THE 48HR AUSTRALIAN TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE BACK AT SRI CHINMOY

By Kate Dzienis

Last year was meant to be the inaugural 48hr event at the Sri Chinmoy Track Festival, held by the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team in Canberra, ACT. Unfortunately, with the shenanigans of a pandemic throughout 2020, the race was cancelled along with a plethora of other events across the country.

But with a new year upon us, the majority of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team’s events for 2021 are staying on – Canberra is open to anyone who wants to enter, and according to Events Coordinator Prachar Stegemann, the 48hr Track Festival is due to go ahead from 26-28 March and fantastically, will double as the AURA 48hr Australian Track Championships.

Conducted on a certified 400-metre floodlit track at the Australian Institute of Sport, participants will be pleased to hear that the old track has been replaced with a brand new blue one – and the Sri Chinmoy 48hr Track Festival will be the first ultra to be held on it.

Replacing the CBR 48hr, the Sri Chinmoy 48hr Track Festival will be held to the highest standard at a world class facility. Stegemann said he was thrilled the event was going ahead for 2021, and at this stage it looked like there would be no postponements or cancellations.

“We are so excited to bring the 48hr race to the ultra running community,” he said.

“Despite all that’s happened in the past year, we are stronger than ever to be putting this on, and are also thrilled that it will double up as the AURA 48hr Australian Track Championships.”

This year some names already registered for the event include AURA President Ewan Horsburgh, AURA Vice President Matthew Eckford, AURA Performance of the Year Award winner Annabel Hepworth, NSW State Representative Stephen Redfern, Nikki Wynd, Cheryl Symons, Colin Wiley, Allicia Heron, Ingo Ernst, Colin Brooks, Kris Ryan, Paul Mahoney, Richard Crane, Cassie Smith, Jofffrid Mackett and Michael Thompson.

Registrations are still open for the 48hr, 24hr, 12hr and 6hr until 23 March. Click below for more information. 

Photograph – Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team.