Ballarat Athletic Club has broken the 1000-entry barrier for the first time in the modern era.

Club committee member Greg Whitecross said there were 981 entries for the Victorian Athletic League program, plus more than 200 for little athletics events for the Saturday and Sunday meet.

He said this represented an increase of 100 on last year.

“It’s an outstanding response.”

The women’s gift has attracted 65 entries – an increase of 10.

Whitecross said this was considerably pleasing given prizemoney had had to trimmed owing to variations in sponsorship levels.

The Freight Bar Ballarat Gift, 120m, and MARS Ballarat Women’s Gift will again be worth the same, but prizemoney has been cut from $12,500 to $7500 each as part of an overall reduction from more than $40,000 to $30,000.

The Ballarat Gift has 90 entries.

Whitecross also highlighted the open 70m, women’s 400m and women’s/veteran’s 1600m as being among other events experiencing significant growth.

The open 70m has 134 entries – an increase of more than 30.

He said this alone would require an expansion to the program, with more heats than originally scheduled.

Whitecross said there had also been a huge response to a new event – a women’s 400m, which had 63 entries.

This has been added to open, restricted and backmarkers’ 400m.

This first day of the carnival has been shifted away from a what has been a traditional twilight timeslot to a daytime program.

Whiteross said this would allow athletes to attend a special function at the Freight Bar to watch a telecast of the Nitro Athletics Melbourne international track and field meet, featuring all-time great sprinter Usain Bolt. 

Handicaps by the VAL will be released early next week.

Whitecross said the Eastern Oval surface was looking in great shape.

He said he had no doubt the condition of the ground would ensure top quality racing across all levels.