The gift, part of Cricket Willow's Run for the Willow carnival, has been moved to January 5 on the Victorian Athletic League calendar.

This is a month later than previously.

Carnival promoter Chris Tuohy said the gift, in its third year at the Shepherd's Flat location, aimed to tie in with the prestigious Maryborough Gift on New Year's Day.

Tuohy, a four-time Stawell Gift finalist, expected the new date would attract better interstate runners to stay in the region and contest both gifts as a double.

"It'll be a bit like the Ballarat and Ararat gifts which are held close together," Tuohy said.

"It's just a more convenient date and we're working closely with Maryborough."

The gift weekend is also free of A-League athletic events.

Gift organisers are working hard to secure some of the biggest names in Australian sprinting, including Olympians Daniel Batman, Joshua Ross and Adam Miller, reigning Stawell Gift champion Nathan

Allen and past Stawell winner Adrian Mott.

Olympic hockey gold medallist and sprinter Nova Peris-Kneebone is also interested in signing up for the women's gift.

Tuohy said organisers just had to wait and see how scheduling panned out for the top athletes.

The introduction of a stable relay is also under the consideration of event management, which could feature a 4x100m Australian men's relay team.

Three new events have already been added to Run for the Willow's program, including a $400 veterans 300m, a $400 women's 400m and a $200 under-25 100m.

Timing the carnival in the New Year holiday period also hopes to entice more community involvement.

Tuohy encouraged people in the spa region to call Cricket Willow with their views on improving the carnival atmosphere, including ideas for market stalls.