Tara Murray
It was a successful return for the Lancefield Gift on Saturday.
Having not been run since 1965, the gift attracted some of the best runners from across Victoria.
The day’s highlights included the running of the richest men’s and women’s 400 metre races in Victoria featuring $6000 in prize money each. The 120 metres women’s and men’s racs had $5000 prize money.
Gift committee member Chris Dynon said it was a really good day with a big crowd in attendance despite the heat and wind.
“There was a real good vibe,” he said. “They bought their own marquees and it was like a real race picnic vibe.
“All the runners worked really hard. It was a successful day.”
There were more than 500 athletes competing across all the events.
Cameron Moss won the men’s 400 metre event off 32 metres in a time of 47.386.
This year he had made the final of the 400m in Ringwood, Bendigo, Keilor, Ballarat, Beachside, Wangaratta, Shepparton and Rye but without tasting any success.
Dynon said Moss gave one of the speeches of the day when he spoke openly and honestly to the crowd about his anxiety disorder and the great challenges that presents as an athlete.
Bella Pasquali, who was one of the stars of the day, continued her good form and won the 400 metres women’s event. She recently won gold at the under-20 World Championships.
Racing off eight metres and as the backmarker, she finished with a time of 53.249 to became the inaugural Lancefield Gift women’s winner.
The year 12 student has had success in the gift races, having previously won the 400m at Stawell as a 15-year-old, won the 120m Stawell Gift as a 16-year-old.
Jasper Thomas, who was racing off 5.75 metres won the men’s 120 metres event, while Clare De Salis won the women’s 120 metres event off seven metres.
Off track, there were plenty of highlights as well.
Gerald Walsh, who won the gift in 1964, was among the attendees and shared plenty of stories with the crowd who were keen to have a chat with him.
The grandson of Ricky Dunbar, who won the last edition in 1965, was among the runners on the day in another nice piece of history.
Dynon said planning was already underway for next year’s event, as they hope to make it even bigger and better.
