RYE’s premier sporting event, the Rye Gift will be held at R.J.Rowley Reserve, Melbourne Road, Rye on Saturday 10 January 2026.
Now in its 50th year, the event is rated as the third highest ranked event for professional running on the Victorian Athletics League calendar.
Foremost in success is the Pasquali family, with Wally Pasquali winning the men’s 120m Rye Gift in 1995. Then the sensational and record breaking triple winner Anna Pasquali (Nee Deery) won the Women’s 120m Rye Gift in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
2023 saw daughter Bella Pasquali win the Women’s 120M Rye Gift as a 16 year old. Bella went on to take out the Women’s Stawell Gift in the same year.
2023 men’s 120m Rye Gift winner Nicholas Antonino also went on to place in the men’s 120m Stawell gift placing second being beaten one hundredth of a second.
2017 Women’s Rye gift Winner, Ebony Lane and 2020 Women’s 120m Rye Gift winner Bree Master represented in the Australian Athletics Team at the 2024 Paris Olympics
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Rye Gift Athletics carnival and Family Fun Day prize money for both Men’s and Women’s 120m Rye Gift events will be increased to $10,000 and the men’s and women’s 400m events increased to $2,500.
The Gift is a family-friendly day with free rides, face painting and other children’s activities, which in 2026 will include the addition of an animal petting farm for the children from 10.30am until 3.30pm.
There are bookmakers on site covering horse racing and foot running. Other events include the Senior and Junior Community Club Relays, so come and cheer your local club on.
There is a Rye Junior gift, under six to under 14, (boys and girls events) run under the auspices of the Southern Peninsula Little Athletics Centre conducted from 8.30am to 10am. These events are proudly sponsored by Maw Civil PL and the Rotary Club of Rosebud-Rye.
A full day of running events will commence after the Rye Junior Gift races with heats commencing from 10am and finishing semis and finals from around 2.15pm.
The Rye Gift proudly offers equal prize money for both men and women winners. There will be refreshments, hot food and a liquor booth available on the day.
The major sponsors of this event are Maw Civil PL for the 120m Men’s Rye Gift and the Rye Hotel for the 120m Women’s Rye Gift.
Other major sponsors of the day are the Mornington Peninsula Shire and Community Bank Southern Peninsula who sponsor the Senior and Junior Community Relays. Event sponsors include Rye RSL, South Coast Medical Centre, Clarrie Jennings & Sons P/L, Jim’s Test & Tag, Wittinglsow Amusements PL, Rotary Club of Rosebud-Rye and in-kind support from Haymes Paint Place, Rosebud, Peninsula Bulk Meats, Rosebud and SOLO Resource & Recovery who all make this event possible.
For further details contact the Secretary, Gary Sanford on email; gary.sanford@outlook.com or 0409 194 314.
First published in the Mornington News – 9 December 2025
