Every family member has been involved with the Gift on or off the track.

John Dalziel has been on The Stawell Athletic Club committee for 38 years, and his love for the event and sport has continued with his children and now his grandchildren.

"We all just love it, we've been involved for as long as I can remember," he said.

The 2022 Stawell Gift was extra special for John as his granddaughter Emily won the double at the event.

Emily won The Stawell Athletic Club Women's Handicap 800m Final winner in 02:07.947 and then she was victorious in the Past Runners Association Women's and Masters' Handicap 1600 race with a time of 4:26.272 with a 285m handicap.

In 2014, his grandson Ashley Cowen managed the same feat; winning the 1600-metre Stawell Gift Hall of Fame Backmarkers' Handicap with a time of 3:55:10.

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Cowen then backed this effort up with victory in the 1600-metre Victory Restricted final with a time of 4:07:90.

"To have two grandchildren who have won a double at the Stawell Gift - it is pretty unique," he said.

"It must be pretty rare."

Every year Dalziel said more members of his family get involved in the Stawell Gift festivities.

"I had another granddaughter (Madison) who also ran over the weekend and I have two other grandchildren helping out selling programs (Angus and Imogen) and another one helping out on the blocks (James)," he said.

Dalziel said he was incredibly proud his grandchildren were able to win a race at the Stawell Gift - a feat which had eluded him.

In 1977 he finished third in the final of the 400m at the Stawell Gift.

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