SAY HELLO TO YOUR NEW AURA TREASURER, SIMONE HAYES

With decades of experience behind her, Simone Hayes lives and breathes the sport of ultra running, having represented Australia at previous World Championships and being a podium finisher in numerous events.

Simone has put her hand up to represent AURA as its new Treasurer after being elected by members at the April 28 AGM, and has expressed great enthusiasm to help promote ultra running and our community.

“I had been chatting with Rob Donkersloot (previous president) as he had been looking for volunteers to put their hands up to be on the committee, so it all started there,” she said.

“What’s fantastic about our new committee (Ewan Horsburgh, Matthew Eckford and Julia Mackay-Koelen) is that we’re all very current runners so we’re quite active and engrained in the sport; personally, I work within the industry as a running coach and personal training, so I’m invested in all of it as a whole.

“I would love to see AURA grow even more than what it has over the past few years; the last decade has seen an incredible surge in ultra running and I’d love to see more of those people entering long distance races become members of AURA – as well as getting more race directors on board.”

Simone said her favourite thing about ultra running was the social aspect of the sport.

“I’ve just met so many people in this community, and sure I love competing and being serious about it, but I’ve made an incredible amount of friends and ultra running, because of that, is now very dear to my heart,” she explained.

She has been running for the past 20 years and recalls starting it with a bit of a dislike, but she has since grown to find a real passion especially since increasing her mileages and being an Australian representative in World Championships.

“I’ve never actually done a road marathon – never have, never will I don’t think. I went from half marathons to doing 100 kilometres (the North Face in 2011)…and oh, I hated it,” she laughs.

“But a week later I started training for another ultra, and now I absolutely love 100 milers even though my favourite is the 100 kilometre distance. In terms of my favourite event, it’s hard to top Worlds – that’s for sure.”

To reach out to Simone you can email her at treasurer@aura.asn.au