Kayla Montagner’s Stawell dream: From the Far North to Australia’s richest footrace

Date: 1st April 2025

Kayla Montagner’s Stawell dream: From the Far North to Australia’s richest footrace

For Far North Queensland sprinter Kayla Montagner, the Powercor Stawell Gift is a tradition, a passion, and an annual pilgrimage. Despite living nearly 3,000 kilometers from Central Park, the 27-year-old will return to Stawell this Easter for the sixth time, chasing a dream that has been building since her first appearance in 2019.

Kayla, who was a finalist in the 2021 Change Our Game Women’s Gift, still gets goosebumps watching the footage of that race. “Winning my semi-final didn’t even feel real,” she recalls. “By the time the final came around, I was still in shock.” Now, after a season focused on strength, endurance, and injury prevention, she’s determined to make another final, this time with her sights set on the ultimate prize.

A strong season and a strategic win

Kayla’s 2024-25 season started with a regional competition in September before she transitioned back into the professional ranks. Her biggest moment came at the Mortlake Gift, where she claimed victory and secured a crucial lift for Stawell. “Winning Mortlake wasn’t exactly planned, but it was a huge relief,” she says. “It gave me a chance to focus on building speed and endurance leading into Easter. And getting myself a pretty sash to display at home had been a 2024 goal!”

Her training has evolved significantly over the years. Once known for her rustic, countryside workouts, Kayla now incorporates a mix of gym sessions and track training, guided by a personal trainer and exercise scientist. “The farm workouts still happen, but I don’t film them as much,” she laughs. “Having structured gym training has really changed me physically and mentally.”

The thrill of the chase

Kayla often starts as a backmarker, chasing down the field. “It’s a completely different feeling from track,” she explains. “I lost my spark at one point, but pro running helped me find it again. There’s something about the thrill of the chase, it lights a fire under me.

“My mother always said having to chase in a race, and prize money on the line, always made me run that bit faster,” laughed Kayla.

Her return to amateur racing has been more measured, with a focus on local Queensland competitions and a recent appearance at the state championships after a three-year absence. But Stawell remains the ultimate stage. 

“I have faith that I can (make the final again). I did it once which means I can absolutely do it again and hopefully 2025 is the year I do.

“Winning the Stawell Gift would be a dream come true,” she says. “To come from the Far North and take out Australia’s richest race, it’s hard to put into words what that would mean.”

The road to Stawell

Home for Kayla is Dimbulah, 2hrs west of Cairns, where her family runs a farm of mangoes, lemons and limes.  Travelling to Stawell is no easy feat. The cost of flights and accommodation adds up, but Kayla sees it as a necessary investment. “I need to race against the best and get used to Victoria’s unpredictable weather,” she says. “Easter Monday always has a surprise in store.”

Kayla works as an exercise physiologist four days a week inside World Gym Cairns and enjoys gaming, napping “can never have too much sleep as an athlete”, travelling and reading. She also coaches junior athletics. “I coach sprints once a week to a group of little superstars that want to beat all my times,” Kayla laughed.

With just weeks to go, her focus is on fine-tuning speed, staying injury-free, and embracing the challenge ahead. “The quality of women running this year is phenomenal,” she says. “I’ll need to bring my A-game.”

Main image: Neil Jameson

Kayla with her Mortlake Gift trophy:

 

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