The Stawell Gift has stood the test of time for 142 years, remaining Australia's richest footrace thanks to the dedication of runners on what's known as the professional circuit.
It's a unique sport built on a handicapping system similar to horse racing, where athletes of all abilities compete on a level playing field. Each week, runners of all ages and backgrounds travel far and wide, united by the shared dream of one day achieving Stawell glory.
Some are long-time competitors whose best may be behind them, but their love for the sport keeps them lacing up the spikes. Others are emerging or established sprinters whose careers have been nurtured by the historic Victorian Athletic League (VAL). But whichever way you look at it, there are athletes in all corners of the state and the country who live and breathe this unique competition.
Which is why the inclusion of high-profile talents like Gout Gout and Lachlan Kennedy in this year's Gift has stirred discussion.
The Stawell Gift remains a remarkable spectacle, but there's no denying its heyday has passed. Officials have been forced to innovate, looking for ways to restore the event's former stature.
But 2025 presented a perfect opportunity to put the event back on the map. With Gout entering the athletics scene like a freight train, closely followed by the blistering speed and popularity of Kennedy, it was a no-brainer to get the pair down to continue their rivalry on the hallowed turf at Central Park.
Their inclusion has helped turn heads, draw cameras and spark broader interest in the Gift once again. It's a shot in the arm for a sport in need of fresh attention.
But for many within the tight-knit pro running community, it raises a genuine dilemma. Should athletes who've dedicated years to this circuit, chasing the dream of Stawell glory, be made to compete against high-profile entrants whose one-off appearance, while a clever marketing move, risks shifting the event's identity in favour of commercial appeal?
VAL veteran runner and coach John Cara believes so. While acknowledging the ability of both athletes, he sees their inclusion as a potential slight to those who have built the sport from the ground up.
"No doubt, they're good for the sport, but I always would like to see runners like that come back and actually support the sport," he said.
"Pro runners do it hard every year and make the sport for what it is.
"These guys (Gout and Kennedy) are they good for the races to come? They need to support it; that's how you know the balance works. Then the runners will respect them even more."
But there still remains another side to this story, one that even traditionalists are beginning to acknowledge. The presence of Gout and Kennedy hasn't just created headlines, it's brought people through the gates. It's prompted discussions around pro running that haven't been had in years, maybe even since that magnificent 400m run from Kathy Freeman in 1996. For the first time in a long time, the Gift feels like it's part of the national conversation again.
Lifelong pro runner Craig Foley, son of dual Stawell Gift winner Barry Foley, believes that the injection of amateur runners into the event is a necessity for its survival.
"We're having runners like Kennedy and Rizzo and Gout, bringing so many more people through the gate to actually watch them, and it also exposes it to other amateur athletes who wouldn't even know what it is," he said.
"The gift is definitely for professional athletes, and it is a handicapped event. But, we can't stay completely locked in the past, that only pros can run and only pros can win.
"To say that Stawell will keep surviving just with pro runners, it's ignorant to think that in the modern world. Stawell can't survive another 143 years without having the likes of Kennedy and Gout here."
There's no clear answer. What's certain is that the 2025 Stawell Gift has sparked something. Whether it's tension or transformation, or a mix of both, this year's event may come to be seen as a turning point in the ongoing evolution of one of Australia's most treasured sporting traditions.
