Stevens, a winner at the Wangaratta Gift a week earlier, was forced to lunge to the line to pick up the winner's sash as there was "less than half a metre between the whole field from first to last", according to Victorian Athletics League handicapper Terry O'Donnell.

Stevens edged out rivals Matthew Eddy (Essendon) and Nathan Fox (Ballarat) in a blistering time of 12.14 seconds to win the showcase men's 120-metre event.

St Albans Sports Club spokesman Des Barnard said the main race was a thriller, proving the handicappers were spot-on.

"There was nothing in it," he said.

"Six runners crossed the line in a close finish and there wasn't much between the winner and last place.

"People were yelling and screaming thinking their runner had won the race."

The second annual St Albans Gift was a cracker.

The unfortunate timing of the inaugural event on Black Saturday took some of the gloss off the first-up meeting.

"It was a shocking day for everyone but fortunately we got the gift run," Barnard reflected.

"Now it will only get bigger.

"This year we had 639 entrants for 13 events.

"The Victorian Athletic League runs it like clockwork."

One of the shocks of the night was the emergence of 14-year-old young gun Sophie Taylor.

The Bendigo teenager went home with the winner's sash after blitzing the field in the women's 120-metre race.

Taylor clocked a time of 14.21 seconds to beat local favourite Megan McMahon (Braybrook) and Patricia Fox (Ballarat).

The 120-metre novice winner Liam Dooley (Geelong), 16, completed his race in 12.37 seconds.