Jasper Thomas eyes his best Stawell Gift yet

Date: 13th March 2025

For Newcastle sprinter Jasper Thomas, the Powercor Stawell Gift is more than just a race, it’s a stage where the best professional runners push themselves to the limit, and he’s ready to deliver his best performance yet.

Lining up for his third appearance at Central Park, Thomas has already made his mark at Stawell, reaching the final of the Arthur Postle 70m last year.  Now, with a strong season behind him and what he hopes will be a competitive handicap, he’s ready to take on the iconic 120m sprint.

“This season has been great. Taking an early win at Lancefield allowed me to move forward 0.75m to my final Gift mark,” Jasper said. “Since then, I’ve been competing in 70m races, including Newcastle and Beachside, finishing third in both.”

With training under coach Dan Burgess and alongside training partners Luke Eckford and Hugh Sharman, Jasper has fine-tuned his preparation for the Easter weekend showdown.

“We all have different goals and are working towards them in our own way, which has been great to see,” he said.

When asked about his mindset heading into the biggest event on the pro running calendar, Jasper kept it simple.

“My thoughts on winning Stawell this year are quite simple: I’m ready to put my best performance down come Easter weekend,” he said. “If that performance is better than everyone else’s, then I will win. I could hope for nothing less than my best, and if it etches my name in the history books of the Stawell Gift, then I will be one happy man.”

Jasper, who describes himself as someone who “lives and breathes training, both on and off the track,” believes the biggest threats will come from those runners who have already won a Gift this season.

“Some of the best watches will be those on marks in the higher range -7m, 8m, and 9m,” he said.

As for the growing excitement around the entry of Gout Gout, one of Australia’s fastest young sprinters, Jasper is embracing the opportunity to go head-to-head with an elite competitor.

“I think it will be great for publicity,” he said. “Personally, I’d like to say I’ve raced him and won, so if we pull each other in a heat, semi, or even the final, that would be a cool race to be a part of.”

Even after multiple appearances at Stawell, the event continues to captivate Jasper, reinforcing why it remains such an integral part of Australian athletics.

“My impression of Stawell hasn’t changed. Each year, I’ve been exposed to a great weekend of racing with some intense moments,” he said. “That’s what draws me in the most, those moments where everything comes to a halt, the crowd watches in silence, and everyone hopes for their desired outcome.”

For Jasper Thomas, this year is all about delivering his best race yet and if everything falls into place, he just might leave Central Park with his name etched into Stawell Gift history.

Photos thanks to Neil Jameson, VAL photographer

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