Athletics Bendigo's track and field season bounds into action this Saturday at the Latrobe University Bendigo athletics complex in Retreat Road, Flora Hill.

The first events in the Athletics Victoria Shield program will be run at 1.30pm.

A big afternoon of track events will include 60m, 200m, 800m, long hurdles, 1500m or 3000m walk, 3000m run, and relays.

Field events include hammer throw, high jump, triple jump, and discus.

Athletics Bendigo general manager Craig Green said it would be an exciting year for the organisation, with Little Athletics now coming under the umbrella of Athletics Bendigo.

Under 9 to 15 athletes will hit the track a day earlier from 5pm Friday, with under 6, 7 and 8 athletes starting at 8.30am Saturday.

Green said the senior competition was very family-oriented, with many senior athletes, including himself, participating against their children.

“There’s lot of families where mothers and daughters and fathers and daughters or sons all compete on the one day,” he said.

“The sport is one of the few where brothers, sisters everyone can get involved, which is a lot different to other sports with age brackets.

“The other thing that needs to be stressed about senior competition is it is based on ability. No matter how fast or slow you are, you are always running or doing field events against someone your standard.

“A lot of people think athletics is elitist, but it’s not.

“There are runners who run like a normal fun-runner and they compete against people of a similar standard, and then we have elite runners as well.”

More than 650 athletes are expected to hit the track this weekend, including 450 Little Athletes.

The season runs through to March.