TAKING ON AN ACT FKT

Kate Dzienis • December 20, 2021

Contributed by Allicia Heron and Nettie Sakova, AURA members

FKT in the ACT, 30 October 2021

As the clock struck 0411 on 30 October 2021 myself and Dionette (Nettie) Sakova set out from the Parkes Place Lawns at the front of Old Parliament House to attempt a supported FKT on the 143km Canberra Centenary Trail.

The run began with some laughs and chatter, filled with nervous excitement of the unknown, and before we knew it we were watching a perfect sunrise atop of Mount Majura.

Soon we were met by Nettie’s awesome husband Yaro, daughter (and future ultra runner) Ruby, and fellow Ultra Mediocre Runner of Canberra (UMRoC) member Cian Gray at the first of their three aid stop locations. After downing some watermelon and vegemite sandwiches, we were off and back on our way.

Up and down One Tree Hill we were met with smiling faces from passers-by, along the paths through Gold Creek and towards Belconnen where we were met by Yaro, Cian and Ruby again and more watermelon was to be had!

We were met at the base of Black Mountain Peninsula by Justin Hiatt, who was a breath of fresh air, and a mobile aid station, providing us with Coke, gels and filling our water as we headed up to the Arboretum. Over half way! Wow, we were feeling well, and headed into Stromlo with a smile.

Here we said goodbye to Yaro and Ruby, and picked up Cian as a runner to join us. My husband James, and children Beth and Chloe provided three aid stops for the southern part of the run (Kambah Pools, Tuggeranong Town Centre and Fadden Pines). Each stop was met by excitement from the kids and smiles and helpfulness from James. More watermelon was had, plus pancakes, Coke, chips and potatoes.

We would like to thank Yaro, Ruby, James, Beth and Chloe for the fantastic crewing, and also the three members of UMRoC who joined them on the run. Matt Griggs ran from Anzac Parade to Mulligans Flat Car Park, Justin Hiatt ran from Black Mountain to Kambah Pool Road and Cian Gray ran from Stromlo Forest Park to Parliament House, all three providing a great distraction from the pain of running over 160,000 steps with their enthusiasm and cheer.

The weather was near perfect, albeit a bit chilly in the early morning and evening. We were were in great spirits throughout the run despite Dionette rolling her ankle twice early on and Allicia pushing through a painful knee issue towards the end.

It took us 18h 01m 56s and we finished where we started, ending with a celebratory and well-deserved ginger beer.

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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.