VALE KEITH SULLIVAN, 1ST MAY 1952 – 15TH DECEMBER 2018

Rob Donkersloot • December 22, 2018

Prepared by Keith’s friend Susannah Harvey-Jamieson

Keith Sullivan – or as he was known on Cool Running, Skin and Bone, was an incredibly popular and well-loved member of the running community. First known to the “ultra scene” in 2008 when he made his debut at Caboolture Dusk ‘til Dawn, he went on to become the man known as the gentleman who said, “Bloody Marvellous” and could be relied on for his charisma and generosity of spirit to many of us ultra runners.

I remember meeting Keith at the end of 2008, at the very challenging Kurrawa to Duranbah 50k on the Gold Coast. With a finishing time of 4:48:34, he was no slouch! As always, he was accompanied by his “Gorgeous” wife, Carol. From that time, Keith and Carol could be relied on for showing up to most local ultras around SE Qld and further afield. Whether he was having a good day or not, he would always encourage, cheer and support in any way he could. If injured, he could be depended upon to volunteer. A true strength of his caring and community-minded character.

He contributed to AURA in many ways, including as a co-rep for Queensland for a couple of years. In October this year, many of you might have read his article on “Old Bugger Running”, giving advice and sharing in his typical caring fashion.

Amongst many of his feathers in his ultra-running cap, Keith ran Coast to Kosciuszko twice, Marathon Des Sables, Comrades, Glasshouse 100 miles and Stromlo 12 hours. With a competitive spirit and a relentless energy that was incredibly infectious. I know that he helped many others achieve their goals and celebrated them as if they were his own – including that of his daughter-in-law completing her first marathon earlier this year. He was prolific on Cool Running (for those who remember that far back!) with over 1300 posts, his very dry (if I dare say, British) sense of humour applied to many topics. He never took himself too seriously and this is epitomised in his tag line “There is still hope for the old buggers out there” (quoting Geoff Huegill).

His struggle with skin cancer was horrendous and sometimes gruesome. But rather than wallow in self-pity, he saw this as an opportunity to warn and educate others on the dangers of the sun. On more than one occasion, he rocked up to an event within a week of some skin grafts or other treatment. He wouldn’t let anything keep him down and he never complained or used it as an excuse. In fact, he was known to have said that it was a good reason to keep going, as you just don’t know what is going to happen.

Two weeks ago, Keith was again at the Gold Coast 50k. Ten years on from when I first met him, and he ran 4:48:34. Six seconds quicker at the age of 66 than he was at 56. That’s a pretty incredible achievement. You were right, Keith, there is hope for the old buggers out there.

15th December 2018, Keith died very suddenly. He is survived by his gorgeous wife, Carol, his three sons, Gary, Liam and Tony, his daughter-in-law, Sarah, and his grand-daughter, Izzy. He will be sorely missed by us all in the running community and on behalf of AURA, I would like to express our heart-felt sympathy to his friends and family.

For details on the memorial arrangements, please click here.

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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.