JOHNSTONE CRACKS RECORD AT THE 2021 DELIRIOUS W.E.S.T

Kate Dzienis • October 21, 2021

By Kate Dzienis

For AURA member Shane Johnstone, the Delirious W.E.S.T 200 Miler (from Northcliffe to Albany in WA) was meant to be his comeback event from illness back in 2020. However a COVID-19 lockdown when the race was originally meant to be held in February 2021 saw a 6 month postponement, and in that time Johnstone raced at UTA, launched the Transcend Ultra, and found out he was going to be a father to a second daughter.

The start line of the Delirious W.E.S.T, which was held from 6-10 October 2021, saw participant numbers drop from about 100 to 34 due to border restrictions and lockdowns in other states. And when Johnstone stood at check-in for the race, he began to hear rumours that he was a ‘shoe in’ to win.

“If there’s anything I’ve learned from ultra running, it’s to respect the distance and even if you look good on paper, it doesn’t necessarily translate to an automatic comfortable win,” he said.

“Anything can happen in 340km over trail with none to minimal sleep in challenging conditions; it’s a bloody long way.”

Johnstone revealed he had done a decent amount of preparation for the Delirious W.E.S.T, and said he felt in good shape.

“I was really lucky with how the body responded, and continue to be amazed with how much the body can be challenge,” he recollected.

“I was certain I’d find my breaking point in the 100mi event; I think I was very close, but I feel I still crossed that finish line functioning way better than I could have ever imagined.

“The course was definitely different to the usual course, so it wasn’t technically a course record, but on the topic of holding records I’ve thought a lot about this over the past few years.

“I’ve set a few FKTs now and event CRs, and what I love is how they inspire people to go to the next level. Dion Leonard’s 61-hour CR was instantly my go-to target to beat, and so will my 54hr 50min benchmark for the next group of Delirious W.E.S.T starters.

“Records are there to be broken; it’s a privilege to be a part of history that prompts that next level.

“The most exciting element now is how the women are mixing it with the men. Three of the top 6 at Delirious W.E.S.T were female, and Meghann Coffey (AURA member) featured on the overall podium, which is awesome. I run most weekends with strong and fit women on the trails – one of them, Erika, is currently having a crack at my Bibbulmun Track FKT and I’d say she’s a solid bet to go the distance.”

Johnstone said he gives full credit to the people that crewed for him at Delirious W.E.S.T, and that he couldn’t have done it without them.

“Very rarely will you see a solid performance without a solid team behind it,” he said.

“I had as good of a crew that one could ask for! Massive thanks to Jo, Adam, Nick, Wayne, Amanda, Claire and Lochy; at times the concept of running more was undesirable but those guys kept me honest and stopped the train from derailing.

“Team work makes the dream work. Also a massive kudos to the legends at the aid stations offering so much time, generosity and love for days to complete strangers!”

Johnstone took the win at Delirious W.E.S.T, coming in 1st Male with a total time of 54:50:00.

To see personal footage of the event created by Johnstone, and to hear some of the emotional thought process that an ultra runner goes through, click below for his visual race recap.

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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.