AURA STATEMENT ON CORONAVIRUS IMPLICATIONS IN RELATION TO AUSTRALIAN ULTRA RUNNING

The implications of the Coronavirus are wide ranging across society. While ultra running is significantly less important than the overall health and wellbeing of our families, friends and the population in general, it nevertheless plays a very important part in the lives of our members, and as such any negative effects on our sport are felt by us all.

Government mandates and / or recommendations in regards to social distancing, and capping of maximum numbers attending events has seen a number of AURA listed events to be held in the next months cancelled or postponed. To date these include:

20 March Sri Chinmoy 48 Hour Track Festival

21 March Duncan’s Run

4 April The Canberra Times Marathon Festival 50km

14 May Ultra Trail Australia

The Sri Chinmoy 48 Hour and Canberra 50km were both Australian Championship events. It is likely that more events on our calendar will need to take similar action. The IAU Asian 24 Hour Championships due to take place in India in July is also looking unlikely to proceed.

AURA recommends that race directors follow the Australian government mandates and recommendations regarding the maximum number of people allowed to gather for events. These recommendations can potentially change with little notice, and the situation is fluid.

For our members who are entered in upcoming events we recommend you regularly check event websites or social media to ascertain the current status.

Lastly, we ask that you be considerate of our race directors in these difficult times. Many will have expended a significant amount of their race infrastructure budget already, with refunds from their suppliers in many instances unlikely. In some instances, they may not be in a position to refund you all or some of the race fees you have paid. Please remember that when this is all over we want a healthy ultra running community with lots of events as we have enjoyed in the past. For this to happen, we will need our race organisers more than ever, so let’s support them now as much as we can.

The AURA Committee has resolved not to charge event listing fees or Insurance costs to any race organiser who has been required to cancel their event because of the Coronavirus. Insurance costs are prepaid by AURA to our insurers and are not refundable, we will absorb these costs.

The AURA committee wishes all members and everyone involved with our ultra running community the very best in the coming months.

Rob Donkersloot
President
17 March 2020