2018 AURA AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Kate Dzienis • January 31, 2019

AURA is pleased to announce the winners of the 2018 AURA Awards.

Australian Female Ultra Runner of the Year For outstanding single or collective performances by a female.

For the second year in a row, Tia Jones, is named as the Australian female Ultra Runner of the Year. Tia’s standout performances included a silver medal at the 2018 Asian 24 Hour Championships, an 8:33 run at the World 100km Championships, first place at Ned Kelly Chase 50km, second place at the Gold Coast 50km and first place with 131km at the Canberra 12 hour event. Tia also set a number of age group records.

Australian Male Ultra Runner of the Year For outstanding single or collective performances by a male.

The winner for this award goes to to Brendan Davies, who had an incredible year with multiple top finishes on trail, road and track including winning the Ultra-Trail Australia 100km event against a highly competitive field, 25th place at the World 100km Championships, third at the Adelaide 24 Hour race plus numerous other wins and podium finishes at AURA events.

Helen Stanger Award For the greatest single best ultra running achievement by a female under the age of 60.

Annabel Hepworth, is the winner for her 742km at the Adelaide 6 Day Event, the furthest 6 Day distance by a female in the world in 2018.

Bryan Smith Award For the greatest single best ultra running achievement by a male under the age of 60.

Mick Thwaites, 837kms at the EMU 6 Day World Trophy, third best distance in the world for 2018. Mick also won this award in 2016 and 2017.

Young Female Ultra Runner of the Year For outstanding single or collective performances by a female under the age of 30.

Larissa Tichon performed strongly at a number of events in Australia and overseas including first place at the Canberra 50km race.

Young Male Ultra Runner of the Year For outstanding single or collective performances by a male under the age of 30.

Dan Symonds, Dan became an emerging 24 Hour runner with his 207km at the Canberra 24 Hour race, he then followed this up with 221km and first position at the BUTTER24.

Cliff Young Award For the greatest single best ultra running achievement by a male over the age of 60.

John Timms, for his 504km run at the Adelaide 6 day race, he beat the previous best distance by an Australian runner in the men’s 75 age group by an impressive 70km.

Shirley Young Award For the greatest single best ultra running achievement by a female over the age of 60.

Sue Robertson wins the inaugural Shirley Young Award for her 6:34 result at the 50km Yaberoo Trail Ultra.

Pictured: Tia Jones, 2018 Australian Female Ultra Runner of the Year, and Brendan Davies, 2018 Australian Male Ultra Runner of the Year

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AUTRA Race Report 23-3-2026

By Kate Dzienis • March 23, 2026

Herdy's Frontyard Ultra, WA Gold Coast Backyard Ultra, Qld I'm Still Standing Sydney, NSW Trail Run Australia - Tathra, NSW Sri Chinmoy 48hr Track Ultra (Australian 48hr Track Championships, ACT Washpool World Heritage Trails, NSW Tamworth Trailblazer, NSW Upcoming Events WEEKLY NEWS REPORT FOR 23-3-2026 As always, we're continuously on the hunt for your stories and reports, so get those race reports and photographs in to ultramag@autra.asn.au with the following information: Word document, single spaced Include the name of the event, the date and the location anywhere in the report (just a bullet point at the top is great) Please attach photographs to the email – do not put images in the body of your Word doc. You’ll just get me emailing you back asking for the photos sent in the correct way! As many photos as possible. With our new website, it’s now easier than ever to include a nice gallery in each race report No PDFs please And remember, it doesn’t have to be about an AUTRA-listed event specifically! You just have to be an AUTRA member for the 2026 year. Also too, if you’ve run in a non-AUTRA listed event anywhere on home soil or internationally, we’d love to include your race results and experience in our Member Updates, so please do reach out to us via email to kate.dzienis@autra.asn.au If any corrections need to be made in any of the results listed below, please alert me via email.

2026 AGM Notice (15 April 2026)

By Dave Martin • March 14, 2026

AUTRA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Wednesday 15 April 2026

AUTRA statement regarding Snowies Trail Run Festival

March 12, 2026

AUTRA has been in direct contact with the organisers of the Snowies Trail Run Festival, In2Adventure, regarding a recent situation involving an athlete and the event’s in‑person safety briefing requirements. In2Adventure has confirmed that the situation was discussed directly with the athlete at the time. From In2Adventure’s account, and for the purpose of clarifying the public record, AUTRA notes the following points: At no stage was the athlete prevented from breastfeeding at the event. The organiser states that the following options were offered to enable the athlete to participate while still meeting safety requirements: a quiet and private space where she could breastfeed while still being present at the briefing; the option to receive the required briefing at the 30 km start line after the start; and the option to change her registration to the 21 km event, where the briefing is conducted on the start line. At no stage prior to event registration on Saturday night did the athlete contact the organiser to advise of her situation or request alternative arrangements, which limited what could be put in place at the time. Face‑to‑face safety briefings have always been a requirement for In2Adventure events due to the remote and higher‑risk nature of the trails. AUTRA was aware that in‑person briefings were used and had not raised concerns about that general approach. The organiser has indicated that this requirement is driven by safety, duty‑of‑care and insurance obligations, and follows previous experience where remote or online briefings resulted in athletes starting events without critical safety information. The organiser maintains that the event was not conducted in a manner that was intended to be non‑inclusive, inflexible or discriminatory, and that decisions made on the day were based solely on safety requirements that apply equally to all participants. AUTRA’s aim in issuing this statement is solely to clarify the context and ensure that the public record reflects the information provided to us by the organiser.