AusLeisure

Headed by Victorian Athletic League president, Stephanie Spence and including broadcaster Jason Richardson, a new management committee has been appointed to ensure the Stawell Gift – Australia’s oldest professional footrace – is on track for a vibrant future.

The new team is charged with driving collaboration between key event partners and provide expertise to build sponsorship and tourism and better promote the event and region through its national broadcast.

The Victorian Government encouraged reforms that included the establishment of a new management structure and provided a commitment of $1.22 million in funding to secure the future of the event, which was first run in 1878.

Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula welcomed the appointment of the committee of management, which includes three independent members and representatives from the athletic league, the Stawell Athletic Club and the Northern Grampians Shire Council.

The independent directors are Channel Seven and Racing.com personality Richardson – the 1993 Stawell Gift winner – as well as marketing/business manager Sally Tucker and senior commercial and media executive Dustin Lockett, a finalist in the 1997 Gift.

Spence and Tim Mason are drawn from the ranks of the state‘s professional running body and the Stawell Athletic Club is represented by president Neil Blizzard, Robert Irvine and Wendy Hopwood while Northern Grampians Mayor Murray Emerson and Chief Executive Liana Thompson round out the 10-member committee.

Spence is a former state and national league track athlete who has won over 800 metres at Stawell. She has more than 15 years’ experience working in the higher education sector and has been a board member of the Victorian Athletic League since 2016 and president since 2018.

With equal prize money for the men’s and women’s Gifts and a committee of management with 40% female representation, the Victorian Government is proud to support an event that is levelling the playing field.

The Victorian Government encouraged reforms that included the establishment of a new management structure and provided a commitment of $1.22 million in funding to secure the future of the event, which was first run in 1878.

Minister Pakula notes “The Stawell Gift is a great Victorian event that can use these new foundations to further build on its commercial, tourism and cultural appeal.

“The appointment of the committee of management is a significant step forward and I congratulate all parties on their commitment and spirit of co-operation.”

Stawell Athletic Club President, Neil Blizzard adds “The pandemic meant that we could not hold the Gift this year which was a blow – but this new committee will now throw all of its efforts into making the 2021 Gift a great success.”

Image courtesy of www.stawellgift.com/

Related Articles

7th July 2020 - World Athletics looks to broaden mass participation reach

29th June 2020 - World Athletics partners with Parkrun to boost participation

29th June 2020 - Gold Coast Marathon virtual event receives significant support from keen participants

3rd June 2020 - Gold Coast Marathon goes virtual for 2020 on Global Running Day

20th May 2020 - Gold Coast Marathon cancelled due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions

9th April 2020 - 2022 dates confirmed for World Athletics Championships Oregon

2nd January 2020 - National Athletics Championships to return to Hawke’s Bay in 2021 and 2022

20th December 2019 - Future of Stawell Gift sprint race in doubt despite Victorian Government offer of funding

4th October 2019 - Redeveloped athletics track at Goldsworthy Reserve set for official opening

4th October 2019 - Athletics Australia and Little Athletics agree to unite

31st May 2019 - Record Gold Coast Marathon numbers prompt organisers to adapt the course

30th November 2017 - Athletics Australia claim up to three million recreational joggers are ‘participating in athletics’

21st August 2017 - Little Athletics Australia and Athletics Australia to deliver nationwide inclusion framework

16th November 2017 - Singapore Marathon entries filled for the first time in the race’s history

29th March 2016 - Victorian Government provides $600,000 backing for the Stawell Gift

---

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.