PRESIDENT’S END OF YEAR LETTER

Kate Dzienis • December 20, 2021

2021 has been another tough year and a challenge for runners and race directors. It has been great to see the resilience and determination in the running community. There have been a lot of inspiring stories in Ultramag of members’ achievements and adventures around the country.

Our calendar had around 80 races but there was the repeat of last year with a few needing to be rescheduled or cancelled due to state restrictions. Next year’s calendar is shaping up nicely with plenty of opportunities to race multiple distances and terrains.

We introduced the flat $49 per year membership fee to simplify the process and give more value back to the members who sign up for the full year. Hopefully, with a few recurring memberships and attracting new runners with the low cost our member base will keep growing.

A highlight of the year was kicking off our series of webinars covering beginner ultra running and women in ultra running topics. A big thanks to the organisers and panel of speakers who put a lot of time into preparing content, wrangling the technical side of the delivery and then generously giving up their time to take part to share their wisdom and experience. It’s been great to see so many people wanting to give back to the sport and help more people enter the world of ultra running.

We were pleased to be able to announce the events successful in hosting AURA Australian Championships in 2022. This includes the introduction of a 100 Mile Australian Championship for the first time.

The Australian Championships this year are as follows:

50km – Fisiocrem GC50 Run Festival, 4 December 2022
100km – TBC as finalising details
24hr – Southern Sydney 24 Hour Ultra, 3 June 2022
48hr – Sri Chinmoy 48 Hour Track Festival, 25 March 2022
Short Trail – Two Bays Trail Run (56km), 16 January 2022
Long Trail – Heysen 105 (115km), 22 October 2022
100 Mile – The Glasshouse 100, 10 September 2022

We are hoping next year is a safer one to travel which will allow us to select and send Australian teams to the World and Continental Championships. There will be more info around selection and dates so those interested can plan out their calendar and build ups.

In exciting news, we secured the hosting of a championship event in our own country for the first time. The 2024 Asian and Oceania 24hr Championships are coming to Australia! For the next generation, I hope this provides motivation to work towards the dream of representing your country.

Once the year comes to a close our annual awards will be voted on and decided. It is always an interesting look back on the year and a celebration of our members’ achievements. Last year’s ultra runner of the year performances were weighted heavily in Western Australia as their vibrant race calendar was border protected offering multiple opportunities to race a full season. This year there has been a more balanced mix of states even considering the lockdowns in NSW and Victoria.

A massive thanks from myself and the committee for all the volunteers that have helped keep AURA moving forward and in a good position to keep supporting the ultra running community. Special mention needs to go to 3 retiring volunteers who have put a lot into AURA over the years. Jodie Oborne, Kerrie Bremner and Susannah Harvey-Jamieson have contributed as Australian reps, committee members and also in specialised roles.

Thanks to Kate for keeping the entertaining and educational stories flowing through Ultramag including this end-of-year special.

Personally, I’d like to say a big thanks to the committee Simone, Matty and Stephen who’s support and commitment keep the AURA wheels turning. The regular committee meetings, daily messages, side phone calls, long run discussions, votes, member management and all the activities you do to keep the association progressing are appreciated.

I hope everyone gets a few long runs in over the break and has a great 2022.

Cheers
Ewan Horsburgh
AURA President

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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.