Stawell Gift

It is the main event in an annual carnival held on Easter weekend by the Stawell Athletic Club, with the main race finals on the holiday Monday, at Central Park, Stawell in the Grampian Mountains district of western Victoria.

As of 2016[update] the carnival encompasses events for both men and women of all ages and abilities, across distances from 70 to 3,200 metres.

[1] The final of the iconic main race is run on grass over 120 metres up a slight gradient.

In 2021, branded as the "Powercor Stawell Gift", the race was run at its usual Easter long weekend dates on 3–5 April.

The Stawell Gift began in 1878 at the end of the gold rush, as the "Easter Gift" of £24 (several thousands in today's dollars) conducted by the Stawell Athletic Club in a program of seven races, most run in multiple heats.

[4] Originally it was the townspeople putting together an entertainment package to happen over Easter, complete with 'special trains' to the event.

[11] In 2010 the Gift track was found to be around 3 metres too long, with times much slower than expected during the heats.

The handicapper works out what mark or handicap the runner will have according to their previous performances in sprint events.

Race winners are often those that are able to "beat the handicapper", in that they need to perform well enough to qualify for the event and the finals, but below what they are truly capable of, so that they receive a handicap that gives them the best chance of a victory.

"Bill" Millard (1855–1939), a farmer from Condah, Victoria,[55] who reputedly trained by chasing kangaroos.

On 14 February 2001, after much discussion about moving the event to Docklands Stadium in Melbourne, Premier Steve Bracks announced on ABC Local Radio that the Gift would be staying in Stawell and the State Government's $40,000 contribution would continue.

He said the club would investigate and exhaust all other options to ensure the survival of Australia's most famous footrace.