ATHLETES from a local running club are preparing to enter Australia’s richest footrace as their 2024-2025 Victorian Athletic League season draws to a close.
Last year Seymour athlete, Cooper Lubeck, finished in first place across the Northern Grampians Shire Council Handicap 800M event on 1:53.445 seconds, while Olivia Attard, finished third in the Official Supporters Club Frontmarkers Handicap 1600M event on 4:0.035 seconds.
Coach Kelvin Lubeck is looking forward to the 2025 Stawell Gift.
“It’s the grand final of running events,” he said.
“Throughout the year there are 18-20 meets across Victoria, including the return of the Seymour Gift, and then there’s Braybrook, a week off then Ringwood, and then the Stawell Gift. There’s a career in competing.
“We are all running with a handicap at the Seymour Running Club,” Lubeck said.
The team are training at Kings Park in Seymour on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5.30pm in preparation.
The Stawell Gift is Australia’s oldest and richest short distance running race. As of 2016, the carnival encompasses events for both men and women of all ages and abilities, across distances from 70 to 3,200 metres.
The Gift is the main event held across the Easter long weekend by the Stawell Athletic Club, attracting entrants from across Victoria for an equal opportunity at the lucrative first prize of $40,000.
The total carnival prize money amounts to more than $155,000 in cold hard cash. Once again athletes from Seymour’s KELFIT will be at the starting line and hoping to take home some prize money.
The 143rd Stawell Gift will be held at Central Park in Stawell over Saturday, April 19 to Monday, April 21. The ‘gift’ will also be streamed live and free on 7PLUS for all three days of the carnival with coverage commencing 5-minutes prior to the first race of each day.
