Team Manager Report: 2023 IAU 24hr World Championships in Taiwan

Matthew Eckford • December 21, 2023

AURA VP MATTHEW ECKFORD RECAPS HIS MEMORIES AND HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2023 IAU 24HR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN TAIWAN

I volunteered to be the Aussie 24hr Team Manager at the IAU 24hr World Championships in Taiwan recently (1 December) for a number of reasons.

Several team members had qualified at the 24hr race I host in Australia and I wanted to support them further at the World Champs. I’m the local organising committee for the IAU Asia & Oceania 24hr Championships in Australia for 2024 and so wanted to bring my event manager along to these World Champs to assess everything and ensure we are well prepared for next year.

I’ve raced 24hr in Taiwan three times before and knew I could offer the team some valuable local knowledge. I retired from running in 2021 and miss the Aussie 24hr team experience. I had several goals as Team Manager:

1. Make the World Champs as stress free as possible for all runners and their crew so they could put all of their energy into the race.
2. Ensure we, as a team, were well organised, over prepared and able to deliver our best on the day.
3. Focus on team culture, comradery and the Aussie spirit.
4. Make the whole World Champs experience, not just the race itself, a magic memory for all of team.

All of the runners’ race reports since give a great recap of the event, results and their race experiences so I don’t feel the need to cover them again as well. I would like to share my magic moments though from each of the team members and what will stick with me.

Summarised in no particular order - a reenergised Matt Griggs pushing for the team result, Chrissy Redwood staying to crew and support the team after injury ended her race, Kev Muller grinding to set the example as Men’s Captain, Allicia Heron wiping tears from her face from injury pain to continue leading as Female Captain, Cassie Cohen in the medical tent on an IV after giving it everything and collapsing at the end of race, Jenny White hitting a new 24hr PB and literally smiling the whole race, Maree Connor breaking an Australian Age Group Record that has stood for 8 years, John Yoon showing once again just how smart he is when it comes to pacing, Grant Brisbin smashing a new PB and running with pure focus, Joe Ward running until his legs no longer could and then collapsing, Sharene Blake with a massive PB and running with pure gratitude, and finally Michael Hooker rolling the dice and being a wind break for Aleksandr Sorokin.

Thank you to the six official crew members and several unofficials who helped tirelessly in the crew tent and who contributed immeasurably to the success of the team. Thank you to AURA for allowing me to volunteer as Team Manager and thank you to each of the runners for being such great Aussie ambassadors. It was a privilege to witness so many magic moments and displays of Aussie spirit. Our team’s performance, comradery and conduct didn’t go unnoticed and it’s the envy to many others I’m sure.

I can’t wait until April 2024 where we get to do it all again, but this time on home soil.

Matthew Eckford
AURA Vice President since 2020

< Older Post

Newer Post >

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.