FALL DOESN’T STOP TIMMS FROM MULTI-DAY

Kate Dzienis • October 28, 2019

Contributed by Marie Boyd, AURA member

Adelaide 6 Day race, SA
September 29-October 5, 2019

I arrived at the track confident that I could run a 100km per day.

The first day I had a hip problem but that got sorted by an expert at the race.

Then I started to move well on day two, which was a hot day, but I figured a little walking would do the trick. I felt tired from a lack of sleep; I tried to sleep, but it was too hot so I went back to walking and figured I could keep going until I got 2nd.

Two-hundred seemed easy at the start but suddenly I was fatigued and struggling to stay awake.

I only needed 8km to clock 200 for 48hrs. Sleep came unexpectedly by blindly stumbling on a raised tile and I went to sleep as I hit my head on the tiles. I was carted off to hospital with a result of two facial fractures and 30 stitches. I was told firmly no more running, but I went back to the track for some more sleep and for two days just watched runners accumulating great kilometres.

I got to thinking about things, in particular ‘this is how I am’, so I got my tag back on and started walking only after several hours; I felt okay so started running and got a total of 120km for day five.

I felt I had proved to myself that my race plan was okay but I didn’t heed the warning signs of sleep and fatigue – we never stop learning, do we?

On the last day I had rest and enjoyed the finished as I got headaches from my ‘head plant’ and perhaps some shock to the body, maybe even a concussion.

I’ll be back next year again though. Face planting on cement is painful, but I must say, the care taken with me by the race organisers was first class and could not fault the comradery of all runners and volunteers involved. They all raised my spirits even after a disappointing finish that had taken all year to get ready for.

For me it’s all about doing my best, even when things fall apart.

Thanks Ben and for all involved in making this event a race to test your resolve to finish; that is why I love six day ultras, and this one I am to tame next year with 600km.

Determination is at the heart of my running.

Pictured: John Timms at the Adelaide 6 Day this year. Photograph – Ultra Runners SA.

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2026 AGM Notice of Meeting

By Dave Martin • March 31, 2026

AUTRA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Wednesday 15 April 2026

AUTRA Race Report 30-3-2026

By Kate Dzienis • March 30, 2026

Kunanyi Mountain Run, Tas Buffalo Stampede Festival (Australian Long Trail Championships), Vic Cairns 50, Qld Lithgow Ridgy-Didge Trail Run Festival, NSW Southern Cross 24 Hour, SA Upcoming Events WEEKLY RACE RECAP FOR 30-3-2026 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.