THE Ballarat Gift proved to be a huge weekend for Melbourne-based runners and judging by the cheers from the crowd in the grandstand when Olivia Skerry won the photo finish in the Under 18 Girls 120m Gift, it was a popular win.
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Skerry, from Heathmont said it was an exciting win.
"I haven't had a win in a while, so it just proves my training has paid off," she said.
"We have a big team here and they are all in finals as well, we're really close. It's been a great event, there's been so many great athletes competing."
Skerry is a club mate of a host of women who made the final including Gift champions Zoe Neale (120m) and Taylah Perry (70m) and Zoe Glassborow.
The 16-year-old said she would now head to Stawell in a hope to continue her winning form.
In the boys event, Rye Stewart defied the handicapper with a runaway win.
Stewart, who raced off a handicap of 32 metres crossed the line at least five metres ahead of his nearest opponent to secure a dominant win.
A man of very few words, Stewart said he had only been running for a couple of years and was glad to have won the event.
