The World’s Greatest (or silliest) Nude or Underwearing Footrace. The Meredith Gift is a completely nude or underwearing exposition that takes place on Sunday afternoon, in the Amphitheatre, to an enthralled full crowd of around twenty five million. The Gift track has varied over the years, but generally involves heading around or straight across the Amphitheatre, with a mild incline, spills and thrills.
Why and How
See below for The Rules. Anyone can enter (it’s free), as long as they are nude or underwearing.
It all started in 1993 when one of the bands was late to arrive on the Sunday. What do we do, we wondered. Have a race involving the patrons. Winner gets cold beer. Someone wandered to the front of the stage as this was being announced and asked what they’d win if they did it in the nude. MORE cold beer, of course. The following year the race was held again – as it was a talking point from the year before – and several people got nude, completely on their own accord. The year after we had to limit entry to only fully nude people, as there were so many people wanting to run.
If you haven’t seen a Meredith Gift, it’s pretty funny. There’s always a crash, nude people tumbling along at speed or non-speed, grass burns, injured bits, etc.
In 2023, serendipity graced us in the form of torrential rain and a mud pit. The result: the Gift becoming a power walk adaptation to stop the nation.
For 2025, the handbrake is off. Run it, walk it, hop it, tumble it. Whatever takes your fancy.
A golden robe is awarded to a standout competitor in each race category – “Speediest”, “Best Finish” and “Best in Show”. ‘Best in Show’ rewards the entrant displaying the most pageantry, finesse, zeal and creative adornment of their nude or underwearing self. ‘Best Finish’ serves as a nod towards the strangest, most fearless and exciting race finish.
You can choose your category when you sign up (more details below).
Historical Gift Footage
Here is a montage of some Gifts from the early 90s through to mid 2000s.
Prizes
There are three heats, before heat winners compete in a final loop around the track. Each heat will include a mix of ‘speed’, ‘best finish’ and ‘best in show’ category entrants, making for a spectacle for those track-side! Regardless of the glory they are vying for, entrants must be nude or underwearing (the least amount of clothes they feel comfortable wearing), with creative self-garnishing encouraged.
Register
Registration happens Sunday afternoon at the sign-up area towards the left of the stage (near Southbank and the DJ Booth) from 1:30pm. You will need to sign an Indemnity Form. The Gift runs at about 2pm Sunday.
The Rules of the Meredith Gift
- Anyone can enter.
- Best mates must think it through before doing any daring.
- ALL entrants must register and sign an Indemnity Form.
- ALL entrants must be nude or underwearing (the least amount of clothes you feel comfortable wearing).
- Racing spikes and carbon plated running shoes are not allowed.
- Any entrant wearing lycra will be made to fish phones out of the composting toilets.
- The crowd must collectively go ‘ORGHH’ and recoil when entrants fall over.
- Please look after yourself and others – only enter if you feel comfortable doing so.
- No Dickheads.