The 2026 Maurie Plant Meet at the beautiful Lakeside Stadium, Melbourne.

The Maurie Plant Meet is the highest-level track meet in the Southern Hemisphere and is one of 20 major events on Polytan-installed Rekortan tracks in the Australian and New Zealand athletics 2025/26 calendar.

Despite the rain, the 2026 event (28 March) delivered a blockbuster night of track and field, with Cameron Myers, Jacory Patterson, Nina Kennedy and Lachlan Kennedy all setting records as the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold season got underway in style.

Kennedy v Gout

Perhaps the most highly anticipated race was the men’s 200m rematch between Lachlan Kennedy and teenage sensation Gout Gout. Kennedy’s fast start gave him the edge around the bend, and he held his form to win in 20.38 (-0.7), holding off a fast-finishing Gout, who clocked 20.43.

It was a great meet for Kennedy, who completed a sprint double after earlier winning the 100m in 10.03, breaking the 18-year-old meet record previously held by Jamaica’s former world record holder Asafa Powell.

Records in women’s pole vault, men’s 1500m and men’s 400m

In the women’s pole vault, Australian Olympic champion Nina Kennedy set a meeting record, clearing 4.72m. She was followed by Hana Moll (USA, 4.56m) and Amanda Moll (USA, 4.36m).

World U20 record holder Cameron Myers delivered another standout performance, winning the 1500m in 3:30.42 — the fastest time ever run on Australian soil — surpassing the previous mark of 3:31.25 held by world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj.

Diamond League champion Jacory Patterson (USA) also set a meeting record, winning the 400m in 44.41. He finished ahead of Luke van Ratingen, who edged closer to the sub-45-second barrier with a personal best of 45.03.

“World U20 record holder Cameron Myers delivered another standout performance, winning the 1500m in 3:30.42 — the fastest time ever run on Australian soil — surpassing the previous mark of 3:31.25 held by world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj.”

Hollingsworth v Hunter Bell

Claudia Hollingsworth, the world leader in the women’s 1500m, defeated newly crowned world indoor champion Georgia Hunter Bell (GBR). Less than a week after her indoor triumph, Hunter Bell stayed close throughout and pushed Hollingsworth to the finish but was unable to match her superior closing speed. Hollingsworth, 20, secured victory in a meeting record of 4:01.30, with Hunter Bell finishing second in 4:01.52.

Packed stadium sees a night of great performances

Olympic bronze medallist Matthew Denny won the men’s discus with a throw of 67.51m, while reigning high jump world champion Nicola Olyslagers cleared 1.95m to defeat Izobelle Louison-Roe on countback.

Seth O’Donnell came close to a breakthrough victory in the men’s 3000m before Jackson Sharp caught him on the line in a meet record 7:41.02 to 7:41.11. Rose Davies claimed the women’s 3000m in 8:45.13, while Luke Boyes won the men’s 800m in 1:45.26.

The 2026 Maurie Plant Meet was the first of 12 World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meetings for 2026, sitting just below the Diamond League as Oceania’s only event of its status.

Next up on Rekortan is the Australian Athletics Championships (9-12 April) at Sydney Olympic Park on their new Rekortan Gel ‘super’ track.