Beyond Victoria: how the Powercor Stawell Gift became a national, and global, race

Date: 13th April 2026

For 147 years, the Stawell Gift has been one of Victoria’s great sporting traditions, a race defined by history, pride and a regional town at Easter.

But it has never been exclusively Victorian. Interstate athletes have always travelled to Central Park and won. International winners, too, are part of the race’s folklore, including the famed Madagascan “Ravelo” victory off scratch in 1975.

What’s changed is the scale. In recent years, the Gift is no longer just Victoria’s, it’s something bigger. Interstate athletes aren’t just part of the field; they’re shaping it. South Australians have won the Powercor Stawell Gift the past two years, while the women’s title has gone north to the Gold Coast, and now overseas, with American sprint star Sha’Carri Richardson taking victory and pushing the race onto the global stage.

So how do the athletes feel about it?

From ownership to opportunity

For Victorian athletes, the idea of “ownership” still exists, but it’s evolving.

Jake Ireland, runner-up of the Powercor Stawell Gift this year, sees the race less as a state possession and more as a global stage. “Stawell is the pro racing equivalent of a world champs, anyone from any part of the world can come to the country town of Stawell and give it a crack. As Victorians, we’re obviously very lucky to have the Stawell Gift in our home state but I feel Stawell is for anyone.” 

That sentiment reflects a broader shift. Where once it may have felt like a Victorian stronghold, today it’s increasingly seen as an open arena. 

Halle Martin, from Ballarat, still feels the pull of history. “There’s definitely a sense of pride. Stawell feels like ours in a way because of the history and tradition,” she said. “But once you’re on the start line it doesn’t actually matter where you’re from. You still have to run well enough to earn it.” 

That balance sits at the heart of the modern Powercor Stawell Gift.

Rivalry, not resentment

If interstate success has changed the dynamic, it hasn’t created any real divide. Among Victorian athletes, it tends to be met less with resentment and more with a sharpened competitive edge. “Interstate success is actually vital to the health of the sport,” said Victorian Dion Paull. “Similar to team sports when winning away from home can be used as motivation. You have a lot of respect for the interstate guys that commit to regular trips as part of the preparation for Stawell, but it can be satisfying to fend off the challengers and send them home empty handed.

“And likewise, when Victorian squads travel to other big interstate carnivals like Bay Sheffield and Burnie – you certainly feel like the locals are desperate to win their home Gift and find a little bit extra,” Paull added.

He believes the rise of interstate winners only adds to the prestige. “It upholds its status as a major event with the capacity to attract interstate and international athletes. Winners from outside of Victoria provide optimism that the goal is attainable and ultimately sees more race entrants and a bigger event.”

Halle Martin agrees the presence of interstate athletes has lifted expectations.

“It definitely creates a healthy rivalry and lifts the standard because you know you can’t just rely on tradition or home ground. You actually have to be good enough.” 

For Jesse McKenna, originally from WA but now living in Melbourne, the respect goes even deeper. “I’ve got huge respect for the interstate runners, they spend more money, more time, and make bigger sacrifices just to get to Central Park,” he said. “When someone’s flown across the country and still beats you, you can’t exactly blame the preparation.” 

Adelaide’s Taylah Spackman emphasises how welcoming the Victorian Athletic League (VAL) athletes are and sees the potential for professional racing nationwide and further. “It would be hugely beneficial for the whole country to come together in a state-versus-state format, similar to national track meets. With the attention Australian sprinting is getting – and now athletes like Richardson and Coleman coming over – pro running could grow into something really big, even globally.”

A stronger field, a better race

The biggest impact of interstate and international participation isn’t just who wins, but who watches.

“It’s part of the sport’s evolution,” said Jake Ireland. We all want to see the prize money grow, but that only happens if the sport keeps expanding and attracting wider attention. Having athletes like Gout Gout, Lachlan Kennedy and Bree Rizzo involved brings more people through the gates and more eyes on the sport and hopefully makes others want to come and race at Stawell.”

Last year’s Powercor Stawell Gift winner John Evans from Adelaide, who held off Gout Gout in the semis, relished the competition that elite amateur athletes brought to the event in 2025, despite suffering some negativity. “It was definitely interesting. It’s clear I upset a lot of people, there were some hate comments and even a few threats. However, the opportunity to race against Gout and such a competitive field was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, something I’ll be able to look back on and remember for years to come,” said John.

Todd Ireland, a veteran coach, has seen the shift firsthand. Interstate athletes now travel more frequently, race more often in Victoria, and compete throughout the season, not just at Easter.

“We’re seeing a lot more of the interstate runners competing on the circuit than we did say 10 years ago. Back then, they’d just turn up at Easter, now they’re here earlier in the season, chasing a lift and trying to lock in their mark for Stawell. It’s made the racing more transparent. In the old days, no one wanted to show their hand. Now you see them around more often, many are friends, and at the end of the day, you can’t begrudge anyone wanting to win a Stawell sash.”

That has translated into deeper, more competitive fields, something athletes across the board recognise.

“The stronger and more diverse the field, the better it is for the sport and for the event,” McKenna said. And with that depth comes greater meaning.

Jake Ireland puts it simply: “Winning at Stawell means even more when you know you’ve out-raced competitors from every corner of Australia.” 

The prestige factor

If there was ever concern that interstate dominance might dilute the Stawell Gift’s identity, athletes say the opposite has happened. It has enhanced it.

“The growing number of interstate winners only adds to the prestige of the Stawell Gift,” Ireland said. “It reinforces the event’s national significance and raises the overall standard of competition.” 

McKenna agrees the perception of the race has shifted. “Instead of it feeling like a purely Victorian event, it shows that it’s big enough, and prestigious enough, for athletes to travel from all over the country to a small town just to compete.” 

And now, with Sha’Carri Richardson’s victory and global media coverage, that prestige has extended beyond Australia’s borders. The Powercor Stawell Gift is no longer just a domestic meeting. It’s an international showpiece.

What it means beyond Victoria

For interstate athletes, that shift has already been realised. Brendan Matthews, who made a record fifth final this year is from the ACT, and sees no divide between Victorian and interstate runners, only a shared goal. “It is the pinnacle race of our sport, everyone wants to win it,” he said. 

And importantly, the race no longer feels like stepping into someone else’s territory.

“With so many winners coming from all states and territories, Stawell has a way of making athletes feel like they’re on home turf too,” Brendan said.

That sense of belonging, regardless of postcode, is central to the Gift’s evolution.

The interstate perspective

For Newcastle’s Jasper Thomas, runner-up in 2025, the shift is exactly what makes the race special.

“From an interstate perspective, you don’t see Stawell as ‘their race’ – you see it as the race,” Thomas said. “If anything, the fact Victorians have built something this iconic is what makes you want to be part of it.”

And with the field now stronger than ever, the stakes have only grown. “When you line up now, knowing you’re racing the best from every state, and even internationally, it just makes it mean more,” he said. “If anything, it’s harder to win now, and that’s exactly why everyone wants it more.

“The introduction of world class athletes like Sha’Carri and Coleman are incredible for the sport, it will invite growth and opportunity to the event in the coming years, not to mention other world class athletes that watch on and will want to have their turn! For the majority of these VAL athletes to walk away from a competition and say they shared the track with athletes of that calibre is invaluable.

“It is not made easy for the invitational athletes to win, they must appear in near top shape to be a chance at taking the win, thus creating special moments for the sport such as Sha’Carri’s recent performance.

“I would love for each state to begin embracing some rivalry – I personally love it when I hear the names of non-Victorians making finals and taking wins. It creates another element to the weekend and for those athletes to race for even more than themselves and their squads.

“I’ve always pictured the idea of a Victorian vs the rest type of event that really takes to the idea of rivalry between states, maybe even a relay event!”

A race in a strong place

The Stawell Gift hasn’t lost its Victorian identity. It still carries the history, the community, and the atmosphere that make it unique. But it has outgrown its borders.

Interstate athletes have strengthened it. International stars have amplified it. The Powercor Stawell Gift isn’t just Victoria’s race anymore. It’s everyone’s. And right now, it’s as strong as it has ever been.

Main image: Adelaide’s Olufemi Komolafe just manages to hold off third time finalist Jake Ireland from Melbourne in the final of the 2026 Powercor Stawell Gift.

Comments are closed.