Congratulations to the 2021 AURA Award winners

Kate Dzienis • February 23, 2022

AURA is pleased to announce the winners of the 2021 AURA Awards.

Australian Female Ultra Runner of the Year

For outstanding single or collective performances by a female.

Tia Jones from Queensland has had an outstanding year of running in 2021, breaking no fewer than 5 Australian W55 Age Group Records. Tia’s records were achieved at 2 races in 2021, being the Sri Chinmoy 12 hour Track Ultra in March and the Southern Sydney 6 hour Track Ultra in June.

The Records that Tia achieved were the:

50km (4:15:46), 6 hour (69.774km), 50 mile (7:18:22), 100km (9:17:02), 12 hour (124.211km),

With both the 6 hour only being 1.5km and the 12 hour being 2km short of the overall World W55 record.

An Amazing year of top performances and records. Congratulations Tia.

Australian Male Ultra Runner of the Year

For outstanding single or collective performances by a male.

Matthew Crehan from Victoria had a phenomenal year of racing, with no less than 6 wins out of the 7 events that he competed in as well as a blistering 4th place finish from 1129 runners at the Ultra Trail Australia.

Matthew raced all over the country in 2021 with events ranging from the 45km Buller Sky Run, 64km Razorback run in Victoria, to the 80km Margaret River Ultra in WA and 80km Cradle Ultra in Tasmania, up to and including 2 100 mile races at both the Brisbane Trail Ultra and Alpine Challenge.

Along with his 6 wins, Matthew also managed to break 4 of the course records, being at the: BTU 100 miler, Alpine Challenge 100 miler, Margaret River Ultra and the 64km Razorback Ultra.

An outstanding year of racing and achievements Matthew, congratulations!

Bryan Smith Award

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

Phil Gore from Western Australia receives the Bryan Smith Award for his outstanding performance at last year’s Birdy’s Backyard Ultra. Phil took the win with an amazing 51 hours or Yards as it is known, and achieved an overall distance of 342.21km. On top of achieving the win at the event, this has also given Phil the best BYU performance for an Australian.

Along with this performance, Phil also achieved other great performances throughout 2021 with another amazing run of 48hrs (322km) at the Herdy’s Frontyard Ultra and also running 255.190km at the Lighthourse 24hr Ultra.

Congratulations Phil on such a great performance!

Helen Stanger Award

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

Margaret Hadley from Western Australia has taken out the Helen Stanger Award for 2021, for her great achievement at the Birdy’s Backyard Ultra that is held in WA. With such a strong field at the event, Margaret was able to hold on to a 3rd place finish with 38 laps (254.98km). This finish has given Margaret the best finish for a female runner in Australia for the now very popular racing of the Last One Standing Backyard Ultra format.

Well done Margaret on a spectacular achievement!

Young Female Ultra Runner of the Year

For outstanding single or collective performances by a female under the age of 30.

Sarah Ludowici from New South Wales whilst still young in the sport of Ultra running, achieved an outstanding result at the 2021 Ultra Trail Australia with a 3rd place podium finish in a time of 11:53:17 hours and only 18min behind 1st place and just 2mins behind 2nd place finishers. Sarah’s podium finish also placed her 37th overall out of the 1129 runners that competed at the event in 2021.

Sarah has now raced in quite a number of 100km ultras and is showing great form as a young runner, with a bright future in ultra running.

Congratulations Sarah, we look forward to watching your performances in the years to come.

Young Male Ultra Runner of the Year

For outstanding single or collective performances by a male under the age of 30.

Dominic Bullock from New South Wales, who being new to the sport of ultra running, had an outstanding performance at last year’s Southern Sydney 12 hour ultra race achieving a massive 146.277 km to take out the win. Along with Dominic’s win he was also able to achieve an Australian M25 Age Group Record, breaking the record by over 20km. Dominic’s distance now sits as the 4th all-time best distance in a 12 hour event by an Australian runner.

Congratulations Dominic for achieving such a great result.

Cliff Young Award

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

Colin Brooks from South Australia has had an outstanding year competing at races across 6 events throughout 2021. During his year of racing which ranged from running 64km ultra marathons to 6hr, 24hr and 48hr races, all the way up to a 6 day event with a 3rd place finishing total of 581.705km. Colin was able to take out the M65 Age category Wins at 5 of these events.

Not only was Colin able to pick up the Age Category wins, this was done whilst still achieving 3 outright third places and a second place outright as well.

Never quit running! We know you have so much more to offer in this great sport!

Shirley Young Award

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

Jane Trumper from New South Wales, takes out the Shirley Young Award for her amazing and inspirational run at the 2021 Coast 2 Kosci 240km Ultra race that takes competitors from the Coast at Eden to the top of Australia on Mount Kosciuszko.

This was the 10th time that Jane has competed and raced at this event, and has become one of just 3 and the only Females to have completed this race 10 times.

Jane fought through all the odds that the 2021 race presented, to complete this event within the allowable time. On being asked at the presentation and receiving of her 10th C2K hat pin and special 10 times finisher’s plaque, Jane was able to respond with this being the last time and will be hanging up her Akubra Hat.

A fantastic achievement and an inspirational ambassador to the sport of ultra running.

Ultra Performance of the Year Award

Nominated by and voted on by the AURA members.

Cheryl Symons For her performance at the Sri Chinmoy 48 Hour Track Festival. Cheryl from Victoria has received the 2021 AURA Performance of the Year Award for her Standout run at the 48hr track race in Canberra in March.

Cheryl ran a personal best, passing the 200 mile mark to take out the win with an amazing total of 322.352km.

This result not only saw Cheryl take the win, but had also placed her 3rd outright at the 48hr race, and according to the DUV yearly rankings, also place her distance as the world’s 5th best female in a 48 hour performance for 2021.

Cheryl’s result and win at the event also saw her take out the 48 hour AURA National Championships for 2021.

Congratulations Cheryl on taking out the performance of the year as voted by your peers.

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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

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Congratulations to the 2021 AURA Award winners