Ballarat Gift in Ballarat, Victoria | Sporting event

Ballarat Gift

Locality: Ballarat, Victoria

Phone: +61 400 337 575

Address: City Oval 3350 Ballarat, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.ballaratgift.com

Likes: 909

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Sporting event

24.01.2022 Dash for Sash 400m Finals at 11.50am tomorrow.

23.01.2022 People of Pro Running - Courtesy of David Griffin With a short season and everyone hunkering down caught in the fog of a global pandemic, I thought celebrating ...a few personalities of the VAL might be in order. This story has been written in the style of ‘Humans from New York’, or in the first person, and is a great yarn about a bloke who once went ‘toe to toe’ with the Heavyweight champion of Pentridge prison. Whilst that’s a true story for another time, 67-year-old Richard Wearmouth is a great supporter of the sport. The brother of Ron, the Collingwood 1970s cult figure, and the backbone of the Warrnambool Gift, Wearmouth is a hardened veteran of the circuit. Having won the prestigious Masters 300 metres at Bendigo this season, he is seen at almost every meeting with his partner Gill and is always good for a chat. Episode 1: Richard Wearmouth I grew up in Terang and a little place six kilometres away called Noorat. I was on a dairy farm. I lived in Terang for twenty five years and I have now lived in Warrnambool for seven years. I played different sports. Probably played about a thousand games of basketball. Played and coached the Terang Tornadoes in state-wide competition. I trained and drove harness horses for 12 years. Had about fifteen winners. I played for Terang in Cricket. I was an opening bowler. I was always going to play footy. I started in the juniors at Terang and Noorat. Started seniors at Terang 16-year-old then drafted to Collingwood in 1970. In 1971 I broke an ankle and had glandular fever, so I was cut early in season. Collingwood asked me back in ‘72 but didn’t make list. I played about 21 reserve games overall. My dad played 100 games at Footscray, his father Frank played for Geelong and his brother Joe at St. Kilda. My brother Ron played 180 odd games for Collingwood. My father ran in the pro’s. I developed a love for the sport then. I first ran Pro’s in 1970 when I was at Collingwood football club. A few of us were sent to be coached by ex-Stawell gift winner Bill Twomey at Warringal Park Heidelberg. I ran in distances from 70m to 400m and won a few heats but no finals. I was off the novice mark. After long hiatus because of footy, I resumed running in the amateurs in 2002 and back in the pros in 2007/8. I love the atmosphere with the commentating, bookmaking, prize money and the handicapping. Pro running gives everyone a chance of sharing in the spoils. Even though I run ammo’s and Masters games etc, my preference is the Pro’s. The great part is the social aspect which my partner Gill and I enjoy. You are never sure who is going to win which provides more fun. I have had a few wins but winning the 120 and 300 metre double at Ballarat in 2016 was particularly satisfying. I won several Australian titles in the amateurs. I still have aspirations to be competitive in the VAL and I would love to win a race at Stawell one day but that may have eluded me. My aim is to be like legend Ricky Dunbar and still competitive at 80.

23.01.2022 PEOPLE OF PRO RUNNING - By David Griffin Professional athletics is a lot about family. Handed down over generations, kids spend hours with pro running parents a...t far flung ovals all around the state. Almost like osmosis, the sport infuses itself into family life. Listening to mum and dad talk about race tactics, injuries, new stretches and training is typical dinner table conversation. Family holidays and weekends away are planned around race meetings and for Pro running families there is only one place to be at Easter. 47 year old Sue Anderson has been running since she was a kid. For the mother of three, Pro athletics is a family affair and it’s the reason she loves it. Introduced to the sport by her father, she now competes against her daughter Cleo and has two more children embarking on Pro running careers. A published author, Anderson has an interesting view on a sport that becomes a ‘rusted on’ part of life for many families. EPISODE 13: SUE ANDERSON The last two seasons I ran some women's 400m and was lucky enough to run against my 21 year old daughter Cleo in some heats, and also some finals. When we get the race program, I always hope I'm in her heat, and she always hopes she's not in my heat. I can't explain why this is so meaningful for me. It's a lot of fun, and while I hope she beats me at the same time I hope I beat her, just so I can stir her about it. Pro-running is a family affair for us. My 12 year old son, Jarvis Cartledge runs and next season my 11 year old daughter Jaz will join us. My husband Chris comes along to all the meets. He does all the driving, puts up the tent for us and keeps us sane and ready to race. He really is amazing in that he knows exactly what to say in support of us. I work as a coach, trainer, facilitator and speaker - my expertise is in resilience and figuring out people. I also deliver leadership programs, mainly around resilience and emotional intelligence. My first book was 'Unbullyable', was about how to be less affected by bullies. My second book, 'Unshakeable at Work' is about how to be less affected by grumpy customers. I've just started working on my third book, 'Feedback Readiness'. The books basically come from the workshops I run, so they are not hard to write. It's finding the time to pull them together that is the tricky bit. I've been competing in athletics since I was seven years old. I was 12 years of age when I won my first state title for hurdles. I set some state records. I finished second or third every year at Nationals but never won a National title. As a 17 year old, I had my heart set on competing at the World Junior Championships, and missed the qualifying by 7/100ths of a second. I was devastated. The same week I received a letter in the mail from an American University offering me a track scholarship. Unfortunately, I went from winning most races in Australia, to not even making finals at University meets. The competition was a lot tougher than I was used to. My confidence dropped - and in response, instead of working harder, I lost interest in competing. I started partying hard and eventually quit athletics all together. I travelled for six months, then returned to Australia (Ballarat) as a 20 year old. When I was young my Dad would take me to the Stawell Gift on Easter Monday. I was in running heaven, except there were no women's races (or hurdles!!). Even as a young child, I remember being annoyed that women were not 'allowed' to compete. I just couldn't understand it. Then one year we turned up and women were running! I first ran in the women's 120m gift (that was the only event for women), as a 17 year old, and finished fourth. I was hooked. After all those years of amateur racing- this 'Pro-running' was like a breath of fresh air. The smell of the grass, long spikes, the crowd running onto the field, hammering your blocks into the ground with those funny hammers. I absolutely loved it. I experienced some sexist comments and attitudes back then - I'm glad that is slowly changing. I could tell a few stories on the topic. I would like to help promote the sport to more women and encourage them to give pro-running a go. Over the last 30 years I've probably run about half the seasons. Injuries, three pregnancies and surgeries etc have kept me out some seasons. I've had some success, a Stawell sash for the women's 800m and a Bay Sheffield Masters 550m sash. I was lucky enough to run against Cathy Freeman at Stawell one year. As I've got older my motivation has changed from trying to win, to enjoying competing and keeping fit. Now I enjoy looking at the bigger picture. When the marks are released I love seeing who got pulled, who got a lift, who did and did not enter etc. I even have a spreadsheet! I see it as a giant game of chess played out over the season(s). This season I have loved making more connections with other Masters athletes and building relationships with them, learning about their backstories and admiring them just for having the courage to turn up and have a go. As a Masters athlete, it takes a bit to get your head around the fact that you used to be able to run faster. Training on my own suits me best as I have a crazy busy life with work. I travel a lot for work in regional Victoria so my challenge is to find a 'good' oval in small country towns, and avoid the footballers / cricket training times. I will keep running pros as long as I can. It's in my blood. If I'm up the Grampians way for work I'll always stop at the Stawell track - smell the grass, walk a lap and have a nervous wee :)

22.01.2022 PEOPLE OF PRO RUNNING - By David Griffin It's Easter Monday and it's all quiet in the small Victorian country town of Stawell. Easter 2020 isn’t what it was s...upposed to be. Covid-19 took care of that. Today would have marked the 30th anniversary of a great Australian sporting performance. Dean Capobianco is Australian sports royalty. Trained by Matt Barber, the Western Australian flyer came from nowhere to win the 1990 Stawell Gift, in a race many say is the best ever. In the spirit of great pro stories, Capobianco went into the weekend as an underdog. His camp were keen on the juicy odds offered at the Calcutta on Friday night and backed him to the hilt. In a plunge reminiscent of the early 1900s, the ‘Capo’ camp cleaned the Bookies out on Easter Monday, after he flew home in the last 30 metres to edge Tim Mason and Todd Ireland in a cracking race. With a long career in athletics, many remember Capobianco for his magnificent fifth in the 1993 World 200 metre Championships in Stuttgart. Leading into the straight, Capo was beaten by Frankie Fredricks, John Regis and Carl Lewis. Now 49 years of age, he reflects on a magnificent race and a career that started 30 years ago today, at Central Park Stawell. EPISODE 10: DEAN CAPOBIANCO "Bunbury Gift was my first professional foot race, and my first taste of pro running. I raced the Gift off about 6.5m and thought I'd won but looked across and realised that my training partner Kiaran Finn pipped me at the post. At the 1989 Stawell Gift, I was outrun by David Culbert (the famous French long jumper!) in the final stages of the semi-finals. How does a guy that started in front of me, run me down? That's right, I ran past him early and then he wound me in. I had aspirations of being a great 200m specialist, but being over-run by a long jumper (with all due respect to DC and all longer jumpers ), I realised that I had some work to do to fulfil my dreams. Stawell wasn't really on my radar until I started to get serious about running at 17 years of age. Pete O'Dwyer (or POD), who was the WA state 100m champion at that time was instrumental in my decision to get serious. Two weeks before the Stawell Gift was the 1990 National Championships in Melbourne. I knew I was thereabouts to challenge for my first senior Australian title. However, Rob Stone who was just off his fourth place over 400m in the Auckland Commonwealth Games, was in blistering form. Moments before the 200m Final call up, Stoney was nowhere to be seen. Was he injured? Did he warm up somewhere else? Did he sleep in? He was apparently caught in traffic on his way to the track - so he cranked up the heaters and stretched in the car. He just made the call up and then raced to victory in a swift 20.9 seconds, in very average conditions. That experience only helped strengthen my mindset. Needless to say, the focus and motivation to win at Central Park a fortnight later, was top of my agenda. The bookies were paying 66's and 70's on the Friday night before Stawell in 1990. We took most of whatever money we had collectively and placed a bet. We kept some money aside for food! There was carnage in the ring after the Final, but we walked away with our fair share! Tim Mason was favourite, and Todd Ireland was in great shape too and in the mix as another bookie favourite. Fortunately for me on the day of the finals, the headwinds started blowing, and on that slight uphill gradient at Stawell, meant that all the runners starting in front of me would be out there (maybe) for 0.1-0.2sec longer - just long enough to catch them if I could find another meter in my legs. I remember being very calm and focussed. I was in form and feeling good. Matt Barber was always brilliant at keeping things real and not getting too far ahead of the task at hand. He'd often say, "Just run like you've been running and you're in with a chance". He knew it was up to me to get myself in the situation where I could race and fight for the finish line - that’s where instinct and emotion takes over. When you're running in the red jacket, you have to stay focussed to peg one runner at a time. Steve Hutton in the white was in good shape, so I knew if I got up to him early, I'd have the blue jacket and favourite Tim 'Emu' Mason in my sights. I was on Steve's shoulder by half way and had full view of the Emu, who was motoring through the middle stages of the race. With each stride I got closer, but I had to keep fighting to stay in touch. With about 30m to go I felt the momentum change and I knew I could get between Mason and the gates if I held it together, and also hope that it was also enough to catch Todd Ireland in the pink, who was out in front until the last couple of strides. The victory meant a lot to our squad, and we celebrated accordingly! Part of my prize was also a 'very large' metal esky - made, painted and donated by a local Stawell workshop, that was generously filled with VB and ice. A few of us sat out on the track until late in the night, and gave it a nudge. Very special memories - and I still have the esky! I've always said that Stawell was a pivotal moment for me, not just as an athlete, but also in life and business. It was the one moment in time where I drew on all my training, knowledge, experiences, disappointments, dreams and channelled it all into a performance. Stawell is the most memorable race and was the start of many more great races and special times. There are many favourite moments overall. Inter-school and club trophy victories, my first state to national titles, state and national records in sprints-relays-hurdles, and of course the international circuit to World Championships and Olympics. The Stawell Gift was an amazing personal achievement for me, much more than a win and a pay cheque - it was the moment when I really started to believe in myself." Watch the 1990 Stawell Gift final here: https://bit.ly/3ek7Y2f

21.01.2022 PEOPLE OF PRO RUNNING - By David Griffin Most of us don’t get to experience a Stawell Gift weekend having qualified for the Semi final, let alone feel what it’s... like to be an outright favourite at unbackable odds. 21 year old Matt Rizzo did just that in the 2017 Stawell Gift. As a raw 18-year-old, he was an early favourite to take the time honoured event. Trained by Matt Carter, rumours spread like wildfire around the Victorian athletic league, after Rizzo won the Northcote Gift earlier in the season. Some said he couldn’t be beaten. Older heads had seen it before. The past is littered with stories of favourites who succumbed to the pressure cooker atmosphere of the world’s richest footrace. A Stawell Gift weekend can crack the strongest of minds. History says Rizzo withstood the expectation and won the 2017 Stawell Gift in fine style. This is his story. EPISODE 9: MATTHEW RIZZO The year I won Stawell, I came out and won the Men’s 100m Northcote Gift. I did this after being away at schoolies for the whole week with my friends, which looking back now wasn’t probably the smartest idea. After Northcote, my crew did some quick calculations and figured out that from my new handicap mark of 7.5m, I would be super competitive come Easter. Matt Carter told me it wasn’t going to be easy, but that’s when the plan and focus on winning the Stawell Gift was hatched. My last race of the season before Stawell was the 70m Open at the Rye Gift. I put on a strong performance and walked away with the win. I think the ‘cat was out of the bag’. I was having a crack at trying to win the Stawell Gift. That’s when I shut it down on the VAL circuit and I just continued to train and trial in the lead up to the 2017 Stawell Gift. The whole weekend was a complete blur. The three days of racing all seemed to flood into the Monday. The only thing I remember was getting in my blocks and then crossing the finish line first and then I saw my family, friends, coaches and my squad running towards me. That’s when it sunk in, I had achieved a dream. We planned to get me as fast as possible for the first 70m and hopefully gap the field, as the back end of a race wasn’t my strong point. I didn’t feel the pressure, and this was mainly because of the support crew and squad I had around me. I had tunnel vision the whole weekend. Honestly, I was more nervous talking to Jason Richardson and talking on TV than I was about running the Stawell Gift Final. Matt Carter kept me level-headed throughout my Stawell Gift campaign. He told me to go out there, enjoy running and focus on my own race. He said you might be the favourite, but don’t let that pressure get to you. We all know if you execute the race how you have been training and trialling, you’ll smash it. Once I received the prize money, I paid back my mother and older sister, who had lent me money during my training and preparations for the Stawell Gift. They played a massive role in helping me get to Stawell, and I wanted to pay them back straight away. I am really thankful for their kindness and support to this day. It also helped pay for a few other things. I bought a car for myself. I got my coach a gift and then saved the rest of the money. The prize money has gone right back into my athletics career and did help change my life. However, for me, it’s never been about the cash and always been about the Stawell sash. The history and prestige around the Stawell Gift is something I wanted to edge my name into. I wanted to be a part of the special group of individuals who came before me who sketched their names into the Stawell History books. We could be running to win a pig again, like it once was back in the day, and I would still want to win the iconic event. I’ve got unfinished business at Central Park’s Stawell Gift and will be competing and supporting the event for many years to come. Matt Carter and Bruce Gulliver have both been a major influence in my life, on and off the athletics track. They have both helped me develop into the man and athlete I am today. I work part-time in the electrical department at Bunnings. I’m also currently studying Primary and Secondary Health and Physical Education at Monash University. I have always had big ambitions, and the Commonwealth Games and Olympics have always been part of my career goals. This goal isn’t an easy one and takes hard work and dedication to achieve it. Athletics can be a long hard road, but with patience, dedication, and commitment I believe these results and opportunities will come. Until then, all I can focus on is building a bigger engine each season and staying humble.

18.01.2022 PEOPLE OF PRO RUNNING This is the final story in the People of Pro running ‘Autumn’ series. I hope you enjoyed getting to know a few characters of the VAL. A b...ig thanks to everyone that shared their story. I have learnt a lot and had a great time putting them together. There is one thing the stories highlight, and it's the fact we are all different. As individuals we have varied backgrounds, desires, issues and challenges. What brings us together is a love of athletics. It's our community, our common bond if you will. We all have stories to tell and together we make up an interesting, positive, enthusiastic group, and that’s a comforting thought. I am looking at a series of stories in the lead up to next season. I have started compiling some terrific yarns in readiness. If you know anyone that has a good story, please don’t hesitate to send me a message via Facebook. Today’s story is an excellent one. Inspiring, determined and focused, Sarah Blizzard has embarked on a career change. After making four consecutive Stawell Gift finals, the 23 year old decided to swap sprinting on grass for sprinting on ice, as she takes aim at Europe and a bobsled career. Almost overnight the 2017 Stawell Gift winner refocused her athletic ambitions, which now sees her eye a spot at the Winter Olympics. EPISODE 15: SARAH BLIZZARD The Stawell Gift is my home track because I grew up 20 minutes away. I no longer live at home but I look forward to the gift even more so every year because I get to be home with my family and friends and there is no better way to spend Easter. I have had most of my success at Stawell, and it was also where I won my first sash. It was the U18 girls race in 2011. I trained with Marcus Cooper in Ararat all the way up until the end of 2014, and then I moved to Canberra and started training with Matt Beckenham. I made four consecutive Stawell Gift finals. But my favourite year at the Stawell Gift was 2017. I knew it would be a hard task to make my 4th final in a row, especially off 4.5m with training partner Lauren Boden not far behind me. After I won, my training partner Melissa Breen put me on her shoulders for the interview for channel Seven. It’s one of my most favourite moments from the Stawell Gift so far and the highlight of my running career. We as a family have become a big part of the Stawell Gift. My father in on the Stawell Gift committee and is currently on his second round of being the president of the club. All the committee, officials and volunteers of the club are like an extended family and it adds to my love of Stawell. They do an amazing job of running such an important event! One day I was in the gym and my coach asked me if I would ever consider giving bobsled a go. I didn’t have a clue about it. A few months later I was off learning a new sport in Europe. The thought of doing bobsled was exciting and just seemed right for me at the time. It’s got its challenges, with the main one being funding and the fact you can only compete overseas but I really enjoyed my first season and can’t wait to head back over for next season. I am currently a brakeman. For women, we only have two person sleds (we don’t have four man like the men do). In the sled there is a pilot and a brakeman. Both push the sled and then the pilot drives us down the track while the brakeman goes along for the ride. They have also bought the event monobob into the next Olympics for women, which is just for one person who does both the pushing and the piloting. I have now done four European Cup races and one World Cup race. Our team competed in a lot more races on top of that throughout the season which included the world championships where we placed 14th overall. And I also competed in two monobob races where I learnt to pilot a sled. My best result being 11th out of 17 women. Our goal is to qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympics. It’s definitely something we can achieve, and we start working towards that by getting points from the Europe and World Cup circuits starting next season. To help us with this we need to find sponsors as it’s a self-funded sport (and a very expensive one at that) and we need to work hard together as a team to reach the goal together. In the meantime, my goal is to become a faster and more powerful brakeman and improve on my push times to be up there with the other world class athletes on the World Cup circuit. The bobsled season runs from October to March but I should be back for Easter every year hopefully so Stawell will always be on the cards! I will always run pro as it has a soft spot in my heart. While I won’t be there for most of the season for a few years now, I think I will always come back to pro running and have an involvement in the running community.

17.01.2022 Finals day fields and handicaps adjusted based on heat times. May your form be with you.!

15.01.2022 100m Dash for Sash Semi Finals run at 9.00am tomorrow. Note Girls U12- 16 is a straight final run at 2.25pm.

14.01.2022 PEOPLE OF PRO RUNNING - By David Griffin It's Easter Saturday 2020 and its all quiet at Central Park. For the first time since the war, there is no Stawell Gif...t. For the people of the town it's an empty, eerie feeling. I find myself thinking of better times and remembering the legends of days gone by. McNeil, Capobianco, Ravello, Ross and Howard are well known names. Some I saw run and some I didn’t. Not all heroes of the Stawell Gift are as obvious though. Some quietly go about their business with little fuss or fanfare. John Dalziel’s laugh is legendary. So is his smile and happy go lucky nature. He is typical of Stawell people. He has been a bit under the weather lately. You wouldn’t know it though. A Stawell man through and through, Dalziel's first memory of the gift was in 1955 when John O’Donnell won. He has seen the best come and go and remembers them all. The 73-year-old ran as a pro for 18 years. He got close to his dream sash at Stawell in ‘77. He ran third in the 400 metres. This Easter was to be his 35th on the Stawell Gift Committee. Like everything, that celebration is on hold. Remarkably there has been a member of the Dalziel family at the Stawell Gift since its inception in 1878. That tradition is likely to continue. Dalziel has nine grandchildren. They all love Easter at the gift. The Stawell Gift will resume one day, and Pro runners will head back to Central Park. The town will come alive again and there will be a chance to celebrate not only John Dalziel but every other person behind the scenes that make this event great. ESPISODE 8: JOHN DALZIEL I am an ordinary bloke, but I just love the gift. It’s the highlight of the year for me and my family. We have a house full of visitors, meeting up with old mates and former athletes. The whole town comes alive but it’s just not the same this year obviously. This year it feels terrible. It's lonely and it’s a very strange feeling. I don’t really know what to do. It doesn’t feel like Easter. In the lead up to this weekend we are normally putting up tents, setting things up, watching the track get cut and putting the lines on the oval. My family has been involved at Stawell forever. My great grandfather John was a foundation member. He was the mayor of Stawell. His blacksmith shop was in the Central Park gardens. His son Alan Dalziel was president in 1933. My father Jack was president for the 100th year in 1981 and I was president for the 110th Gift in 1991. This Easter I would have been on the committee for 35 years. 32 of those years I was a judge. I remember when Bob Goldsworthy used to bring his stable to stay at my Grandmother’s home in Stawell. I watched them train, have rub downs. I just loved it. I retired as a runner in 1981 but one of my great memories from Stawell was in my second season. I ran in the white colour next to Bill Howard who went on to win his second Stawell gift. I had a great view of his brilliance, the best view in Stawell you might say. For me its always been about family. There was a time when there was three generations on Central Park. My father Jack was on the committee, I was timekeeping and my kids Wayne, Lisa and Amanda were collecting the colours. All my grandkids, Ashley, Luke, Jesse, Chloe, Emily, Madison, Angus and Imogen have been colour kids. Jade is the youngest at seven years old and she might do the colours next year. I have loved watching my son Wayne compete. He has had a lot of setbacks with illness and injury but has lots of courage and has never given up. I am proud of the fact he is still going, and he loves it. He has had a second and third at Stawell in the 550 metres. His daughter Emily is now running and is progressing well. Watching my grandson Ash Cowan win the Backmarkers 1600 and the Victory mile was a highlight. The best Gift run I have ever seen run was Ravelomanantsoa in 1975. He ran 12 seconds dead three times and won on a wet track. He was amazing. He warmed up on the concrete near the scoreboard. Harry Downs from Portland was a terrific athlete. He ran a four-minute mile off scratch almost every time he ran. One year they ran him behind scratch. One of the best races I ever saw was by the American John Smith in the 400 metres. He ran 46 seconds from scratch, on grass, going around the field. They called him the quarter horse. Then you have the likes of Cathy Freeman running from scratch and winning. Amazing run. So many great memories. Stawell has meant a lot to my family, but it means a lot to many families. I feel very honoured to be part of this club. It has history and it’s a unique part of Australian sport. Stawell Gift

13.01.2022 PEOPLE OF PRO RUNNING - By David Griffin There is a mysterious athletic society in Ballarat. It's in plain view, everybody knows about it and all are welcome. T...hey call themselves the POD squad and training hard is its only entrance criteria. POD is an acronym for Peter O’Dwyer. A very successful athlete himself, Peter has been coaching Ballarat sprinters since 1996. Like a well drilled team and with the distinctive navy and yellow running singlets, they swarm professional running meetings and are arguably the most successful stable in the sport. Tara Domaschenz is a veteran POD squad member in a group that has now ballooned to over 60 runners of all ages and abilities. The ‘tough as teak’ Domaschenz could very well be the Jekyll and Hyde of Pro running. With a big smile and an easy going nature away from the track, she becomes super charged and competitive on it. The long striding 28 year old is one of the best female athletes on the circuit and proved it this year with an outstanding win in the Bendigo Black Pearl. EPISODE 11: TARA DOMASCHENZ I’m a Teacher in Ballarat. I am Head of Sport and the Year Eight Coordinator. I have lived in Ballarat my whole life. I like to think I am one of the originating members of the POD Squad. When I first started training in 2005, I was one of only two female athletes in the group. Our squad had less than 10 athletes. Now we have over 60 athletes with a junior squad training with us one night a week to ease their transition into senior athletics. As a squad we train five to seven times per week. We incorporate speed endurance training, lactic tolerance, weights, strength and conditioning, plyometrics, pilates and recovery sessions depending on what phase of the training program we are in. In my first season in 2007 I came second in the Women’s Stawell Gift. I would have been the youngest female to ever win the gift if I had won. I didn’t realise its significance at the time. I was so happy just to come second. I have made another two Stawell Gift finals since but my chance to join the Avenue of Honour may have past. My greatest pro achievements would be going back to back in the Women’s Stonnington Gift in 2012 and 2013. At the time they were the richest women’s pro races. In 2012 I also won the Women’s Stawell 400m. Any win at Stawell is special. This season I was lucky enough to take out the Women’s Black pearl 400m final in Bendigo. The Black Pearl has certainly been on my radar for some time. The 400 metres is a tough race, you need to master every section. I remember getting ready and being so nervous because I knew I had some hard work ahead of me. I was lucky to have some distance between me and the girl in front of me (Layla Watson) at the start so I made it my goal to catch her as quickly as I could. Once I did this I tried to relax and progress to the front having to run wide around the bend (any 400m runner can relate). When I got to the front straight being in front of the pack, I remember telling myself you’re not losing this race now. I knew I had the speed endurance to hold the girls off at the end, but after having tried so hard for the last 300m I was nervous. When I crossed the finish line, I was so relieved. So happy with myself. It had been a long time coming. It was awesome to run under lights, with the atmosphere of the crowed. There is something special about running at night. I enjoy helping coach some of our younger athletes in our squad, encouraging them to compete in the pro running circuit. Its family friendly and caters for a range of abilities. When I was little my parents and grandparents would come to every event I competed at. I took it for granted at the time. Now as an adult I am so grateful when my family gives up their weekend to come and watch me race. When my family isn’t on the sidelines, it is the POD Squad, my second family, who support me and they’re the reason I am still racing competitively. The inclusive and positive culture of our squad keeps me motivated, especially with such a strong female sector in our group. The POD squad are great advocates of this promoting women in sport. But the best thing about our squad is the amount of support we receive as athletes from not only our coach, mentors and other members of the group, but also their families. I am a pretty open book, what you see is what you get. I don’t have any secret talents; however, I am very competitive, in every aspect of my life. I will make sure I beat all the girls in our squad at challenges (push ups/ plank offs). Pilates is a newly discovered passion of mine. I joke with some of my training partners that we should open a clinic one day. Within our squad we have an osteopath and others’ studying to be doctors, physiotherapists, osteopaths, and chiropractors. By the time they’re all qualified I will be looking to start a family, so I can run the mums and bubs classes!

13.01.2022 Congratulations Luke Stevens- Australia's fastest runner on grass. 9.533 metres per sec. Congratulations also to Joel Bee and Jacob Despard 2nd and 3rd.

12.01.2022 People of Pro Running Professional running in Australia has its nexus in the Goldfields of Victoria. In many ways it was a welcome distraction for our forefathe...rs and an escape from the boredom of working seven days a week. Whilst the goldfields of the 1800s are a distant memory, professional running isn’t, and it remains a way of life for many athletes. David Haigh is one of those athletes. It could be said that he is married to not only his wife Angela, but the sport as well. The 51-year-old rarely misses a meeting, and with wins in every distance from 70 metres to the mile, Haigh could very well be one of the most versatile athletes to grace a pro running track. Episode 2: David Haigh I was born and bred in Frankston. I went to Ballam Park Tech. The last two lessons each Friday at school were activities such as roller skating, ice skating etc. To not burden my parents with the cost of one of these activities, I elected to join the running group which was a free of charge activity. We would run for up to an hour in nearby bushland and across paddocks which are now housing estates. That’s where my love for running was formed. I ran at little athletics as well. I ran both Cross Country and Track. I represented the state in both. As far as the pros, from the late ‘70s I was always glued to the TV to watch Stawell on Easter Saturday and Monday. Whilst the Stawell gift heats were always great, it was the distance running which truly interested me. My early memories are vague but names like Norwood and Boucher stand out. I first attended Stawell as a spectator in 1989 and 1990 witnessing Mark Holcombe’s amazing battle with Marcus Downes in the 800m final and of course the rise of Dean Capobianco. I eventually registered in the pros for the 90/91 season kicking off with a last place finish in an 800m heat at Wonthaggi off 14m. I was hooked. It took me until 1995 to win a pro race (800m Wangaratta). By the start of 1995/96 track season I was a bit stale having trained most nights since I was 13 and realising I would not be good enough to represent my country. I decided to try my hand at sprinting. I approached Tim Mason who introduced me to Graham Goldsworthy. We were given very one on one technique advice by Goldie. Something I had not received previously. I was a very average sprinter at best and just kept turning up and running over 70m to 400m. I ended up winning the Wangaratta 70 metres and the North Ringwood Gift under Goldie. I have won a few races over the years but the Herb Hedermann, the Stawell 800 metres and the 550 at Bay Sheffield are probably my favourites. Although it is an individual sport, I get great pleasure in the success of others, particularly stable mates and friends. To share in success is a special thing. The friendships formed in pro running are part of its appeal. Meeting people from all walks of life. We can be fierce competitors once we hit the start line but then shake hands after the finish and have a beer. In my early days in the 90’s the after parties at country pro running carnivals like Wangaratta and Bendigo were legendary. Then there was the Brix Hotel on Easter Monday night which went to another level again. Every day I’m able to run is a good day. It has always been that way. Whilst I enjoy training, I am always driven by my next win. At 51 years of age, Stawell or The Bay Sheffield in not necessarily the focus for me. A win at Frankston Park where I first went to little athletics would mean a lot.

12.01.2022 People of Pro Running Professional athletics has a habit of bringing people together. It’s a family sport. For Narelle Lehmann, it’s been her life. ... She married her sweetheart Rob after running with him as a stable mate. Rob has since retired due to injuries but between them they have over 40 professional wins. Narelle now flies the flag for the family and won the Castlemaine Gift and Warrnambool 300 metre Masters this season. Family has been the theme of Lehmann’s life and she has a happy knack of being able to balance her role as a mother, with participating in a tough, unforgiving sport like Pro athletics. Episode 3: Narelle Lehmann. I was born in Ballarat and lived there until three years ago when we moved to Torquay. I had my first pro race in November 1996 at Broadford - I got smashed. I have competed 18 seasons of the past 24. I missed a few when I had my girls. My daughter Jess is now 19 and Meg is 16 years of age. I was introduced to Pro running by my then coach Mick Benoit. It was hard not to fall in love with it. I have forged some amazing friendships. Your squad becomes your family. My training partner Rob became my husband. He coaches me now. He has always been an amazing support, it’s how we met and the fact we can enjoy it together certainly helps. Over the years we adapted our training around our girls and made it very time efficient. The girls grew up with it and love it as much as we do. I always said I’d give up running if it started to impact what they wanted to do, but they are awesome and supported both Rob and me. The girls would often come to training once I did start back, from memory they had way too many Happy Meals!!The guys in the squad were a fantastic support, always looking out for them. The VAL is what they know and grew up with, it is in their DNA for sure. As a mum competing, I would have different things to worry about than just myself. The year I won the 400 metres at Bendigo we had just settled into bed the night before the race. We were all packed into a caravan. Meg was five then and she sat up and vomited through the bed. That was the end of that night’s sleep. I took the attitude that sleep was overrated anyway, and I race better being tired. I had to convince myself!!! I can literally walk out switch on, race, then go back to mum mode. It’s a mum thing!! I always timed my pregnancies for the end of the season. I also never continued to train for long whilst pregnant, I just never felt comfortable doing so. I didn’t return to running quickly either, I was happy to be a mum. Rob competed when I didn't, then we swapped. I have always been sporty, I loved footy and cricket at school but was banned from playing because I was a girl. Maybe that’s why I love racing the guys so much now..it’s like unfinished business! I started little aths when I was four years old because I’d had pneumonia twice and a lot of bronchial issues. Funnily the doctor warned my parents I would always be weak and sickly.. I have run ever since and can’t imagine not doing so. I have won 19 sashes over distances between 70 400m. Winning the 1998 Stawell Gift was amazing, however winning the Gift at Castlemaine this year was special. My goal is to get back to near my best after three years of injuries. I still think I can find a bit more. I have a secret goal of beating Robs 22 wins. I am sure he would be happy if we could achieve that. I love this photo because it was the first heat I had won in three years due to injury. I had no idea I was running that well. I’d lost so much confidence. Then it was almost mine to lose, really had to pull my shit together, it was quite overwhelming.

10.01.2022 PEOPLE OF PRO RUNNING - By David Griffin There doesn’t appear to be a typical age to start a professional running career. Other than the need to be at least 14 ...years old, people arrive into the sport at different times and for different reasons. Some start early after competing in little athletics, for others it’s later in life. Peter Biggs was a late bloomer. At the tender age of 48, he had his first pro start. Encouraged by his son to take up athletics, Biggs became addicted to the sport. Whilst a relative newcomer to the pro running game, he isn’t new to competitive sport. Now 55 years of age, Peter Biggs is a South Australian basketball legend. The Adelaide native played 285 senior state league games in South Australia and spent three years on the Adelaide 36ers NBL roster. A regular state representative and premiership player, Biggs sees professional athletics through different eyes and has a refreshing view on the sport. EPISODE 14: PETER BIGGS I loved basketball, I started as a five year old, in the Under 14s! Needless to say, I was playing in the land of the giants. I could jump though. At 16 years of age I could dunk. Anything and everything that I got a chance to do I did, but basketball was always the go-to sport. I played a lot of basketball at state level and my 36ers games were limited to trial matches. I couldn’t break into the team unfortunately. I did have offers from other lesser NBL clubs (lesser at the time) but I didn’t want to relocate. 36ers were so strong during my time there. I got to test my abilities against some of the best players in the country. Players like Luc Longley, Shane Heal, Mark Bradtke and Andrew Vlahov. These players, a few years later were the backbone of Australia’s Olympic team and all went on to play in the NBA. It was an amazing era of basketball in Australia, and I was so lucky to be playing amongst such great players. At the time, I never really thought much of these achievements as I was aiming for higher accolades in the game. But now looking back I am very proud of these achievements and particularly proud that I played on successful teams that regularly beat more fancied rivals. Once I retired as a player though, I didn’t keep playing socially as I found it frustrating because I could no longer improve. I did however take my coaching more seriously. I have started my own mini basketball businesses. I have created and run the Little Hoop Group which is set up for beginner basketballers. I am also a volunteer in the Victorian State League men’s competition for the Chelsea Gulls. I am the Chelsea Gulls Under 16.1 Girls coach. I started running pro very late in life. It was 2012 when my son Joshua decided to take it up. As soon as I found out us oldies could compete as well, I wanted in! I am not exaggerating by saying that training and competing together with my son, were the fondest sporting years of my life. I am told Joshua and I created history in the SAAL by being the only father and son combination to finish first and second in an open race. He beat me by one thousandth of a second in the 2014 Whyalla 70 metre open. It’s the only circumstance I can think of when I preferred to be second than winning! I love pro running for many reasons. The handicap system allows competitors that are putting the required effort to improve a chance of success, irrespective of ability and success is prominently measured by effort, participation and improvement, rather than ability. To me, this is a very ethical method of rewarding performance and allows men, women, younger and older to compete with each other. There lies the unique aspect of the sport which makes it so enjoyable. There is nothing more I love than competing in open racing against some of the best athletes in the country. I have the opportunity to form relationships, learn from the best, and keep them honest by giving them something difficult to chase down. Getting to compete against these high-quality athletes is an incredible opportunity for someone of my age, and getting to know them and earning their respect, is a privilege and only possible through the handicap system. Some of my proudest moments in pro running is getting heat wins against the likes of Luke Stevens, Jacob Despard, Clay Watkins, Tjimarri Sanderson-Milera and Isaac Dunmall. What other sport would give me this opportunity? Competing in Masters events is just as enjoyable, but for different reasons. The vast majority of us suffer from white line fever. We’re great friends, helping each other, encouraging each other both before and after each event, however during is totally different. During racing is fiercely competitive, and of a very high standard. You will not have success without putting in a great deal of training. The balance fills the need we have to compete but at the same time making life-long friends. Personally, I love to pick the brains of anyone that will listen to me in order to learn. Having quality athletes such as Rob and Narelle Lehmann, Peter O’Dwyer and John Hilditch to talk to, there is a never ending amount of knowledge to learn from these great athletes, all of whom are more than happy to assist. Pro running becomes a great lifestyle and I still have goals and I would like to win a VAL 70m Open, preferably Frankston, as it’s a gift, but I’d take anything!

10.01.2022 PEOPLE OF PRO RUNNING - By David Griffin With 33 Professional race wins in events from 70 through to 400 metres, Cam Dunbar could very well be one of the most s...uccessful athletes on the circuit. The son of Pro running royalty, Rick Dunbar, Cam has carved out an amazing career on the back of meticulous planning and a fanatical attention to detail. The fact he is whip fast also helps! With a frustrating 18 months of injuries and a shortened season, the Adidas addicted Dunbar is ‘chomping at the bit’ to get back on the track. The perfect example to young athletes, the 39-year-old cites his father as his inspiration, and if history is anything to go by it won’t be long before we see him on the dais again. Episode 6: CAM DUNBAR I have been running open races since 1997. I’m a 3rd generation Pro runner. We have all had an involvement as competitors, officials or volunteers. Dad is an enthusiastic competitor, coach/ mentor and official. He loves the sport and has for more than 60 years. A lot of my motivation to remain competitive in pro ranks is fuelled by example of my Dad. He is 80 years old and is still competing in master’s events. My father has been my biggest influence in my learning and development as a sprinter. My Grandfather, Stewart Peterson was also an inspiration as a former pro runner and coach. Dads biggest wins collected at his peak were before my time. So rare videos , photos, news articles and second hand reports by relatives, coaches and athletes allow me to appreciate the quality of his running. It has been a real positive that Dad has been so successful because his experience has helped me. As a junior, there were always comparisons to my potential to run as fast as he did, however I have enjoyed carving out my own successes in my career so far. I certainly hope to emulate the longevity and consistency that he has achieved though. I find that race preparation is more than half the battle. The most successful moments of my career have come from meticulous preparation in the days leading up to a meeting. Quality training has been a consistent priority to enable my fastest running. Not much experimentation just a trust in the training program. Diet and sleep are important, a daily stretch of 8-9 hrs sleep is a distant memory now that I have a four-year-old and eight-month-old in the family. An extra hour or two of rest makes a big difference these days. My training and race days follow the same routine. I have maintained the traditional warm up of run throughs, stretching and spiked runs. As seasons progressed, I have added lots more in, without dropping much out it all works. The intensity of my preparation has reduced in recent years. I am not sure if it has helped performances but being less focused on the little things has allowed me to appreciate more social time and analyse other performances. All my training partners know I have a love for Adidas gear. If a new pair of spikes is released for the Northern hemisphere Spring, my undiagnosed OCD usually kicks in and I buy a new pair. My running bag always has my roller(s), 3-4 different sizes of massage balls, massage stick, theracane, therabands, yoga block and a swathe of spare clothing. My bags are always being replaced because they wear out. Although there is always a few jokes about my ‘collection’ there is always a request to borrow just about everything I have in the kit. Looking back, my favourite win was the Maryborough Gift in 2004. It was significant because was the first time I had set myself for a race and it was special because I emulated my Dad who won it in 1966. I am always looking forward and resetting the goals each year. After 18 months of ongoing injury issues, I’m hungrier than ever to race well and win more sashes. The pro running bucket list is still quite long.

10.01.2022 Looking to promote your business in 2021? Why not partner with one of the biggest Athletic Gift carnivals in Australia! The Ballarat Gift will be held on 13 & 1...4 of February next year attracting athletes and spectators locally and around the country. We are seeking sponsorship partners large and small to help support our great local event. Sponsorship opportunities start from just $500! Message us directly or contact John Johns on 0423 513693 for more information.

07.01.2022 People of Pro Running Rupert Lugo has been called many things in his life. So many in fact, he started a photo album on his Facebook page highlighting the diff...erent names. The former basketballer turned pro sprinter is a fan favourite and is well liked by supporters and competitors alike. Explosive out of the blocks, the 28 year old has some impressive wins on his CV. He took home the prestigious Bill Howard at Stawell in 2015, and over the past three years has won the Bendigo, Maryborough and the Keilor Gifts. His day is finely balanced between managing life as a classy pro sprinter and his day job as a senior associate at a property law firm. Episode 5: Rupert Lugo I seemed to get called a lot of different names. I have a photo album on my Facebook called my name is Rupert. I basically get called everything from Robert to Rufus. I just thought it was funny how often it was happening to me and it then it just took off! I was the Deakin University Basketball captain 2009-2012 for all the university games tournaments. I played in the BigV basketball league for Warragul, La Trobe City and Mornington. In 2014 I’d just returned from a trip to America and Canada playing in a few basketball tournaments. On that trip we played a pro-am team in Las Vegas, made up of some division-1 NCAA guys and guys who played professionally in Europe. I came home really motivated to get back at it, but it’s so hard to get training time with basketball in Australia. Court access is limited and usually shared with badminton or other uses, and the hours you could get on were impossible with work. I was always interested in sprinting, so it seemed like the right time. I did a handful of sessions with Shane McKenzie, who then directed me to Nick Fiedler. Nick guided me until 2019. I’m in the Pride Performance squad now. I’m a Senior Associate in the property team at HWL Ebsworth, which is Australia’s largest firm by number of partners. I don’t spend any time in the court room, as I’m a transactional lawyer rather than a litigation lawyer. Law is not a 9 to 5 job and its high pressure - especially in the transactional world. When there is a significant deal on that is time sensitive, unfortunately athletics needs to take the back seat. You’ve just got to find the time to train where you can and squeeze it in. It’s a non-negotiable. I remember in the weeks leading into Keilor this year, a lot of my block sessions were done past 9 or 10pm, with just a bit of lighting from the street. But if it was easy everyone would be doing it, so I just keep on going! The Keilor win this year is e my favourite in front of the Bill Howard. This year we were just starting to put it together in preparation for a big Stawell campaign and everything just was going to plan. I don’t think I have too many years left in me and was hoping to tick the Stawell Gift final off my bucket list this year. I guess I have to go again next season. There have been some great runners this year, but I think Jason Bailey, Jasper Nettlefold, Max Mason and Dion Paull would have been the ones to beat at Stawell. (Photo courtesy of Jameson’s Photography)

07.01.2022 People of Pro Running Professional runners everywhere were disappointed when the VAL season came to a sudden halt. David Woods was shattered. The accomplishe...d thespian had set for Stawell. He joked about winning the 400, 550 and the 800 metres. It was history in the making. Woods had to let off steam when he heard the season was over. He didn’t head to the pub or binge on Kentucky fried chicken like most of us, he simply went out and did a 400 metre time trial against stable mate Jay Blake. With his treble on hold, the Scottish born 51-year-old now sits at home eagerly waiting for news of the Stawell Gift and keeps fit with long runs along the Maribyrnong River track. Episode 4: David Woods Mostly I write, direct, produce and act in plays. I also act in radio, television and film projects. I advertised Fiat vans for a while. I was the boss of a company called 20-minute couriers with the catchphrase 20 minutes or it’s free. I was in the television series ‘The wrong girl’, ‘Romper stomper’ and the ‘The gloaming’. I was also in movies like ‘I met a girl’ and ‘Holding the man’. I started acting in 1992. I’d studied English Literature at University in Sheffield and got into it through that. I did a two-year acting course to learn about the craft and then started my own company after that, a double act called Ridiculusmus that is now 28 years old. We found it was a lot more fun doing our own stuff. I have been in pro-running for 16 years. I was lucky to find out about it through the legendary Benny Tancredi at a club night in Coburg soon after I moved here. The idea of battling out with all comers off a handicap was pretty enticing. I’ve grown to love the way races wind up, although I have to say I prefer chasing than being chased, but that’s shifted as I've got older to be more of the latter. I’ve also dabbled in the Scottish Highland Games meets when I’ve been over there for work. I had an excellent time slopping around in the mud. The pro-scene here is spoken of in Scotland like some sort of heaven - immaculate tracks, big numbers, oodles of cash and great racing, much of which is true of course. I had two wins there over 400 metres in 2017 - the Mid Argyllshire games in Oban and the Birnam games. Birnam is a great meet. Non-stop piping and a haggis eating competition that Richard Norris placed in, after studying the mouth-soup technique of previous winners. I played rugby as a youth. I was wing and placekicker. I also played soccer with a small village team that included another non-celebrity entertainer, the singer-songwriter David Gray. We were both ska fans. In 2005 I had a great win in a late night 400 metres at Warringal Park in Heidelberg. It was a warm night and there was a sign over a drain in the home straight that said, a tiger snake lives here. A few years after that I also scored an Eight kilometre cross country win out and back from the same place with the VCCL. There must be something about that spot that clicks for me. My cycling friends who regularly ride past refer to it as the David Woods oval. I’d like to be competitive in open races for another decade. Broaden the range of distances I do from 200 through to 1600 metres. My goal is to win a race in front of a big boozy crowd who’ve gambled more than they should have and celebrate with a full squad of appreciative fellow sufferers, topping it off with a victory speech that references at least one of Benny’s vintage jokes.

07.01.2022 Tune into SEN radio tonight (Tuesday) 8.40pm to hear from our Ballarat Gift women’s and men’s Gift winners!

06.01.2022 PEOPLE OF PRO RUNNING - By David Griffin The Richest professional footrace in the world has long been an attraction for international sprinters. Adding colour ...and prestige to the time-honoured event, the road to Stawell is well worn by athletes from faraway lands trying their luck. One of the great Stawell Gift wins by an international athlete came in 1975 when two-time Olympian Jean-Louis Ravelomanantsoa from Madagascar flew down the track from the scratch mark. Warren Edmondson from the US won in 1977, and who can forget the Scottish flyer George McNeil winning in 1981 after ten attempts. There have been others of course but overall, the grass and handicaps of Australia’s premier gift has been a tough nut to crack for the visitors. Olympic stars like John Drummond, Asafa Powell, Kim Collins, Michael Frater and Obedele Thompson found the going tough on the cosy confines of Central Park. English Olympian Jamie Baulch visited Stawell in 1999. The quarter mile specialist was fresh off his win in the 1999 world indoor 400 metre championships and was in Australia training with Olympic 100 metre gold medallist Linford Christie. Baulch was part of an elite British travelling group that included the ‘who’s who’ of British athletics. Now living in Cardiff, the Welsh 46-year-old reflects on the Stawell Gift weekend and his only professional race in Australia. EPISODE 12: JAMIE BAULCH I was in Australia training with Colin Jackson, Linford Christie and Darren Campbell and the rest of the group. We decided to stay and train in Australia for three months. We did it every winter to get into the warm environment. Australia always used to look after us and I loved it there. We were there training for the Olympics and the world championships. I must have stayed there for about six years on and off and it’s a great country. I didn’t know where Stawell was before going there but I was really pleased to have been asked to get involved. It was such a great occasion. My old running coach called Jim Anderson was a Scottish sprinter back in the day. I knew about the professional races from him, so it was a great honour for me to be there. I remember it being a great crowd but just so hot. I am sure the day I ran it must have been 40 degrees! I used to run on grass as a kid so that wasn’t a major issue but I remember the bends being long and the straights were short, which was weird. I was in heat four or five of the 400 meters and the winner of the early hearts were winning them in 44 seconds and I thought I haven’t got a chance. I remember thinking not even Michael Johnson could win this. I thought, well I can’t run 44 seconds and I especially couldn’t do that on grass, so my tactic was to go as fast as I could for the first 200 metres, get in front of everyone and try to just stay there. Oh my god, when I go to about 270 metres the lactic set in. I remember going down the straight doing about one mile an hour, and I could hear Linford and Darren Campbell in the crowd laughing at me. I crossed over the line and literally puked up everywhere. It was a crazy occasion for me and it was only a few days after I had won the world indoor championships as well, which made it especially worse because I was current world champion at the time. My pb for the indoor 400 metres is 45.39 which I did in Birmingham. Its still a British record. My PB for the 400 metres is 44.57 outdoors which I ran in Switzerland. My greatest moments in my athletics career was the silver medal at the Olympics in the 4x400 relay which was amazing, and also winning the world indoor championships in Japan was a highlight. I have got two children Jay who is 24 and Morgan is 17. These days I run a silent auction company all around the UK and Europe and its raises money for charities. Its very fulfilling because I raise money and I feel great about that. Stawell was the only professional event I did, and it was the only major event I did on grass and absolutely loved it. Great memories and I remember it like yesterday. Maybe one day I will get to go back to Australia, and I will get to watch it again.

06.01.2022 A big thank you to all our sponsors and volunteers

05.01.2022 PEOPLE OF PRO RUNNING - By David Griffin The Pain of the Stawell Gift It’s Good Friday and an empty Easter beckons for Pro Runners. Until something is gone, you... don’t miss it. We all grieve for the Stawell Gift. In normal times the pro running fraternity gather this holiday weekend to compete ferociously, embrace and celebrate with the good people of Stawell. These are not normal times and a hollow, sinking feeling exists. It’s a feeling you can’t put your finger on. As a community we hurt. The Stawell Gift doesn’t discriminate, and everyone is welcome. There is no racism, ageism or sexism in a pro running race. It matters little how much money you have, where you live, or where you come from. At the starting line, blue collar tradies line up next to white-collar corporates. Mates become enemies for as long as it takes to race, and family members do battle in public. We are all equal at Central Park and there is nowhere to hide. Its why I love it. If you do the work, you have a chance they say. Doing the work is agony but it’s that same pain that brings us together every year. There is no secret, the road to Stawell on Easter Monday is well worn and it hurts like hell, but for some reason it aches a whole lot worse not being there. * Craig Rollinson is hurting. He won this year’s Parkdale Open 400 metres and Maryborough Master’s 300 metres. He is a very good athlete, the type you stop to watch. The 2011 Rye Gift winner was feeling good after having a great season. Like 1000s before him, the Stawell Gift hasn’t been kind. Maybe this Easter things were going to be different. He’ll never know. He trains alone. In Warragul there is nobody else around. His dad, a former pro runner, paces him on the bike sometimes. Rollinson read the story about Rupert Lugo a few days ago. He was surprised to learn Lugo sometimes trained late at night under streetlights. He does the same thing. Rollinson wrote because simply he wanted to get his thoughts out of his head and onto paper. He writes well. He doesn’t belong to a stable, he does what he does solo, but this is his community and he belongs. EPISODE 7: CRAIG ROLLINSON I wasn’t always a pro runner, but then again, maybe I was and I just didn’t know it. Dad was a footballer in the 70’s. When he retired from footy he started running. He couldn’t run amateurs due to the divide of professional and amateur sport at the time, so pros it was. As kids we had three family holidays every year, Wangaratta, Bendigo and Stawell. Each long weekend we’d load up the station wagon and up the highway we went. We were never dragged along, we wanted to be there and had a genuine interest in it. When I was 16 we moved from Hastings to a farming area near Warragul. Dad started cycling and I played local footy, athletics was no longer a priority in our house. After a while I started running again at a Gippsland club with varying results. One day a friend thought it was a good idea to go to Stawell on Easter Monday, so off we went. We parked at the train station (where we did when I was a kid). As I locked the car, I heard the starters pistol, my eyes widened. We walked towards the gate as I listened to the race caller. As I looked through the fence I saw the track and the crowd, I instantly got goosebumps as all those childhood memories came flooding back. I don’t know how long I stood at the fence that day, but for me, time stopped. I registered with the VAL later that year for the new season, inevitably, I was now a pro runner. In 39 years, I have missed maybe nine or 10 Easters at Stawell, even when not running due to injury it was always a priority to be there. It was never a question of are we going? It was always what time are we leaving? This year will leave an empty feeling in me and will lack a sense of closure on the season, but an Easter egg hunt on home turf could be a strange novelty.