2026 Committee
meet your new committee for 2026
John Claridge
President
As President of the Australian Ultra and Trail Running Association, I am dedicated to the professionalisation and growth of endurance running across Australia. With over 25 years immersed in endurance sports, I bring a blend of experience and vision to AUTRA. From competing in trail, road, and track events to advocating for the sport's inclusion in major international arenas, I aim to steer the association through a transformative era. My focus is on deepening grassroots connections, delivering robust policy development, and strengthening our strategic ties with Athletics Australia, the IAU, and ITRA.
My vision is to ensure a clear, world-class pathway for our elite athletes — inclusive of all disciplines — while maintaining a vibrant and inclusive foundation for the recreational community that is the soul of our sport.
Jess Short
Vice President
Jess Short is an endurance athlete, strategic planner, and passionate advocate for the growth and accessibility of trail and ultra running in Australia. With over a decade of experience competing across trail, mountain, and hybrid endurance events, Jess brings both high-performance insight and a deep understanding of the community that underpins the sport.
Her racing background spans national and international events, including vertical kilometres, ultra trail races, and hybrid competitions such as Hyrox, where she has competed at a world championship level. Jess is particularly passionate about supporting women in endurance sport, with a focus on long-term health, performance, and participation.
Professionally, Jess works in strategic planning and infrastructure delivery within local government, leading complex projects that require stakeholder engagement, governance, and long-term vision. She brings this skillset to AUTRA, with a focus on strengthening organisational capability, improving communication and transparency, and supporting sustainable growth of the sport across all levels.
As Vice President, Jess is committed to fostering an inclusive, connected, and high-performing trail running community, while ensuring AUTRA continues to evolve as a strong, representative voice for the sport in Australia.
Tia Jones
Treasurer
Tia Jones has been a member of AUTRA for more than 14 years. Her involvement includes managing the records role for the past four years and serving on the Team Selection Committee for six years. Tia has also represented Australia in the 24hr event (twice) and 100km event (twice).
In her roles, Tia has developed strong working relationships with the IAU and gained thorough understanding of the IAU and World Athletics requirements for compliance.
She has put up her hand for the role of Treasurer to give back more to the running community and to AUTRA. Tia has shown dedication, attention to detail and integrity, and is meticulous with recording and filing. Her role as Treasurer allows Tia to take the responsibility of being custodian of membership funds seriously, ensuring transparency, legal compliance, and adherence to all financial reporting requirements.
Dan Symonds
Secretary
Dan Symonds returns to the 2026 Committee as Secretary. Since 2014, he has proudly contributed to AUTRA in various roles - as a state representative, international athlete, merchandise coordinator and IAU label officer.
His journey reflects a deep passion for ultra running, and he has brought fresh perspective and commitment to shape the sport for the future.
Jin Kato
Director of Events
I’m Jin and I’m excited to be your AUTRA Director of Events. I’m a trail runner through and through, and love getting out into the bush for freedom and adventure.
To me, signing up to events is all about adventure. These organised events let me experience things and reach places I couldn’t without the logistics, planning, safety and support of organisers.
Trail and ultra running is built on grassroots communities and volunteers, and I believe it’s vital to stay connected to our roots as the sport grows.
Excited to see you out on the trails and share many more adventures together soon.
Kevin Muller
Governance Officer
Kevin Muller has been involved numerous sporting teams as a participant, volunteer and administrator. He has been an ultra runner and AUTRA member since 2011. During this time he has completed over 140 ultra marathons and numerous shorter distance events throughout Australia and overseas.
Kevin is eager to bring his experience as an athlete and as a member of various committees to the role of AUTRA Governance Officer. He has a desire to give back to the sport and work with the AUTRA committee and members to continually improve governance within the association.
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