Pearson is the headline act for the championships, with the three-day meet at the AIS track starting Thursday week, along with Australia's fastest ever woman Melissa Breen (100 metres), Lauren Wells (400m hurdles), Kelsey-Lee Roberts (javelin) and Paralympic world champions Jayden Sawyer, Scott Reardon and Cameron Crombie.

It will also act as a final tune-up for the Commonwealth Games selection trials on the Gold Coast about two weeks later.

The AIS track is widely regarded as the fastest in Australia and with athletes looking for last-minute Commonwealth Games qualifying times - nominations for the trials close on Monday - last year's entries of 600 was expected to jump to 750 for this year's ACT champs.

Pearson's also expected to pull a big crowd as the reigning 100m hurdles world champion and 2012 Olympic Games gold medallist continued her extraordinary comeback from injury that saw her miss the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.

Athletics ACT executive officer James Kaan said her return to the world pinnacle made her an inspiration to many Australians.

At this stage, Pearson wasn't entered to run in the 100m - which would pit her against Canberra star Breen.

"The crowd that Sally can attract it's almost Usain Bolt-like in terms of what she's done for athletics in Australia," Kaan said.

"She's just phenomenal. Coming back from that injury that saw her miss the Olympics to win world champs last year, people find her quite inspirational.

"The opportunity to see her race here - generally when she's come out in the last couple of years she's posted a pretty quick time in the hurdles."

Athletics Australia was funding "60 per cent" of the events at the ACT championships, which combined with the looming Comm Games on the Gold Coast in April accounted for the big fields.

"The endorsement that AA has put on it with the travel funding has meant that we get the best of the best wanting to come and race here," Kaan said.

"You've got the athletes who are still trying to secure a qualifier, which you need obviously before the trials, and the close of the nominations for the Australian trial is on the Monday after our championships - so it's literally the last meet prior to the trials where you can secure a qualifier.

"Also, those like Sally Pearson and co, who have got qualifiers, they want to come out and race on the fastest track in Australia."

Kaan said it meant they had several mouth-watering events, beyond just Pearson up against Michelle Jenneke.

???Both the men's and women's 800m was packed with talent - including Canberra's Brittany McGowan and Aussie under-18 record holder Keely Small - while Breen will go up against young-gun Riley Day.

Kaan said Roberts was the second-best performed javelin thrower in the world last year and she'll go up against Kathryn Mitchell.

"She made the final [at the worlds in London and] had probably one of her best seasons last year as an overall," he said.

"I think she finished the year ranked second best in terms of overall performance throughout the year in the world."

Meanwhile, Wheelchair Sports NSW are holding the Canberra international track meet as part of their Summer Down Under series at the AIS track this weekend.