President's Report: Simone Hayes for February 2024

Simone Hayes • February 29, 2024

it's full steam ahead

February seems to have come and gone in a flash! Your Committee have once again been extremely busy this month working on many aspects of the association, as we work towards growth and new opportunities within our sport in Australia.

With the race calendar in full swing, we along with the race directors and runners alike, have a lot to look forward to in 2024.

This month we see the return of a 100km road race held by the amazing Sri Chinmoy Marathon team. This race is also host to the National 100km Championships and we are very appreciative of them getting this off the ground and look forward to an exciting night of racing.

We had some fabulous events this month and if you missed the news and great pics go back and have a read of this week’s news report.

News from the Committee desk covers quite a few areas with our focus right now being on member growth which so far has been unprecedented – so we thank you all for supporting AURA!

We have also been busy working closely with the Australian state trail associations, with an aim to become more connected so as to further recognise this discipline within AURA. Our aim is to become a unified national voice, enhancing our focus on grass roots events - ultimately bolstering trail and ultra running, together.

Trail running is not new to AURA – in fact if you look at our calendar, around 80% of our events are now trail, as trail and ultra already significantly overlap. Bringing trail and ultra together in a more formal agreement means GROWTH for AURA and will unify these closely linked sporting disciplines and allow us to have greater, more meaningful, stakeholder engagement as a larger group. Members and athletes will reap the benefits that come from a united and growing organisation.

So – while it is a work in progress – watch this space!

We hope you are enjoying the new website! We have also been continuously updating it as we bring in more content from our coaches and running gurus, and also adding to our Member Benefits. Our State Reps are actively making good use of their contacts in each state to bring our members more value. If you have any recommendations or contacts, or products and services you would like to see offered here, please don’t hesitate to contact your state reps.

Preparations for the hosting of the upcoming 24 Hour Asian Oceania Championships are moving along well and I’m sure our athletes who are competing in the championships and also in the open event are clocking up a stack of kilometres!

Next month is the Australian Short Course Trail Championships being hosted by Noosa Ultra Trail 50km. There are still some entries left, so if you haven’t been up north to the beautiful Noosa hinterland, I really recommend this event after racing there the past two years.

That’s just a hint of what goes on behind the scenes at AURA, I’m under instruction to keep these reports short so I’ll save something for next month! But rest assured that you have a team of volunteers that are working tirelessly to improve and grow the sport we all love.

Happy running!

Simone Hayes - President

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AUTRA News Report 11-09-2025

By Kate Dzienis • September 11, 2025

Run The River Half, Qld Murphys Creek Challenge, Qld Lighthorse Ultra, WA Kunanyi Trail Series, Rialannah, Tas Upcoming Events WEEKLY NEWS REPORT FOR 12-09-2025 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 2025 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.

Team Manager 2025 IAU Asian and Oceania 100K Championships

By Gary Mullins • September 8, 2025

Location : Bangkok, Thailand Dates : November 21 - 24 2025 Role Type : Volunteer Position Time Commitment : Pre event planning + Travel Application Deadline : 17th 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 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 at 5pm 17th 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