Following the release of the official handicaps early this week, the 16-year-old has been handed a mark of 2.25 metres.

Hale is in good form following recent wins at both the Tasmanian State Championships over the weekend and the 100 metres and 200 metres at the national Junior Athletic Championships, qualifying him for the World Youth Championships in Colombia in July. Hale clocked a wind-assisted 10.13 seconds at the Australian All Schools Track and Field Championships last year.

His last Gift appearance at the Bay Sheffield in Adelaide saw him run out of his semi-final, off a handicap of 2.75 metres.

Mitchell Williams-Swain has the difficult task of running off scratch as he attempts to win the Woolworths Stawell Gift for the second time. The backmarker first won the event in 2011 and was favourite going into the 2013 Gift final before a false start ended his chances of victory.

Joining Williams-Swain at the back of the field is Australian World Championship representative Matt Davies, off a mark of 0.75 of a metre.

The 2013 Gift winner Andrew Robinson is registered to run, with a mark of four metres, however is unlikely to compete due to an achilles injury.

Former Jamaican sprinter and member of the bobsled team Khan Marr (3.25m) will be returning to Stawell after a year off.

The 32-year-old most recently competed at the Victorian Track and Field Championships in February, running the 100 metres in a wind-assisted 10.74 seconds.

For the first time in the history of the 134-year old event, athletes competing in the Australia Post Women's Gift will be racing for prize parity of the Woolworths Stawell Gift, a total prize pool of $60,000.

With 121 women competing in the event, it is arguably one of the strongest fields in recent years.

Australia's 100 metre record holder Melissa Breen, a regular at Stawell, has been handed the scratch mark and will be hoping for a repeat of her 2012 win.

Breen will be running down New South Wales' Ella Nelson, who recently upstaged Breen and Sally Pearson at the Sydney Track Classic to win the 200 metre.

Nelson, running off a mark of 2.75m, will be one to watch with her known 200 metre strength to go along with a recent season best of 11.72 seconds (-0.7).

Nelson will start 0.25 metre in front of Commonwealth Games representative Ashleigh Whittaker, who is also showing good recent form. Whittaker (PB 11.51s) recently ran 11.62 seconds into a -1.3 metre head wind to challenge Breen in the Melbourne World Challenge.

Last year's winner Holly Dobbyn (6.5m) is back to reclaim victory, no doubt vying for the significant increased prizemoney.

Australian World Juniors sprinter Maddie Coates (4.5m) and three-time Olympian Lauren Wells (5.25m) are also in the mix.

A full list of handicaps can be found at www.stawellgift.com.

2015 Woolworths Stawell Gift - Backmarkers

Mitchell Williams-Swain QLD 0m, Matt Davies QLD 0.75m, Jordan Caldow SA 1.75m, Matt Carter VIC 2m, Jake Hammond NSW 2m, Jack Hale TAS 2.25m, Luke Stevens VIC 2.5m, Khan Marr VIC 3.25m, Andrew Robinson TAS 4m, Ben Mispelhorn QLD 4m

2015 Australia Post Women's Gift - Backmarkers

Melissa Breen ACT 0m, Ashleigh Whittaker VIC 2.5m, Ella Nelson NSW 2.75m, Monica Brennan VIC 3.5m, Elly Graf NSW 4.5m, Maddie Coates VIC 4.5m, Angela Byrt VIC 5m, Kendra Hubbard VIC 5m, Jacinta Doyle NSW 5m, Nicole Kay QLD 5.25m, Lauren Wells ACT 5.25m

This year's Woolworths Stawell Gift will be broadcast on Seven with a two and a half hour live telecast on Easter Monday. Highlights of the event will follow on Fox Sports at 10.30pm.

The 2015 Woolworths Stawell Gift will be held over the Easter Weekend, from Friday, April 3 to Monday, April 6 at Central Park, Stawell.

Tickets are now on sale. For all information please visit www.stawellgift.com.