January 30, 2026 • 8 mins
The annual Capital Classic Athletics meet takes place at Newtown Park on Sunday as part of the summer athletics calendar.
Before the competition, decorated athletes Hamish Kerr and Tom Walsh will be in town running a coaching clinic as part of their Aotearoa Athletics Trust initiative.
Adam Cooper spoke to Kerr about coaching the next generation of athletes, and on his plans for 2026.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Newsbook's theb on the All Sport Breakfast ten to eight. Well,
the biggest event on the local athletics calendar for this
summer is the Capital Classic. It's tomorrow afternoon and evening
at Newtown Park. Some of our best athletes from around
Wellington and around the country in town to compete as
parts of this year's Capital Classic. But some cool other
bits and pieces happening around this and actually in town tomorrow.
(00:23):
We have reigning World and Olympic champion high jumper Hamish
Cur here alongside champion shot put to Tom Walsh running
some coaching clinics with young Wellington athletes. It's all at
Newtown Park tomorrow leading up to the Capitol Classic event.
So I thought we'd chat to Hamish Cur about this.
Great to be chatting to him this morning here on
the All Sport Breakfast because him and Tom are part
(00:45):
of this Alta Athletics Trust which is all about promoting
the sport of athletics and making sure that pathways and
development programs are there for our athletes around New Zealand.
So Hamish is with us now morning to your Hamish
and Rat that you guys travel around to do these
because it's your own time. You're not forced to do this,
so you know what gives you the inspiration to want
(01:08):
to sort of travel the country and coach some of
our up and coming athletes.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah, it's it's funny you say that. Yeah, we're not
forced to do it. I think you'll be trying pretty
hard to try and commut forcing me to do anything
these days, unfortunately. But look, I think we you know,
we just we just love our sport and and me
and Tommy have have kind of worked out over the
last few years that it's it's just such a massive
ecosystem between uh, you know, the the junior level to
(01:34):
to kind of that that emerging high performance and then
and then and too kind of where we're at with
with sort of the late stage high performance program within
our sport, and so you know, I think it's just
great for us to really try and churn as many
people through through those pathways as possible. So, you know,
we're we're going to be in Wellington tomorrow for Capitol Classic,
which is going to be an awesome meat for for
(01:55):
Wellington and a real cool showcase of our sport. And
we've we've had the amazing opportunity through Tony Rodgers and
and Mike Ledger, who's who's one of the key sponsors
to put on a WEE Kids clinic just beforehand. And yeah,
we're looking forward. I think we've got about eighty kids
signed up, so yeah, we're just going to be taking
them for athletics and giving them a few little sort
(02:18):
of bits and bobs of knowledge that we've got along
the way and that we've learned. So yeah, we're looking
forward to it.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Yeah. And an interesting point you make about pathways for
athletes in this country. Do you think there are too
many people in New Zealand that are slipping through the
cracks because they're not noticed, but they might have some potential.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Yeah, I mean, look, I think I think it's it's
you know, the sporting landscape is just so complex and
he's on. I mean, you've got so many different sports
these days, all vying for the everyone's attention. And I
think also, you know, as a as a young person,
and I can speak from experience here, you know, leaving
high school and and feeling like I you know, the
(02:56):
gap between being a good high school athlete and being
a good elite athlete just so massive that I think
a lot of people, do, you know, step off the
kind of the bandwagon and kind of go on with
the rest of your life. And you know, that's something
that I think will always be present within sport. But
I think the sort of the key thing for me
is if there is anyone out there who does feel
like they want to take them more seriously and makes
(03:17):
that decision to really put the energy in and go
after their dream, that there's also some really good kind
of frameworks around around those people to really support them
as best as possible and not put barriers in place
for them. So that's kind of where me and Tom's trust,
the Alteto Athletics Trust, has stepped in and we're really
helping trying to remove as many barriers for those people
(03:38):
who potentially might not be eligible for that national level
funding just at the moment, but if we can kind
of help those people get a bit of a bit
of a head start and really feel like they're supported
and being listened to and really supported in their way
to try and achieve their geams, and that's a really
good place to be.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
And I'm sure there be a few of them around
Newtown Park for this event tomorrow. How good are you
at Tom at controlling ac plus energetic kids.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Yeah, well, I think Tom will be the enforcer and
hopefully I'll be the kind one. But yeah, we'll see.
I think we've got a couple of other sort of
top lewer athletes who are going to help us out
as well. I think at the stage we've got Tory
moreby Javin for a potentially Town Weldon, and potentially Lauren Bruce.
So yeah, just a just a great star starded cast
(04:24):
and hopefully between the few of us will be able
to control them.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
And as you go around the country and do similar
things like this, what kind of gauge do you get
of the shape athletics is in at the moment Because
you and several others have created so much success and
a lot to be happy about across such a wide
variety of track and field disciplines, do you feel that
there's a real buzz around the sport right now as
a result of that.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
I mean, I'm so biased, right like, I think athletics
is one of the greatest sports you know, that we've got,
But I do really get a sense these days that
I think just the range of really high quality athletes
we've got at the moment is just connecting with a
lot of people. I was in one we last weekend
at the Cooks Classic, and you know, I've been going
(05:08):
to that meet for about ten years now. And the
crowd and just the bars and the vibe around around
the people who are there just watching, not just you
know Sam Ruth and Sam Tana battle it out in
the mile, or Zoe and te you know, racing the hundreds.
It was all over the stadium. There were people interested
in everything, and so I think that's the cool thing
about our sports come down. You know, it doesn't matter
(05:29):
what events on, there's always going to be stars, There's
going to be some really cool people competing, and it's
just a great day up awesome.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
It is wonderful having you in town for that, and
wanted to talk a bit about your success from last year,
Hayma Shannon too this year as well. No World Championships
or Olympics in twenty twenty six, but this new Athletics
Extravaganza event in Buddapesce later in the year, is that
sort of the big one circled on your calendar. I
guess we have Commonwealth Games as part of this year's
action as well.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Oh, I mean, look, I mean that the benefit with
our sport is that there's always comps. You know. I
feel like if you're if you're willing to travel and
willing to get over to Europe, there's there's always going
to be something interesting to do. We've got you know,
a Diamond League season that that will be you know
the same as any other year, just you know, really
high quality and and hard, hard comps to to win.
So I'll be I'll be focusing on those. I've got
(06:17):
common ugh games coming up coming up as well in June,
so that'd be that'd be a great competition to get behind.
And then Ultimate Championship in September, which is essentially World
Champs without all the qualifying rounds, so it's sort of
the best of the best straight kind of into the
just one big comps. So yeah, there's there's gonna be
some really awesome stuff. But I think for me as well,
you know, it's it's about how high I can really
(06:38):
push myself to jump this year, and I think that's
very much going to be the focus for me. So yeah,
really tailoring the season around trying to jump as high
as possible rather than do all these comps and try
and win heaps of stuff. It's it's about jumping high,
so yeah, looking forward to it, but yeah, at the
same time, it's it's it's great to be here in
New Zealand this time of year and support all the
others doing doing some amazing stuff.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Great, So how do you train for that? If you
are saying to yourself, right, I'm going to jump higher
this year, what work goes into making that happen?
Speaker 2 (07:07):
I think I think, you know, first and foremost, it's
about having some some slightly longer, really well structured training blocks.
The last few years for me having done you know,
a small amount of domestic competition and then and then
a decent sized international season every year there there hasn't
been a lot of time we have been able to
really go back to the drawing board and work on
some stuff and get really deep into into the training
(07:29):
blocks that I have had in the past, and so
there's always kind of been this feeling that, you know,
even going into those really big competitions and you know,
the successful things that I've done in the last few years,
I've probably just been a little bit undertrained, and so
I suppose this year it's really about kind of clearing
the schedule of competitions really working out how do we
prioritize those long training blocks to really get some nice momentum.
(07:51):
And then once those kind of training blocks have have
served their course and really you know, created a fulfilling
kind of engine and model and and sort of for
me to be able to jump really high, then we
kind of find the compster plan on top of that.
So yeah, a little bit more training, a little bit
less competing, but at the same time it's still a
good place to.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Be great well and in terms of places to be
Newtown Parks certainly get it tomorrow with yourself and Tom
Welsh there with a whole bunch of Wellington kids and
very special to have you in town for this, Hamish,
So thanks for visiting Wellington as part of your two
around this summer. All the best as you crack on
into twenty twenty six as well with your own high
jumping as well. Mate, So thanks for joining us this morning.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Yeah, thanks, thanks mate. Can't wait to see you run
down there on Sunday at Newton Park.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
For more from News Talk st B, listen live on
air or online and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio,
Newsbook's theb on the All Sport Breakfast ten to eight. Well,
the biggest event on the local athletics calendar for this
summer is the Capital Classic. It's tomorrow afternoon and evening
at Newtown Park. Some of our best athletes from around
Wellington and around the country in town to compete as
parts of this year's Capital Classic. But some cool other
bits and pieces happening around this and actually in town tomorrow.
(00:23):
We have reigning World and Olympic champion high jumper Hamish
Cur here alongside champion shot put to Tom Walsh running
some coaching clinics with young Wellington athletes. It's all at
Newtown Park tomorrow leading up to the Capitol Classic event.
So I thought we'd chat to Hamish Cur about this.
Great to be chatting to him this morning here on
the All Sport Breakfast because him and Tom are part
(00:45):
of this Alta Athletics Trust which is all about promoting
the sport of athletics and making sure that pathways and
development programs are there for our athletes around New Zealand.
So Hamish is with us now morning to your Hamish
and Rat that you guys travel around to do these
because it's your own time. You're not forced to do this,
so you know what gives you the inspiration to want
(01:08):
to sort of travel the country and coach some of
our up and coming athletes.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah, it's it's funny you say that. Yeah, we're not
forced to do it. I think you'll be trying pretty
hard to try and commut forcing me to do anything
these days, unfortunately. But look, I think we you know,
we just we just love our sport and and me
and Tommy have have kind of worked out over the
last few years that it's it's just such a massive
ecosystem between uh, you know, the the junior level to
(01:34):
to kind of that that emerging high performance and then
and then and too kind of where we're at with
with sort of the late stage high performance program within
our sport, and so you know, I think it's just
great for us to really try and churn as many
people through through those pathways as possible. So, you know,
we're we're going to be in Wellington tomorrow for Capitol Classic,
which is going to be an awesome meat for for
(01:55):
Wellington and a real cool showcase of our sport. And
we've we've had the amazing opportunity through Tony Rodgers and
and Mike Ledger, who's who's one of the key sponsors
to put on a WEE Kids clinic just beforehand. And yeah,
we're looking forward. I think we've got about eighty kids
signed up, so yeah, we're just going to be taking
them for athletics and giving them a few little sort
(02:18):
of bits and bobs of knowledge that we've got along
the way and that we've learned. So yeah, we're looking
forward to it.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Yeah. And an interesting point you make about pathways for
athletes in this country. Do you think there are too
many people in New Zealand that are slipping through the
cracks because they're not noticed, but they might have some potential.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Yeah, I mean, look, I think I think it's it's
you know, the sporting landscape is just so complex and
he's on. I mean, you've got so many different sports
these days, all vying for the everyone's attention. And I
think also, you know, as a as a young person,
and I can speak from experience here, you know, leaving
high school and and feeling like I you know, the
(02:56):
gap between being a good high school athlete and being
a good elite athlete just so massive that I think
a lot of people, do, you know, step off the
kind of the bandwagon and kind of go on with
the rest of your life. And you know, that's something
that I think will always be present within sport. But
I think the sort of the key thing for me
is if there is anyone out there who does feel
like they want to take them more seriously and makes
(03:17):
that decision to really put the energy in and go
after their dream, that there's also some really good kind
of frameworks around around those people to really support them
as best as possible and not put barriers in place
for them. So that's kind of where me and Tom's trust,
the Alteto Athletics Trust, has stepped in and we're really
helping trying to remove as many barriers for those people
(03:38):
who potentially might not be eligible for that national level
funding just at the moment, but if we can kind
of help those people get a bit of a bit
of a head start and really feel like they're supported
and being listened to and really supported in their way
to try and achieve their geams, and that's a really
good place to be.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
And I'm sure there be a few of them around
Newtown Park for this event tomorrow. How good are you
at Tom at controlling ac plus energetic kids.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Yeah, well, I think Tom will be the enforcer and
hopefully I'll be the kind one. But yeah, we'll see.
I think we've got a couple of other sort of
top lewer athletes who are going to help us out
as well. I think at the stage we've got Tory
moreby Javin for a potentially Town Weldon, and potentially Lauren Bruce.
So yeah, just a just a great star starded cast
(04:24):
and hopefully between the few of us will be able
to control them.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
And as you go around the country and do similar
things like this, what kind of gauge do you get
of the shape athletics is in at the moment Because
you and several others have created so much success and
a lot to be happy about across such a wide
variety of track and field disciplines, do you feel that
there's a real buzz around the sport right now as
a result of that.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
I mean, I'm so biased, right like, I think athletics
is one of the greatest sports you know, that we've got,
But I do really get a sense these days that
I think just the range of really high quality athletes
we've got at the moment is just connecting with a
lot of people. I was in one we last weekend
at the Cooks Classic, and you know, I've been going
(05:08):
to that meet for about ten years now. And the
crowd and just the bars and the vibe around around
the people who are there just watching, not just you
know Sam Ruth and Sam Tana battle it out in
the mile, or Zoe and te you know, racing the hundreds.
It was all over the stadium. There were people interested
in everything, and so I think that's the cool thing
about our sports come down. You know, it doesn't matter
(05:29):
what events on, there's always going to be stars, There's
going to be some really cool people competing, and it's
just a great day up awesome.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
It is wonderful having you in town for that, and
wanted to talk a bit about your success from last year,
Hayma Shannon too this year as well. No World Championships
or Olympics in twenty twenty six, but this new Athletics
Extravaganza event in Buddapesce later in the year, is that
sort of the big one circled on your calendar. I
guess we have Commonwealth Games as part of this year's
action as well.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Oh, I mean, look, I mean that the benefit with
our sport is that there's always comps. You know. I
feel like if you're if you're willing to travel and
willing to get over to Europe, there's there's always going
to be something interesting to do. We've got you know,
a Diamond League season that that will be you know
the same as any other year, just you know, really
high quality and and hard, hard comps to to win.
So I'll be I'll be focusing on those. I've got
(06:17):
common ugh games coming up coming up as well in June,
so that'd be that'd be a great competition to get behind.
And then Ultimate Championship in September, which is essentially World
Champs without all the qualifying rounds, so it's sort of
the best of the best straight kind of into the
just one big comps. So yeah, there's there's gonna be
some really awesome stuff. But I think for me as well,
you know, it's it's about how high I can really
(06:38):
push myself to jump this year, and I think that's
very much going to be the focus for me. So yeah,
really tailoring the season around trying to jump as high
as possible rather than do all these comps and try
and win heaps of stuff. It's it's about jumping high,
so yeah, looking forward to it, but yeah, at the
same time, it's it's it's great to be here in
New Zealand this time of year and support all the
others doing doing some amazing stuff.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Great, So how do you train for that? If you
are saying to yourself, right, I'm going to jump higher
this year, what work goes into making that happen?
Speaker 2 (07:07):
I think I think, you know, first and foremost, it's
about having some some slightly longer, really well structured training blocks.
The last few years for me having done you know,
a small amount of domestic competition and then and then
a decent sized international season every year there there hasn't
been a lot of time we have been able to
really go back to the drawing board and work on
some stuff and get really deep into into the training
(07:29):
blocks that I have had in the past, and so
there's always kind of been this feeling that, you know,
even going into those really big competitions and you know,
the successful things that I've done in the last few years,
I've probably just been a little bit undertrained, and so
I suppose this year it's really about kind of clearing
the schedule of competitions really working out how do we
prioritize those long training blocks to really get some nice momentum.
(07:51):
And then once those kind of training blocks have have
served their course and really you know, created a fulfilling
kind of engine and model and and sort of for
me to be able to jump really high, then we
kind of find the compster plan on top of that.
So yeah, a little bit more training, a little bit
less competing, but at the same time it's still a
good place to.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Be great well and in terms of places to be
Newtown Parks certainly get it tomorrow with yourself and Tom
Welsh there with a whole bunch of Wellington kids and
very special to have you in town for this, Hamish,
So thanks for visiting Wellington as part of your two
around this summer. All the best as you crack on
into twenty twenty six as well with your own high
jumping as well. Mate, So thanks for joining us this morning.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Yeah, thanks, thanks mate. Can't wait to see you run
down there on Sunday at Newton Park.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
For more from News Talk st B, listen live on
air or online and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio,
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