GET READY FOR THE AURA 50KMS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN CANBERRA

Kate Dzienis • March 27, 2018

On Saturday, April 14 and Sunday, April 15 the nation’s capital will once again play host to an iconic Australian running event.

The Canberra Times Australian Running Festival presented by Tata Consultancy Services is claimed to be one of the most prestigious running events on the race calendar and has a distance for everyone – a 5kms, 10kms, 21.1kms, The Canberra Times Canberra Marathon and the 50kms Ultra Marathon.

This year the festival will host the 50kms AURA National Road Championships on April 15.

AURA members who compete and want to qualify for Australian representation must meet Australian team selection requirements by the AURA committee if they run a sub 3:00:00 for men (B and C qualifiers are 3:05:00 and 3:10:00) and a sub 3:30:00 for women (B and C qualifiers are 3:40:00 and 3:50:00).

The 50kms event will start from King George Terrace and will take runners on a picturesque route following the parliamentary triangle, along the banks of Lake Burley Griffin, and finishing on the East West lawns. This year’s course features fewer hills as a result a more pleasant course for runners. For the full course map and elevations click here.

Grab your family, friends and work colleagues and join the festival this April.

Enter before midnight Tuesday, March 27 to save $10.

For more information visit http://runningfestival.com.au/.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

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.