And this Saturday’s gift is set to be bigger again, with organisers predicting more than 300 athletes will be in attendance at the Albury Sports Ground.

Sixty five men and 36 women have entered the gift, with organiser Carrick Gill-Vallance thrilled with the increase in numbers.

“It’s certainly shaping up to be the biggest gift we’ve run to date,” Gill-Vallance said.

“Albury-Wodonga is such a massive hub for sports, it’s exciting to be able to become a bigger and bigger part of it.”

After sharing dates with the Wangaratta Gift for a couple of years, Gill-Vallance said it was good to secure a weekend with no clashes.

“People love coming here for this event, we’re really lucky that it’s so popular,” he said.

“To have a stand-alone date for it this year is a huge win for us, we’ve seen a pretty sizeable boost in numbers.”

There is $25,000 in prize- money, making it one of the best-paying meetings on the Victorian Athletics League circuit.

Last year’s champions Melissa Breen and Luke Stevens will return to defend their titles, with Breen also running a training clinic with the kids from Little Athletics earlier in the day.

“Melissa is the Australian 100-metre record holder, as well as an Olympic and Commonwealth Games representative for Australia,” Gill-Vallance said.

“It’s a thrill to have her back, she’s an excellent ambassador for the event.”

This year’s gift will also see the return of the popular fastest footballer race, which was won last year by the Wangaratta Rovers’ James Smith.

“The fastest footballer is a really great way to bridge the gap between our sport and all the different codes of footy that play in this region,” Gill-Vallance said.

“It’s good for the clubs in the area, and it’s a bit of fun for the spectators, and from our point of view it’s just another good reason to come down and see what the event is all about.

“The races are a bit more interesting thanks to the handicaps.

“We want to show our juniors in particular that there is a pathway to professional athletics in this region.”

Gates open at 10.30am, with the final for the women’s gift being held at 7.16am.

The men’s final will be held at 7.53pm, while the fastest footballer race will be at 7.11pm.