In a big weekend of athletics and cycling in the North East and on the Border, the Wangaratta Sports Carnival will be held on Saturday at Norm Minns Oval with the Albury-Wodonga Gift on Sunday at Albury Sportsground.

Wangaratta Sports Club manager Graeme Taylor said rather than compete for entries, competitors could make the most of the weekend by competing in the two events.

“I think that’s been a benefit, having the Albury Gift,” Taylor said yesterday.

“We can have runners in Wangaratta on the Saturday and Albury on the Sunday.

“I think they have complemented each other.

“I think they are disappointed with their entries like we are.

“I think it’s a general trend.”

Entries for running and cycling are slightly down for the 91-year-old Wangaratta carnival, which attracted almost 500 athletics and 100 cycling entries last year.

The cycling criterium around the central business district and the woodchopping have been scrapped, but the club is making the most of the new lights at the showgrounds by holding the Gift at 9.15pm and the wheelrace at 10pm.

“We are just putting the final program together for Saturday,” Taylor said.

“We’ll have a 1.30 start until about 5.30.

“We are going to re-introduce a tea break.

“The new lights now enable us to run the Gift under lights.

“The evening program will start at 7pm with the gift and the wheelrace finals under the new lights.

”We’ve got similar interest to last year entries-wise.

“Junior cycling events will be during the afternoon and senior events during the evening.”

Taylor said organisers had been impressed with the increase in women’s cycling entries.