The Stawell Gift: Australia’s Oldest Foot Race, 40 Minutes from the Nook

The Stawell Gift is a very old, very fast, very Australian event. It’s been running since 1878 — not long after the gold rush — and it arrives each Easter weekend with the kind of atmosphere that proper sporting tradition produces. The Southern Hemisphere’s oldest and richest short-distance handicap foot race, held in Stawell, about forty minutes from the Nook.

How It Works

The handicap format is what makes it interesting. Runners are assigned starts based on their previous performances, so elite and amateur athletes end up crossing the line within seconds of each other. That compression of ability makes for a finish that’s genuinely hard to predict. The crowd knows it, which is why the noise is something else in those last twenty metres.

Planning Around It

Easter in the Grampians is already a good reason to visit — the wildflowers are usually starting, the trails are cool enough for long days, and the region is at a lively kind of busy without being overwhelmed. Adding the Stawell Gift to the itinerary gives the weekend a focal point.

Stay at the Nook, drive to Stawell for race day, come back to the outdoor bath and something from the hamper in the evening. It’s a good kind of tired.

Stawell is forty minutes from the Nook. The Gift runs every Easter. Book your stay.