When you think of athletics, Aidan Murphy could be the Central Cast athlete.
Tall, strong, and extremely fit – Murphy is built to play the role of a track star. Even now in 2026, he’s not just playing that role, he’s living it. His most recent achievement – the 200/400m double at the OFC Championships – was the culmination of an impressive domestic season in which he achieved personal bests in the 100, 200 and 400m.
In the 400 metres, Murphy came within six hundredths of a second of Darren Clarke’s national record of 44.38 which placed fourth at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games (Clarke’s second consecutive fourth place finish in the Olympic 400 metres). He followed that 44.44-second performance with a 20.05-second win in the 200m, confirming Murphy’s breakthrough time of 19.88 seconds in the gout’s chase for the national title.
Between the nationals and the Oceania champions, Murphy had a brilliant final with Luke van Ratingen, Rhys Holder and Tom Reynolds and broke the national record by taking a bronze medal in the 4 x 400 at the World Championships in Athletics. It has been a redemption trip for Murphy as the Australian team was denied a national record at last year’s World Championships after being disqualified for having a toe on the wrong side of the change zone.
This harsh but just judgment could perhaps be read as a metaphor for Murphy’s career up to that point. Because he is such an incredible talent — he competed in the 200 meters at the 2022 world championships in Eugene aged just 18 — Murphy seemed to struggle to turn promise into achievement. Running out in the 200m heats in Eugene was one thing, but a month later at the U20 World Championships, he crashed out in the semifinals while teammate Calab Lu took bronze in the final. Murphy had beaten Low to win the 200 meters at the Oceania Championships that year.
Murphy also bowed out of the 200m qualifier at the world championships in Budapest in 2023. He missed Olympic selection in 2024, and despite improving by 20.54 seconds, he again fell out of the 200m qualifier at the world championships in Tokyo last year. Then the relay disaster.
Another athlete might have exited the sport disappointed, but Murphy responded with a great start to 2026. At the end of 2025, his personal best in the 400m was 45.97. He ran 45.12 at a South Australian interclub meeting in January and then jumped into the sub-45 range with a 44.81 at the same competition in February.
Another best result – this time 10.23 for the 100 meters – brought him the South Australian state title. Murphy ran the 100m as he was heading towards the 200m at the Adelaide Invitational meeting a week later against a field that included Reece Holder and Diamond League 400 final winner Jacorey Patterson of the USA.
Adelaide, with its dry and hot summers, usually provides favorable conditions for racing, but this time racers faced a cool evening with a headwind of 1.3 meters per second straight. Murphy impressively pulled away in the straight to win in a time of 20.43 from Holder with Patterson finishing fourth.
Paterson responded to win the 400 meters in Melbourne a week later in a time of 44.44 seconds, sweeping his local rivals off their feet. Murphy finished fifth, but only a tenth of a second behind second-placed Van Ratingen, 45.03 to 45.23.
At nationals and gout’s thunderclap performance – 19.67 seconds, an under-20 world record. Murphy pushed him down the straight until the final meters before finishing second in a time of 19.88 seconds in a race in which the top seven ran personal bests.
Can you go unnoticed while running 19.88 for 200 metres? Maybe it was Murphy. This is what we might call it Gout effect At this time. For reasons that are well understood, gout sucks oxygen from the air whenever and wherever it runs. He won’t turn 19 until Dec. 29, and his main goal this year will be the 200 meters at the World Under-20 Championships in Eugene. He begins his European schedule with a 150 against Noah Lyles in Ostrava on June 16.
Murphy will be targeting the 200m at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, so each pair will have their own space. His Commonwealth competition could be led by Olympic 200 champion Letsil Tebogo. Whatever it is, the level of competition on the track will be high in all events.
Given his form during the domestic season and in the world relay races, Aidan Murphy could be ready to deliver on his undoubted potential.
