A FESTIVE atmosphere fit for the 103rd Wangaratta Sports Carnival saw top class fields take the track and swing the axe on Saturday.

Picture perfect weather greeted around 1500 people who walked through the Wangaratta Showgrounds gates to catch almost 11 hours straight of action from the woodchop to the running and the feature Wangaratta Gift finals under lights.

Wangaratta Sports Club president Paul Hughes said it was a smoothly run event

“We have a really good committee and volunteers and they all pitched in and it ran really well, it was an awesome night,” he said.

“There was good quality in both gift events and the final’s played out pretty well, the women’s was a tight race, Bella as she usually does was coming home like a steam train but she was a long way back.

“Jack Lacey was a convincing winner in the men's and given the track wasn’t fast on times because we’ve had so much rain, I think with his winning time he’ll be one to watch at the Stawell Gift.”

On the track the Little Athletics made a return to the event after last year’s heat re-scheduling took them out of action.

Hughes said the club was extremely happy to see the upcoming junior stars of the track have their chance to feature in front of a sizeable crowd.

“We love having the little aths, that’s the future of the sport and all of us on the committee are passionate about athletics and sport in general and just getting kids out and active,” he said.

“It gives them an opportunity to get in front of a crowd and have some exposure to some high level athletics.”

Of the small contingent of local hopefuls on the track, Bella Pasquali had the crowd on the edge of their seats as she ran fifth in the women’s Wangaratta Gift final, Andrea Hearne made her first gift semi, while young Isabella and Will Boulton impressed earlier in the day with a third and fifth placed finish respectively in the under 14 120m final.

Hughes said it was pleasing to see the event attract athletes from far and wide who made good use of the hospitality in town.

“We were on the weekend with the Shepparton Gift on Sunday, so that means most people stayed overnight and went to Shepparton the next day, so that’s good for the town,” he said.

“The woodchoppers were really pleased; I heard the takings at the bar were up 20 per cent from last year.

“In the men’s final we had a South Australian and a Tasmanian; it’s good we’re attracting interstaters and people to travel.”

Hughes said he wanted to thank the community for once again supporting the historic Wangaratta carnival and its hard working committee of organisers.

“We really appreciate the strong support we get from the Wangaratta business community, that’s what enables us to put this event on,” he said.