Murray Goodwin’s Stawell Gift win leads to Commonwealth Games

Date: 15th March 2018

Once Murray Goodwin had won the Stawell Gift he believed he could achieve anything.  It’s now three years on and Murray has been chosen to represent Australia at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games next month.  He couldn’t be prouder.

“Stawell is the event that brought me back in love with the sport.  The Gift gave me the confidence and the platform to go further.  It’s the absolute pinnacle of professional races.  It was a dream come true to have played a small part in the history of the race that holds such esteem,” said Murray.

The Gold Coast school teacher says he wants to do well for the students as they have shared in the journey along the way.

“For a long time I wasn’t sure which path to take so I stopped running competitively.  I took the sensible route and became a teacher, but never knew if I would have some element of regret.  So I thought I would have one last go at making it as an athlete aged 28.”

Coach Brett Robinson encouraged Murray to visit Stawell only weeks after making his athletics comeback to soak up the atmosphere and experience the uniqueness of Australia’s richest footrace.  They trained hard for a year and returned to take the top prize in 2015.

“The handicap system brings a lot of different runners with different strengths into contention. I am more suited to 200-400m and that is where my strength is, I’m a second half of the race athlete.  I was able to use that strength to prepare for the Stawell Gift and it all came together.

“It was unexpected, but a great experience and I proved to myself that it wasn’t too late.

The Stawell Gift is so special, it means so much to so many people.  Winning at Stawell set the course for me to continue, I thought I might be able to go on and achieve more.”

Even a hip injury and then surgery in 2016 didn’t deter Murray from pursuing his dream to represent Australia.  “With everything I had achieved I had a never give up attitude.”

After training hard in 2017 Murray was rewarded with the national 400m title in February and from there a place in the 2018 Australian Commonwealth Games team.  He lines up with the 4x400m relay team next month.

Goodwin said it was a great honour to pull on the green and gold in Queensland for the event.

See here for footage of Murray Goodwin’s win at the 2015 Stawell Gift.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZDZ2Ui0ZFI

Three days of action-packed racing, activities and entertainment make up the 2018 Stawell Gift Carnival. The off-track action is headlined by Fashions on the Field which takes centre stage on Easter Saturday (March 31, 2018) with $2500 in prize money and gifts up for grabs. Easter Sunday is Cadbury^® Family Day at Stawell with The Cadbury^® Easter Egg Hunt headlining a fantastic schedule of child-friendly activities including an athletics clinic, an animal nursery and plenty of other organised fun for the kids.
 
Tickets can be purchased online in advance of the Stawell Gift here. Adult concession tickets start from just $12, while Child tickets are free on Cadbury^® Family Day.

For further information, please contact Jane Owen at 360 Sport and Entertainment on 0407936005/jane.owen@360se.com.au.
 

About the Stawell Gift

The Stawell Gift Carnival is one of Australia’s most iconic sporting events, which incorporates the famous 120 Metre handicap foot race known as the Stawell Gift. Run on grass, athletes are handicapped according to form and ability and start off varying marks accordingly. Competitors in the men’s and women’s 120 Metre Gifts compete for a massive $40,000 first prize each as well as a place in Australian sporting folklore. 2017 winners were Matt Rizzo and Liv Ryan. The Stawell Gift is conducted each Easter in Stawell, Victoria. The 2018 carnival will take place from Saturday March 31 – Monday April 2, 2018. More information is available at www.stawellgift.com.

 

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