Master athletes get on track for champs

Bunbury race walker Lyn Ventris spoke at an event held to mark one year until the World Masters Athletics Championships begins in Perth.

Ventris spoke on behalf of athletes and said the championships were a chance for all WA athletes to compete in a world class event.

She also said the event was "exciting" and believed it was a great opportunity to showcase Perth and WA to spectators and an expected 4000 athletes from around the world.

Ventris plans to compete in the 5000m track walk and 10km and 20km road walks in the championships.

The event will feature a race of athletic disciplines aimed at competitors aged more than 35.

World Masters Athletics president Stan Perkins said he was excited to bring the championships to Perth and had been surprised by the interest in people coming from around the world to compete.

It will be held at two stadiums across Perth, the WA Athletics Stadium in Mt Claremont and Ern Clark Athletics Centre in Cannington, from October 26 and is the first time WA has hosted the event.

Melbourne and Brisbane are the other Australian cities to have hosted the event, in 1987 and 2001 respectively.