Time to replace the Backmarkers 120m at Stawell

It is time for the Backmarkers 120m race at Stwaell to be upgraded to a scratch race over 120m to reward the best, with athletes qualifying via entering and running in the Gift. Thus rewarding and attracting our fastest and best.

Imagine a Men's and Women's 120m scratch race worth considerable money, this, along with the Gifts, would be special -and create a lot of interest and coverage, a promoter's dream!

So you're saying have 2 separate races, 6 men and 6 women in both races, all off scratch?

naughtycorner wrote:So you're saying have 2 separate races, 6 men and 6 women in both races, all off scratch?

Yes, 2 separate races, 8 men and 8 women - it would be silly to have 2 vacant lanes. Reward the fastest 8.

I've never seen much point in this race as it is. Taking the handicaps out of it would make it just like the age-graded races, decided before they're even run and runners would scratch from it.

Surely people would rather see these runners in the 200? Why not make the 200 a bigger event and add a women's 200 so the better runners have a second reason to be there? Scrap the backmarkers invitational and the 400m reserves and make each event on the Monday bigger instead of secondary events of the same distance.

Agree. The “Backmarkers” Invitational isn’t really a backmarkers anymore. Bring back the days of the professional 100 yards championship or the like, and make it a true backmarkers/scratch race, like it used to be, for women and men. We’ve seen over the past two Stawell Gifts, how much of a great race the women’s 1000m has been. Let’s get the best of the best in the sprint ranks to Central Park for two true backmarkers races.

The 200 could certainly be more of a spectacle if remodelled.

This has been said before the Back markers need their own race , not of scratch but cap it at 5 it's not Ammos .This will  bring back our warriors and the bookies, would love a crack at this .Imagine the likes of Hann Basic or even Maddie Coates  Bree Masters going head to head over the distance .Even the men Chico Stevens Riali  Despard .Thats excitement right there
The gift needs a lift and what a way to end the carnival

All sounds like we are saying it’s not fair for the back markers. Which I agree. Just stop the bonus lifts and give everyone a chance to win. The ideas above are great as it’s unlikely that the handicaps will ever be sided to a real back marker athlete Wearing red. Not a 7m running in red.

Given it’s an early Easter next year, and apparently Nationals are back on as an eight day combined event, you’re probably not getting any of those sprinters turning up to Stawell if Easter Monday is only six to ten days before their Nationals events.

Spread the prize money deep and they will run especially if some prestige and expose is build around the race. It is the only annual athletics meeting that gets annual free to air TV coverage..
We need a scratch race to get all of the best to Stawell and make it bigger and better.

Eg 20k spread deep as per below

1 st-$7k
2nd- $5k
3rd-$3k
4th-$2k
5th-$1k
6th-,$1k
7th-$ 500
8th -$500

I don't agree it would be a forgone conclusion it would be over 120m and on grass - can we always predict who is going to make the national 100m and 200m final?

I think it would be fantastic to also have the best at Stawell- also stop those wingeing about handicaps - the fastest wins and the rest take their prize and place.

Far too much money for guys who contribute nothing to the sport at any other meet. 5k is enough for a backies. If they are already there they’ll be happy to have a free hit at $2500 first prize.
The rest of the prizemoney for the other events is embarrassing at Stawell. It is not right that everyone else subsidises backies events.

Stawell in the past has paid some good money to attract the best. We start with Stawell, the more interest at Stawell the greater chance we have of lifting the profile of other meetings and attracting bigger sponsors and better athletes.

Increasing prize money beats appearance money.

What do you think would increase the contribution of the best?

If we can get another Asafa Powell type, eg. Fred Kerley, then our top athletes will want to run against him for very little.
When you look back in recent history at the great runners we have had at Stawell there is no reason we shouldn’t try and entice one of them across and then our good runners will come.

Spend the money on our own not internationals, and build the profile of our own circuit by holding scratch races for prize money interspersed amongst our handicapped races.
Nurturing grassroots athletics while building a scratch circuit our own can aspire to.

Browning off scratch. Don’t lift the field. Would be a great show. Pay him 5-10k to appear and run.

Unfortunately not the best value to pay Browning $10k.
But hold a scratch race where he can race against the rest of Australia’s best on grass over 120, how exciting would that be.

If Browning does not turn up, the fastest that does wins and takes the money.

If this is done consistently the best will come. They turn up to the States and Nationals for nothing.

Reward performance not appearance