All Roads Lead to Easter: Murray Emerson Previews the 2026 Powercor Stawell Gift

Date: 4th February 2026

As Easter approaches, anticipation is steadily building for the Powercor Stawell Gift, with the pro athletics sport’s most famous meeting set to light up western Victoria from April 4–6.

Chair of Stawell Gift Event Management Murray Emerson says excitement around this year’s carnival remains strong, even with a slightly altered landscape on the athletics calendar.

While the timing with both the Maurie Plant Meet and the Australian Championships is expected to limit some elite athlete participation, Emerson believes the quality of competition will remain exceptionally high.

The strength of Australia’s domestic professional circuit, he says, ensures the Powercor Stawell Gift will again attract elite-level talent with genuine winning credentials.

As always, the final shape of the fields will only become clear once entries close and handicaps are announced. However, Emerson notes that the traditional lead-up events provide a reliable guide as to who is peaking at the right time. Races at the Beachside, Maryborough and Rye Gifts in particular often offer clear indicators of form as athletes build toward what remains the ultimate prize on the professional calendar.

“The Powercor Stawell Gift is the grand final of Gifts,” Emerson says, describing the race as the richest and most prestigious target of the season for professional runners across the country.

This year’s carnival will also see the arrival of a new major supporter, with long-standing family business Krause Bricks joining the event as a key sponsor. The locally owned company will lend its name to the Invitational Backmarkers 120-metre race, a highlight traditionally staged between the men’s and women’s Gift finals.

The race is held in memory of Chris Perry, whereby back marker athletes who have either won previously or shown outstanding carnival form but narrowly missed qualification for the six-runner Gift final get a chance to race for the Chris Perry Memorial Trophy and more than $5,000 in prize money , ensuring an extra layer of drama on the sport’s biggest day.

On the programme itself, entries are tracking strongly across the board, while a new event is generating early excitement: a 300m Women’s Masters race, which Emerson says has already attracted significant interest and will be promoted as a feature contest.

With Easter falling slightly earlier than in recent years, Emerson is also confident spectators will be greeted by ideal conditions.

“I can promise the weather will be fantastic,” he says, backing the earlier timing to deliver a picturesque long weekend for athletes and visitors alike.

Preparations on the ground are well underway, with the Stawell Athletic Club working behind the scenes to ensure the historic track is ready and the carnival runs seamlessly.

Ultimately, Emerson says the enduring appeal of the Stawell Gift lies in its unique mix of expectation and opportunity. “Hundreds of athletes come in believing they can win the two major races of the weekend,” he says. “But at the end of the day, only two will – one man and one woman.”

With anticipation high, entries strong and momentum building across the circuit, all signs point to another memorable Easter in Stawell as Australia’s most famous footrace takes centre stage once again.

 

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