WEEKLY NEWS – 27/3/2018

Kate Dzienis • March 27, 2018

Duncan’s Run, Vic
Trails N Ales, WA
Bailey Centre Great Ocean, NSW

Three races were held across the weekend of March 24 and 25, with some amazing results by AURA members.

Starting with Duncan’s Run, the 50kms ultra race was held on Saturday along the trails of Gippsland’s Tarra Bulga State Forest in Victoria.

AURA’s very own Joel Claxton from Warragul, Vic took out first overall with a time of 4:35:27, well ahead of the second and third placers who completed the distance in 4:45:41 and 4:57:09.

Glen Huntly’s Nicole Paton, who has taken on numerous AURA-listed events, secured first female in 5:26:00 even.

Congratulations to all those who participated in Duncan’s Run, including David Sutherland (5:23:57), Stuart Hughes (5:30:39), Mike Cardiff (5:32:59) and Mark Falls (7:34:55).

Over in WA, the inaugural Trails N Ales by Ultra Series WA started in cooler than usual conditions. Not the usual ultra event, there were two distances for ultra runners – 100kms and 50kms in the Wellington Dam National Park. With toes taped, high vis vests on and six packs of ales at the ready (not for consumption but for challenges), Trails N Ales saw AURA’s Alex Keys win the 100kms event in 10:16:53 in a strong 10 minute lead over the second place getter.

Special mention and congratulations to all our members who took on this new format of ultra racing including Emma Luscombe, Sarah Farrell, Beck Hefferon, and Darryl McKenzie.

We are still awaiting official results for the Bailey Centre Great Ocean run.

Pictured: Participants getting ready for their race at Trails N Ales in WA. Photograph – Brett Morris/Facebook.

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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.