Sam Timmins (13) will contest the shot put, discus, high jump and hurdles and Ali Cooper (13) the discus, shot put, 100m and long jump.
They typify the families of many great New Zealand sportsmen who encourage their offspring to excel at sport.
This is the fifth time the annual Colgate Games have been held in Dunedin and a record 905 athletes have registered for the event, which starts at the Caledonian Ground today.
There are 140 officials and helpers volunteering their time for the three-day event.
National president Rodger Brickland said athletes from the North Island regularly competed at the South Island Colgate event and athletes from the South Island also travelled to the North Island.
Brickland is a member of the Eastern Club at Auckland, which has a national membership record of 670 children.
Foundation member and life member Graham Vivian, of Christchurch, said the Colgate Games first appeared as a mini-Olympics in 1973, just before the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch.
The success of the early games led to the formation of the New Zealand Children's Athletics Association in 1978.
Vivian spelt out the reason for the growing success of the event.
"We move the North Island and South Island events around the country each year and new people and parents are involved and this increases the enthusiasm," he said.
Vivian said the Colgate Games were good for New Zealand athletics because they built a bigger base for the sport.
"There is also a rub-off for other sports like netball, rugby, rugby league and other sports, because track and field is a base activity for all sports," he said.
Promising athletes expected to excel over the next three days are Harry Marks (Auckland) in the sprints and throws, Fletcher Geeves (Wellington) in the 400m, Samantha McAuley (Otago) and Briana Wilson (Canterbury) in the 100m and Josh Brown (Otago) in the 800m and 1500m.
Other Otago athletes to watch are Meg McKay (high jump), Chris McNoe (400m and 800m), George Woodhouse (hurdles and 100m) and the Hill City 4 x 100m relay team of McNoe, Woodhouse, Josh Vou and Sam Watson.
Events start at 9.30am and continue until 6pm today and tomorrow and 5pm on Sunday.
