Anna Pillinger takes a hold of the Duval Dam Buster

Kate Dzienis • October 30, 2023

Contributed by Anna Pillinger, AURA member (Fairlight, NSW)

DUVAL DAM BUSTER 50KM, ARMIDALE (NSW), 24 September 2023

I entered Duval Dam Buster 50km not really knowing much about it – but I had come across it on the AURA calendar when researching the route for our school holiday family road trip up to Queensland. Knowing I would be training for LMU 104km while we were away, I had a quick look to see if there was anything going on along the way that I could use as a training run. Being navigationally challenged a marked course is definitely preferable for longer trail runs in unfamiliar territory!

The race started a bit out of town and given I had my husband and 3 kids I just needed to work out the logistics of how to get to the start without having to drag them all out early in the morning in the freezing cold. Lee Anne (the RD) very kindly helped me out and found me a lift to the start with Tim (love the trail running community!).

The start was out at Dumaresq Dam, it was pretty cold but there was a great vibe out there and lots of activity getting everything set up. We had a short race briefing (with mentions of snakes and cows along the course – neither of which I am keen on!) and then we were off.

I started in gloves and thermal but it didn’t take too long to warm up as before long we were going up the first climb to the summit of Mt Duval. I started running with local running legend Hannah McRae chatting away and the kms quickly started passing. It was a mix of forest trails, fire trail, ups and downs, grassy paddocks and the dreaded cattle grids! I spectacularly failed on my first crossing and ended up flat on my face with arms and legs through the gaps – still running with Hannah at this point she just looked at me and “You can tell you’re from Sydney – but seriously, how did you not break your ankle?” (or something along those lines!).

A bit bashed up but still one piece I carried on and was much more cautious on the ones to come (approx 1 million more!). After a stretch of dirt and bitumen road came the grass airstrip we got to run the length of – that was pretty fun! One more steep climb about 40kms in which was definitely one to hike and by this time we were on the same course as some of the other distances so there were a few more people around.

After that it was mostly downhill to the finish back at the dam. I really focused on trying to get my nutrition right and felt pretty strong throughout as a result – really happy to come away with first female and 2nd overall (had no idea that the overall winner was less than a minute ahead of me until I finished).

The volunteers out on course were all great which really made the event what it was. After the presentation we headed to the local brewery, Great Hops, for lunch and a cheeky beer (& to pick up the case of beer which was one of the prizes) before continuing on our trip. Really fun morning out, great to run new trails and meet new people. Definitely one to do if you’re in the area next 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.