With 2,650 athletes attending, the 2025 BC High School Track & Field Provincial Championships at Langley's McLeod Athletic Park is the largest high school track meet in the country, according to meet competition director Andrew Lenton.
"This is about the biggest track meet that they'll [participants] ever see, just simply because of the sheer size, and scale, and it's also run like a national championship" Lenton told the Langley Advance Times, as the countdown to the June 5-7 event entered it's final hours on Wednesday.
"I think we're just slightly larger than the Ontario High School Championship."
In addition to the athletes, "we're also talking about 400 or 500 coaches and then 1,000 spectators," Lenton added.
"We've got officials from the provincial association, I believe there's about 40 of them supporting the events, we've got well over 100 volunteer officials and then there's more volunteers working on set up, take down, and concession. And then there's B.C. School Sports staff supporting the event with merchandise, and their partners."
With all of its upgrades and a supportive Langley Township, McLeod is the "most attractive" choice in the Lower Mainland for hosting such a large scale track event, Lenton commented.
"The event host is able to do a lot more at the facility to offer more services to people who are viewing [online], to spectators who come, to athletes."
Admission is $10 a day, and for that price, spectators can expect to see outstanding performances by up and coming athletes.
"It's the pinnacle of their high school career," Lenton observed.
"You will not find, in my view, a finer track meet across the country at this level," Lenton maintained. "In all of these events, we've got the top kids in the province."
Many in the senior divisions will go on to collegiate careers, with universities across North America, both Canada and the U.S., Lenton noted.
"For example, the senior boys' 100, I would not be surprised if there is six or more athletes or five or more athletes (finishing) under 11 seconds. Just last weekend, we had a couple of high school athletes running 10.6. We've seen other athletes run 10.7, 10.8." Lenton reported.
"We're getting all that talent in one place under ideal, warm conditions. So there's going be some really exciting events."
Lenton, head coach of the Langlely Mustangs club, expects local competitors will do well.
"We've got a few athletes from R.E. Mountain who are really outstanding and kind of expect them to medal at the event, " Lenton predicted.
"I think it's our junior grade, and especially the women who are going to really shine, potentially, at this event."
