WEEKLY NEWS – 1/05/2018

Kate Dzienis • May 1, 2018

Lighthorse Ultra, WA

Perfect weather set the scene at Saturday’s Lighthorse Ultra in Woodvale, WA at Yellagonga Regional Park where we had 13 AURA members take on one of three events – the 12hr, 6hr or 3hr. Impressive achievements took place on the day as racers took on various terrain through 2.5k loops for their allocated entry.

Top marks went to AURA’s Margie Hadley, who over the past two years has shown no signs of slowing down as she continues to tackle the distances and make a name for herself in the WA ultra scene. Throughout the 12 hour event, she looked strong and composed as she totalled 50 laps, originally aiming for a solid 100k and then seeing what she had left in the tank. But she smashed it at 127.10kms, finishing in first place overall.

Another amazing performance on the Lighthorse track was that of Jen Millum, who kept a steady pace much of the way and clearly has the endurance for ultras. She wasn’t far behind Margie, taking overall second with 114.42kms.

First for the men and third overall was Nick O’Neill, totalling 108.55kms, who also put in a solid achievement, and a big congratulations to Nick Swallow who completed 90kms, looking stealthy the whole way through.

Well done to all those who ran in the 12hr.

The 6hr event was just as inspiring, and it was Harmony Waite who claimed second place for the women after 55.29kms. Taking first overall was speedy Daniel O’Brien with 73.74kms and Andrew McLeish proudly claimed third with 61.02kms.

Some final official times are still being entered into the race system, but unofficial times for other AURA members who raced were Gemma Hamilton (47.5kms), Glen Smetherham (47.5kms), Mark Caldwell (47.5kms) and Kate Dzienis (37.5kms).

Congratulations also goes out to those who ran in the 3hr event, including Graham Bell (33.88kms) and Kathryn Hookham (26.04kms). Stellar performances by everyone at Lighthorse this year.

Pictured: Margie Hadley working hard for her 12 hour PB. Photograph – Shannon Dale.
Pictured Centre: Alex Pattinson with first male and third overall (12hr) Nick O’Neill and second male Chris Satherley. Photograph – Wayne McMurtrie.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

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.