In just over a week, the cream of the running crop will make their way to Wangaratta for the 105th Wangaratta Sports Carnival.

On Saturday, 24 January, the showgrounds will be a hotbed of activity, with spectators sure to be dazzled by talented athletes on the track and with the axe.

Entries for the woodchopping and the Wangaratta Gift have now closed, with Wangaratta Sports Club president Anna Pasquali eager to put on a momentous display of established runners and woodchoppers, as well as a sneak peak at future stars.

“The woodchopping starts at 10am, gates open from 9am – it’s free entry with a gold coin donation, and that’ll hopefully encourage the local community to get around it and come down,” she said.

“If the forecast is over 38 [degrees], we’re not allowed to start until it drops under 38.

“A few years ago we had a 5pm start instead of a 2.30pm start, but we’re aiming for a 2.30pm start.

“We’ve got a 70m, 100m and 400m for the Little Athletes, and I just do a handicap on that to try and make it a replica of the Gift so they’re getting used to VAL [Victorian Athletics League] running.

“Most of the finals are between 8 and 9-30pm, it wraps up at about 9.30pm Saturday evening.

“We’ve got live DJs, we’ve got music down there again – we did that last year and that worked really well.

“We’ve got a full canteen, the canteen is in full swing, they’re not just doing pies and sausage rolls, they’re doing different types of food.”

While final entry numbers for the running are still being finalised, Pasquali said the appetite for top-notch running in the North East was as ravenous as ever, and support for the carnival was as resolute as ever.

“We don’t get number for the carnival yet, we get them later, closer to the day, but so far, I’ve spoken to VAL and they say numbers are looking good,” she said.

“The Rye Gift was on the weekend and there were lots of people asking us about the Wang carnival and how it’s travelling and how we’re going.

“It’s our 105th running, people who support the carnival have supported the carnival for years and will into the future.

“We’ve had really good support from the local businesses for sponsorship too.

“The support the Rural City of Wangaratta has given us, they’ve given us a grant over three years – it means they’re locked in for three years and we know the money’s coming, and we know we’ll have a Gift next year.”

Be sure to check out next week’s Wangaratta Chronicle editions for ongoing coverage of the 2026 Wangaratta Sports Carnival.