FOURTH TIME BACK AT THE KURANDA TO PORT DOUGLAS 60KM

Kate Dzienis • December 20, 2021

Contributed by Stuart Corbett, AURA member

Kuranda to Port Douglas (K2PD) 60km, 3 October 2021, Kuranda/Port Douglas Qld

My first trail ultra in 2014, at the age of 61, was the 64km Kuranda to Port Douglas (K2PD) which is an A to B run from Kuranda in far north Queensland to Port Douglas over Black Mountain Road and through the Mowbray National Park and Bump Track. The course is set over a combination of dirt road, single track, hilly but not too technical, road and beach. The total ascent is somewhere around 1080 metres.

This year was my 4th time back and although the course was 4km shorter due to the closing of one section, I was a little older so was still well tested.

The race is run by Dynamic Running in Cairns and the welcoming environment is part of the reason I keep coming back. My wife Sandi has volunteered each time I have run, and this time I would see her at the 27km and again at the 45km checkpoints.

The race has entries for solo and relay team runners which is quite nice as, with manned checkpoints well-spaced at 27, 45 and 56kms, you actually get to see people (team supporters waiting for their runners at various locations along the trail).

During previous races in this area there have been reports of encounters with snakes and cassowaries, however I saw neither on my run. Probably because all the traffic was ahead of me clearing the path.

My previous best time for the event was 8hrs 58mins so a lot of the runners would have been finished, showered and on their second or third beer by the time I finished. I did however have a good run. I am prone to cramping quite badly from about 35km during ultras but was pleasantly surprised to have no cramping issues until about 52km and descending down the Bump Track which is around 15-20% grade. I put the improvement down to Tailwind which I have been using for the last 3 years.

From the bottom of the Bump Track, there is a longish haul into Craiglea, and then a 4km run along 4 Mile Beach to finish. I was pretty happy to have finished in 8hrs 15min in 24th place and somehow managed to have 62.46km on my Suunto for a 60km run. Maybe it was because I was a little wobbly along the beach.

I highly recommend this as an achievable ultra for most people with reasonable fitness and training. Dynamic Running do offer training support for those in the Cairns region. I will be back next year in August 2022, to make it number 5 before running the CPTU120 in September.

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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.