sport
Brisbane High School Athletics Participation Surges, Reshaping Local Fitness Culture
Fresh figures from the past school year highlight rising student involvement in track and field and point to broader changes in how Brisbane residents approach daily activity.
How we reported this
Brisbane high schools recorded athletics participation at 68 percent of Year 7 to 12 students during the 2025-2026 academic year, up from 56 percent two years earlier, according to Queensland Department of Education data released on 3 July.
The increase arrives amid citywide efforts to boost youth activity levels after the 2024 national health survey showed one in three Brisbane teenagers fell short of recommended weekly exercise targets. School terms now overlap with expanded access to public facilities, which has encouraged more families to treat athletics as a regular habit rather than an occasional event.
Programs at specific Brisbane sites
Brisbane State High School on Vulture Street in South Brisbane added three extra training squads this year and reported 420 students competing in inter-school meets. At the same time the Brisbane City Council’s Active Schools program, run from New Farm Park on Oxlade Drive, signed up 1,800 participants from eight nearby high schools between February and June.
These sites sit within walking distance of major transport links, which has cut travel barriers for students from West End and Teneriffe. The council charges $45 per term for the New Farm sessions, a figure that has stayed steady since the program began in 2023.
Numbers and daily habits
Department figures also show that 12,400 students logged at least one athletics event in the first half of 2026, compared with 9,800 in the same period of 2024. Average weekly training hours per participant rose from 2.8 to 3.6, suggesting the extra numbers reflect genuine commitment rather than one-off sign-ups. Schools in inner-north suburbs posted the largest gains, while outer-south campuses recorded smaller but steady climbs.
Parents looking to support continued growth can register students directly through school sports coordinators or the Brisbane City Council website for the next term of park-based sessions, which opens on 20 July.