General News
31 December, 2024
Victoria’s best ready to hit the ground running with Maryborough Gift to kick off 2025
Victoria’s best runners are set to converge on Maryborough tomorrow afternoon, looking to make their first big 2025 statement at Princes Park with the 162nd running of the Maryborough Gift.
Open fields across both the men’s and women’s gifts could see new champions emerge, with plenty of in-form runners set to make the trip.
There will be a new men’s champion in 2025, with 2024 winner Lawson Power not on the entry list for the men’s 120 m event.
However, in the second year of the gift being run to equal prizemoney between both men’s and women’s races, women’s 2024 winner Cassandra Wang Lecouteur is on the entry list, and will be out to defend her title.
Wang Lecouteur will run in the opening heat for the 120 m women’s open off a handicap of 4.75 m in a heat that will include Seymour Gift winner Alex Tzilantonis off scratch.
Other big names in the women’s entry list includes Terang Gift winner Imogen Nobbs, who will run off scratch in the fourth heat.
This year’s 400 m winner Jasmine Rowe, who has landed a pair of third places at the Warrnambool and Mortlake Gifts, will run in the second heat.
Ruby Crisp, who started the season strongly with second placings at Seymour and Terang, and a third place in the Waverley Gift, will run off scratch in the sixth heat.
There will also be a local presence in the event, with Maryborough’s Naomi Henderson set to run in the seventh heat.
A blockbuster opening heat of what looks to be a very open men’s field will be the highlight of the heats.
Men’s winner in 2023, Chris Vi, will be in that race, running off a mark of 7.25 m, and in what looks to be a terrific race, the likes of Cooper Sherman, who will run off 0.25 m, and 2024 200 m winner Maki Loukeris, running off 5.5 m, will also be in the event.
Men’s 800 m winner this year, Akon Chol, will look to make his mark in heat two, while 2020 Gift winner Fejiro Omuvwie returns in heat three, running off 2.75 m in a heat which includes Bay Sheffield finalist Timothy Blyzno, and runner-up in the Warrnambool Gift Jared Glover.
Lancefield Gift runner-up Ash Koswattage and exciting runner Kristerfer Kardakovski highlights the fifth heat, while in the sixth heat, 2023 70 m winner Endale Mekonnen and Warrnambool Gift third-placed runner Nicholas Antonino are entered.
Local hope Charlie Sullivan, the under 18 winner in 2024, will highlight the seventh heat off 6.5 m, while Tom Pellow, who ran third at Cobden, will also be in the event.
Rounding out a fascinating list of heats in the eighth heat will be the in-form Dash Muir, who finished third at Lancefield and equal second in the Bay Sheffield, while Samuel Blyzno, who finished fourth in the Bay Sheffield, and exciting runner Jack Wolff will also run.
Victorian Athletic League racecaller Oliver Wurm highlighted the main chances in both events.
“In the men’s, Dash Muir ran second in the Bay Sheffield, his handicap may change because of what he did there. He could be one to keep an eye on,” he said.
“Another one who is of interest is Bailey Culbert. He is the son of former Olympic long-jumper and media personality David Culbert. He hasn’t run this season, but he could be one that comes here and does pretty well.
“Chad Perris is another who has entered, he is a Paralympic sprinter and has won a Ballarat Gift, he is one of interest. He may find it a bit hard off his mark, Cooper Sherman is the national 400 m champion and ran 45 seconds last season. He is on the rise as well.
“Jared Glover is a good option to put in as a chance. He’s trained by Shane McKenzie, who has a good stable. They are probably the chances on paper, but there might be some athletes who pop out of the blue as well.”
Wurm is also excited about the prospects of a close race in the women’s Gift.
“There’s a good list of athletes and it’s wide open. Ruby Crisp runs off 12 metres, she is an athlete to keep an eye on,” he said.
“Jasmine Rowe is entered and off the limit. She won the restricted 120 m at the Bay Sheffield. She became the first woman to win the restricted 120 there, which is a race for those who haven’t won a race.
“Jordan McMillan, a South Aussie, has been running really well in Victoria, made the 70 m final at the Bay Sheffield; if we see Bella Pasquali there, she is a world junior gold and silver medallist, Stawell Gift winner and a very talented 400 m runner.
“There’s a few to keep an eye on too, Nyajima Jock runs off six metres, she is certainly an athlete to keep an eye on, and probably Angelina Windshuttle as well, she made the Stawell Gift final last year, and is one that could challenge as well.
“The equity and equality has been great in recent years, which is great as well. There’s 49 entries for the women’s and 61 for the men. It will be intriguing to see how it unfolds and there’s a good support card as well.”
With a forecast of around 27 degrees, Wurm is expecting a better day than recent editions, of which temperatures soared to the mid-30s.
“We’ve had a few uncomfortable days in the past where it’s reached the mid-30s for athletes and officials as well, especially for the people playing the pipes and the drums, but hopefully it’s nice and mildish. There was a good turnout in 2024, so I expect much the same,” he said.
The card will begin with the opening event at 10 am with the opening heats of the 800 open.
The first final will see the under 14s 120 m at 11.12 am, while the 800 m open will be held at 11.37.
The 70 m open men’s and women’s finals will be held at 12.23 and 12.32 pm respectively, followed swiftly by the 12.41 under 18 boys final and 12.49 under 18 girls final.
The 120 m over 30 final will be held at 1.28, before the first heats for the women’s Gift begins at 1.37, followed by the men’s Gift heats starting at 1.58.
That will be followed by the 1600 m open final at 2.28.
No on track action will pass until 3.22, with the semi’s of the women’s Gift to be followed by the men’s Gift semis at 3.28.
The 300 m over 35 heats will start at 3.39, followed by the 200 m open heats at 4.18.
The 400 m under 18 heats will start at 4.47, while the 400 m open women’s starts at 4.59, followed by the men at 5.11.
A frantic final hour follows.
The 300 m over 35 final will be held at 5.35, followed by the two main events — the 120 m women’s Gift at 5.44, and the 120 m men’s Gift at 5.54.
The 200 m open will be held at 6.04, followed by the 400 m finals, the under 18s at 6.12, the women’s at 6.20 and the men’s at 6.28.
The final event will see the 1600 over 35 final at 6.38, rounding out a hectic day’s action at Princes Park.