AGE IS NO BARRIER FOR ULTRA RUNNER (EXAMINER NEWSPAPERS, WA)

Kate Dzienis • February 27, 2020

This story was featured in Examiner Newspapers and published 13 February, 2020

By Kate Dzienis

Kelmscott ultra runner Bernadette Benson has added yet another trophy to her mantlepiece, taking out the Australian Ultra Runner Association’s Helen Stanger Award (2019) announced last month for her inspiring athletic performance at an event last June.

The 50-year-old has a long list of achievements already on her running resume including being named AURA’s Female Ultra Runner of the Year in 2014 and breaking a multitude of Australian open and age group records in the 50km, 100mi, 200km and more.

The Helen Stanger Award is presented to an Australian for the greatest single best ultra running achievement by a female under the age of 60 and Ms Benson happily accepted the title from AURA for her Australian open women’s record for 100 miles (15:24:44) set at the Sri Chinmoy 24 Hour race in Campbelltown, NSW last June.

She said she was truly pleased and happy to be recognised in such a way.

“I had just finished a four-and-a-half hour endurance session when I got the news I had received the award,” she said.

“I had that slightly exhausted nature about me, finishing my run and balancing everything in life, but it turned out to be the best day ever; the timing was perfect.”

Ms Benson also said she was incredibly pleased in the last five years to see, within AURA and the wider community, a lot of changes in recognising women’s performances.

“I’m so thrilled to see that with more women in the sport of ultra running, there is a growth in recognition by sporting associations as well as naming awards after incredible pioneering women who have been role models for us in Australia,” she said.

“As women, we run differently to men and to just be recognised on our own it’s very cool to see the changes happening.”

Ms Benson said she would love to be seen as a role model for aspiring long distance female runners, especially the younger generation, and encouraged them to give running a go.

“I’m a 50-year-old woman, and I mean…where are the younger girls?” she said.

“I’m hoping a much younger runner will come along and blow my record/s out of the water; the right age, the right training and the right girl, well that open record should really have some movement.

“Inspiring those girls to go longer, give themselves a chance to do something different and really challenge themselves both physically and mentally, makes it all so worthwhile.”

Pictured: Bernadette Benson from Kelmscott won AURA’s Helen Stanger Award last month for an ultra running achievement last year. Photograph – Aaron Van Rongen.

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Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships 2027

By Jin Kato • July 8, 2026

The world-class trails of Kunanyi/Mt Wellington will play centre-stage for one of the country’s fastest-growing sports, after the Kunanyi Mountain Run (KMR) was awarded the hosting rights for the first-ever combined Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships (AMTRC). KMR was awarded the National Championships after a competitive bid process, overseen by the Australian Ultra and Trail Running Association (AUTRA) and Australian Athletics (AA). AUTRA President, John Claridge, said that KMR “offered everything we were looking for”. “World-class trails, proven event management and a passionate community. It provides the perfect stage for Australia's first combined National Trail Championships," he said. It’s expected that Australia’s elite mountain and trail running athletes, and support crew, will travel to Hobart, as they vie for a spot in the Australian team that competes at the 2027 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. "This is a landmark moment for trail running in Australia,” Mr Claridge said. "We're excited about what this championship represents; not just next year, but for the future of trail running in Australia... helping grow the sport and inspire the next generation of trail runners." The 2027 AMTRC at KMR will be the first time that all championship distances have been held together, at the one festival. “It aligns us more closely with the way World Championships are presented, creating a stronger pathway for athletes and raising the profile of the sport,” Mr Claridge said. KMR, a 3-day trail running festival which has been held annually since 2022, expects to draw more than 1500 runners and hikers from across Tasmania, Australia and internationally next year. The AMTRC will be embedded within KMR’s existing event program, allowing elite athletes to compete for the national titles, while sharing the same spectacular trails and event-experience as recreational runners. “We’re honoured to have been selected as host,” KMR’s founder and director, Lincoln Quilliam said. “KMR continues to welcome runners, and hikers, of all abilities. From the elites who want to represent Australia on the world stage, the group of mates or work colleagues who run the team relay together, the mums returning to running after having a baby, as well as those who are trying trail running for the very first time,” Mr Quilliam said. Tasmanian runner, Jessica Collins, who has represented Australia, said it was exciting news for KMR, Tasmania and the sport. “This is such a great opportunity for Australian athletes. I’ve run many of the KMR events and know the courses and the terrain are on par with what we see at the World Champs,” she said. The City of Hobart has supported Kunanyi Mountain Run since its inception, and Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said she was “thrilled” with the news. “Events like this not only showcase the natural beauty of our region but also reinforce Hobart’s reputation as a vibrant destination for world-class outdoor experiences.” The 2026 edition of KMR brought in $4 million to the Tasmanian economy, generating more than 8000 bed nights across the state, which Alex Heroys, Chief Executive of Destination Southern Tasmania, said was a “significant return for the visitor economy”. “Kunanyi / Mount Wellington is one of Tasmania’s great natural assets, and the Kunanyi Mountain Run shows exactly how powerful events can be in driving regional tourism,” he said. “We have an epic mountain right on Hobart’s doorstep, an airport less than 30 minutes away, and a city that is well set up to welcome thousands of visiting athletes, support crews and spectators.” “This event also reinforces Tasmania’s growing reputation as a world-class trail running destination. With steep, technical trails and real mountain terrain, Kunanyi offers conditions that are genuinely comparable to what athletes will experience at the World Championships, making it an ideal place to compete, train and visit.” For more information: Kunanyi Mountain Run Dates: 19-21 March 2027 Pic credit: David Nolan & Ryan Slater