Two rising stars of the athletics world are among the hot favourites to take out this weekend's Stawell Gift  – and for the first time Australia's richest footrace offers equal prize money for the women's event. 

By ALICE POHLNER

Pride and a generous prize are at stake for the Australia’s best sprinters on Easter Monday when Australian athletics fans turn to the Woolworths Stawell Gift and Australia Post Women’s Gift in western Victoria.

The 134th Stawell Gift – which has Australia’s biggest cash prize for sprinting – will end a weekend packed with competitive sprinting, with the men’s and women’s finals held on Easter Monday afternoon.

It will mark the first Stawell Gift where women compete for the same prize money as men since the women’s sprint was introduced in 1989.

New sponsor Australia Post has funded a prize pool increase to $60,000 from $6000, while the winner will collect $40,000.

Stawell Athletic Club committee member Robert Irvine said the increased prize would strengthen the calibre of athletes in the 120m open sprints.

“We expect the race to become more attractive to elite athletes both Australia-wide and internationally,” he said.

“The Stawell Athletic Club is proud to be one of the few major sporting events offering equal prize money for men and women in Australia.”

It has been a handicap race (staggered starts based on the strength of past performances), since the Gift was first run  in 1878.

This year, the attention is on schoolboy sprint sensation Jack Hale, who received a 2.25m mark.

The 16-year-old, who will race in the Gift for the first time, told Triple M’s Hot Breakfast he was excited about the atmosphere at what is Australia’s most famous footrace.

“There’s a big history behind it and I was watching it on TV when I was not really into athletics,” he said.

“It is going to be good to be a part of to see what it really is like.”

The backmarker is 2011 winner Mitchell Williams-Swain, off scratch.

Women's race

Rising star Ella Nelson, 20,  is tipped to be competitive in the women’s race after beating 100m Australian record holder Melissa Breen and Olympic gold medallist Sally Pearson in the 200m final at the 2015 Sydney Track Classic last month.

Nelson, on 2.75m, has an advantage on Breen, who won this event in 2012 and has the scratch mark.

Last year's winner, Ballarat teenager Holly Dobbyn, has  a 6.5m mark, despite limited competition this season because of injury.

The Easter Monday racing will be broadcast across Australia on Channel 7 and 7mate from 12pm, with the men’s final cutting into the AFL pre-game telecast.

The women’s final will be at 2.14pm with the men’s race at 2.45pm (AEST).

Backmarkers

Men
Mitchell Williams-Swain – 0m
Matt Davies – 0.75m
Jordan Caldow – 1.75m
Matt Carter – 2m
Jake Hammond – 2m
Jack Hale – 2.25m

Women
Melissa Breen – 0m
Ashleigh Whittaker – 2.5m
Ella Nelson – 2.75m
Monica Brennan – 3.5m
Elly Graf – 4.5m
Maddie Coates – 4.5m

Monday broadcast: Sydney, 7mate; Melbourne, Channel 7; Brisbane, 7mate; Adelaide, Channel 7; Perth 7mate and Channel 7; Hobart, Southern Cross Television; Highlights on Fox Sports.