A new event has been confirmed for the 2021 edition of the Stawell Gift, with some of Australia's top distance runners booking their place for an Easter Monday showdown.
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The AIA Vitality Invitational is a new race scheduled to feature alongside the traditional Powercor Stawell Gift and Change Our Game Women's Gift sprint finals on Easter Monday, April 5.
A $6,500 purse will be on offer for the winner with Australian record-breakers, Olympic finalists and Commonwealth Games champions in contention.
Headlining the field will be distance star Stewart McSweyn who broke the Australian records in the 1500 metres, 3000 metres and 10,000 metres in 2020.
"As a kid I followed the Stawell Gift and used to watch it on television," he said.
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"Some great names have raced at Stawell, so it will be really good to finally be a part of it.
"It's the biggest athletic event on TV and I get to run there, it's pretty cool.
"I know quite a few people who have run at Stawell and they all talk about the track and what awesome nick it is in for the Gift.
"I'm looking forward to it, my family from Tasmania are coming which will be special as they don't normally get to watch me run in Australia. It's not a bad way to spend Easter."
McSweyn has already qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in the 5000 metres and 10000 metres and is a lock for the 1500 metres event, but said his favourite distance is the 3 kilometres or 2 mile.
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"It's an in-between distance which for me is the sweet spot. I'll be off scratch and going full tilt the whole way," he said.
The 3200 metres handicap event will start at 1.33pm on Easter Monday, April 5, with Stawell Gift event management chair Stephanie Spence describing it as one of the best events of the weekend.
"This is the best middle-distance field in Australia coming together for a feature race at Stawell," she said.
McSweyn will be the backmarker of the race, while other runners are given handicaps according to their recent form, with rivals with Matthew Ramsden off 40 metres and Brett Robinson a further 15 metres in front.
The AIA Vitality Invitational field will also contain Commonwealth half-marathon champion Jack Rayner, Olympic finalist Ryan Gregson, 10,000 metres Olympic finalist David McNeill and Commonwealth Games 1500 metres runner Jordy Williamsz.
An additional four Victorian Athletic League athletes may be invited to participate in this event.
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