Adding to the excitement of the Stawell Athletic Club's Asian television coverage of this year's Easter carnival is a boost in funds by the Victorian Athletic League.
The cash injection and economic benefit for the region has also been boosted significantly by the VAL, with the Ararat and Ballarat Athletic Clubs holding their meetings in the week following the Stawell Gift.
This will create an athletics extravaganza modelling the Melbourne spring racing carnival, with the Stawell Gift emulating the Melbourne Cup and the Ararat and Ballarat Gifts, Oaks and Stakes Day.
The Ballarat Athletic Club has boosted the prizemoney on offer for its athletic carnival by over $60,000, with a $40,000 Gift as the feature event.
The prizemoney for the support events at the Ballarat carnival has also been increased significantly, supporting grassroots athletics.
In a dramatic overhaul of the event, the Ballarat Gift will become a two-day carnival and for the first time be run after the Stawell Gift.
The week long athletic carnival featuring Stawell, Ararat and Ballarat will see interstate and overseas athletes making the trip to regional Victoria as they never have before, as they now have the three biggest professional athletic meetings in the world in the same week and the in same region.
Ballarat Athletics Club treasurer and long time supporter (23 Stawell Gifts), Peter O'Dwyer was pleased with the news that VAL are going to increase funding.
``We're working with the VAL to put together a package/series rather than going at it alone, O'Dwyer said.
O'Dwyer, who is also a current member of the Stawell Athletic Club, said the Ballarat Athletic Club will have the new-look meet at Eureka Stadium on Saturday, April 10, and Sunday, April 11.
The 120-metre gift heats will be on the Saturday, with the semi-finals and final on the Sunday.
The Victorian Athletic League has also approved moving the Ararat Gift to Wednesday, April 7, as part of an exciting innovation for the sport.
The Easter Stawell Gift Carnival, which is on April 3, 4 and 5, has traditionally marked the end of the VAL season.
BAC president Peter Emerson said the changes were the most exciting developments professional running had seen in many years.
``This is big for Ballarat, but it's more than that,'' Emerson said.
``It's massive for the Grampians region.''
He said the club was confident the changes would provide an economic boost for Ballarat, Ararat and Stawell, with the three meets becoming a week-long carnival.
Emerson said the BAC believed it was a `no brainer' that athletes would stay on after the $60,000 Stawell Gift when there were two rich gifts on offer in the region in the preceding week.
The Ararat Highland Society plans to boost the Ararat Gift to $20,000.
Up to this year the Ballarat (Saturday) and Ararat (Sunday) Gifts have taken place on consecutive days of the same weekend in February.
Emerson said Ballarat Athletic Club had initiated the changes on the back of the City of Ballarat's bid in July to relocate the Stawell Gift to Ballarat from 2010 to 2014.
The offer to the Stawell Athletic Club was made to ensure the ongoing viability of Australia's most famous professional footrace.
The BAC has had ongoing discussions with the Ballarat City Council to help lift the profile and status of the Ballarat Gift in ways which will bring economic benefits to the city.
Emerson said the club had also engaged with Tourism Victoria in exploring all avenues to ensure the tourism potential of a week-long carnival across the greater Grampians and Ballarat regions.
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