Clifton Hill
Age Groups: U9 to U17 athletes
Entry Fee: $28.60 per athlete
Registrations Close: 11:00 am, Wednesday 1 July 2026

You can register for Region Cross Country via the link below

https://events.mygameday.app/event/2026lavicregionstatecrosscountry

The entry fee includes the processing fee and covers entry into both the Region Carnival and the State Cross-Country Championships.

Knox athletes who would like the opportunity to qualify for State Cross-Country Championships are encouraged to register before the closing date.

Rememeber – Registrations close at 11:00 am on Wednesday 1 July 2026.