FROM THE VP (MARCH 2020)

Alexis Oosterhoff • March 30, 2020

I’ve been staring at my screen for some time, wondering how to start this post. The past several weeks have seen most people’s lives turned upside down due to the Corona Virus pandemic. For some, the reduction in social gatherings and restrictions on travel has been an inconvenience, but for many, it has meant the loss of employment and destruction of livelihoods. My heart goes out to all those who face an uncertain future.

Ultra running in Australia has grown at a phemnomenal pace over the last few years. Once a niche sport with just a handful of events organised by small groups of volunteers, we now have hundreds of races throughout Australia each year, run by small volunteer groups, large organisations and small businesses alike. The cancellation (or postponement) of events will have a relatively small financial impact to participants, but for many of those races that we love it may mean a massive financial loss and possibly result in their loss in the future. If you are able, please give thought to supporting your local race directors going forward, and try to remain active in your local running community through social media. More than ever, we will need to support each other’s mental health.

It is going to be hard to maintain fitness, and even harder to commit to training programs or events while the future remains uncertain – nobody knows how long it will take for life to return to normal. I can only hope that you, our members and readers, stay safe and well over the coming months.

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS

AURA National Championship events will be impacted this year. With the future unknown, if national championship events are cancelled it is unlikely that new arrangements will be made for an alternative. We will continue to support NC events that are rescheduled. Changes at the time of writing are:

48h – the Canberra 48h race has been cancelled.
50km – the Canberra 50km race has been tentatively re-scheduled for August 23.

As for World/Asian Championships, there has been no official statement from the IAU on the cancellation or re-scheduling of these events. However, we believe it to be unlikely they will proceed, as there is too much uncertainty around travel restrictions at this point in time:

Asia/Oceana 24h (July 18) in India.
World 100km (Sep 12) in The Netherlands.

AURA AGM

The AURA AGM is scheduled for April 28 and will be conducted fully online. Please see the notice here. There are three vacant roles on the committee – President, VP and Treasurer.

Feel free to reach out to myself or Rob Donkersloot should you be able to help out, even if it’s in a smaller capacity than being on the committee. We are always looking for volunteers to assist in other areas, such as website maintenance and membership management – if individuals are able to help with these, it provides the committee members with more time to focus on other initiatives.

2019 YOUNG FEMALE ULTRA RUNNER OF THE YEAR

The AURA Committee would like to announce Stephanie Auston as joint recipient of the 2019 Young Female Runner of the Year. Stephanie had an outstanding year of racing in 2019, including 19th place at the Trail World Championships in June, 1st place at the Brisbane Trail Ultra (60km), Australian Alpine Ascent (50km), Six Foot Track (45km), Snowies Trail Run Festival (50km) and Two Bays (56km), and 2nd place at Tarawera 100km (NZL).

The AURA awards, announced in Feburary, recognise outstanding achievements by our members across a number of categories, with Nicole Vaughan awarded the Young Female Ultra Runner of the Year at the time. Due to an error in the AURA membership database, Stephanie’s membership information was missed during the awards process. A subsequent review identified this error, and the AURA Committee agreed unanimously that Stephanie’s achievements deserved recognition.

This in no way takes away Nicole Vaughan’s achievements in 2019, and we are very pleased to jointly award the 2019 Young Female Runner of the Year to both Nicole and Stephanie.

Alexis Oosterhoff
Vice President, AURA

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Location : Bangkok, Thailand Dates : November 21 - 24 2025 Role Type : Volunteer Position Time Commitment : Pre event planning + Travel Application Deadline : 7th September 2025 Thank you for your interest in supporting the Australian team for the 2025 IAU Asian 100k Championships. This role goes far beyond logistics. It’s about leadership, inclusion, and creating a positive, empowering environment for athletes competing on the world stage. AUTRA is committed to opening doors for those outside traditional pathways. We strongly encourage applications from coaches, former athletes, club leaders, volunteers, and passionate community members. You don’t need to have served on a board or managed a team before as we’re looking for people who genuinely care, are highly organised, and can proudly represent our athletes and country. Role Overview As Team Manager, you’ll work closely with AUTRA President Gary Mullins and Vice President Geoff Russell to prepare and support the national team before and during the championship. Pre-Departure Australia Act as the main contact for selected athletes and crew Assist with final entry forms and travel planning Prepare a Championships Agenda in alliance with the Team Managers Agreement Document Coordinate flights, uniforms, and team communications Help identify and organise crew support Attend online team planning meetings On the Ground in Thailand Be present and ready as athletes arrive Ensure all athlete needs are met so they can focus fully on their race Attend all technical meetings and represent the team professionally Coordinate team attendance at the opening and closing ceremonies Ensure the team and crew are prepared, organised, and calm Address any issues that arise with efficiency and discretion Provide hands on leadership and moral support throughout the 24 hour race Support Provided Accommodation in Bangkok for 3 - 4 nights will be provided by AUTRA An official team uniform will be supplied A volunteer allowance of $1500 will be provided to acknowledge your time and service during the championship period What You’ll Need Excellent communication and interpersonal skills Strong organisational ability under pressure A calm, inclusive, and athlete first mindset Commitment to AUTRA’s Code of Conduct Member of AUTRA Applying To apply for the role of Team Manager please CLICK HERE and fill out the Application Form. Applications Close on the 3rd September 2025 Selection Process Following the application deadline, the AUTRA Committee will review all submissions and select the most suitable candidate. All applicants will be contacted by Gary Mullins within 7 days of applications closing. Gary Mullins AUTRA President