Athletics has a long and proud history at St Patrick's College. It is the second oldest sport participated in at the College with a tradition that spans 70 years. House Athletics Carnivals began in 1935, seven years after the founding of the College.

At the interschool level, Athletics at the College has been part of the Independent Sporting Association Competition since 1990.

The Athletics season comprises a series of invitational carnivals run by affiliated Colleges from the GPS and CAS Systems. Traditionally, these carnivals take place at The Sydney International Athletics Centre, Homebush or ES Marks at Moore Park. Our season concludes with the ISA Championships held late in Term 3. Our successful athletes from these Championships are selected to represent ISA at the Combined Independent Schools (CIS) Championships. Further success sees them selected in the NSW CIS Team to compete at the NSW All Schools' Championships, with State and National selection a further possibility.

Training

Training for Athletics is broken down into four disciplines; sprints, middle distance, jumps and throws. Squad members are trained by specialist coaches and take part in two, ninety minute sessions per week. Some of our more experienced athletes are offered additional training sessions in the form of strength training to complement their on-field efforts.

Cross-Country

A once forgotten sport at the College, Cross-Country has made a resurgence in recent years. This has mainly been due to the drive and passion of a long serving member of staff, Mr G. Noyes, himself an avid runner.

The ISA Championships are traditionally held at the end of Term 1.

The Waterford Mile is another significant athletic event on the College's sporting calendar, named after Waterford in Ireland, the birthplace of the first Christian Brothers' School. Its foundation is in the tradition of the famous Oxford Mile run around the campus at Oxford University and immortalised in the classic film "Chariots of Fire."

This prestigious annual event was introduced in 1996 by Headmaster, Mr Grahame Smollett, to recognise the beatification of the Blessed Edmund Rice. The race is a handicap event open to boys across all years. A much sort after prize, the race is run annually on Founder's Day, with the winner having their name etched on the famed Waterford Crystal trophy.

Training
On returning to school after the holidays, squad members train twice a week, running between 6 and 10 kilometres a session around the surrounding suburbs of Strathfield and Homebush. A favoured training run is a jog down to the Olympic precinct at Homebush where the boys tackle the boardwalk at Bicentennial Park.