WEEKLY NEWS BRIEF – 06/07/2018

Kate Dzienis • July 6, 2018

Wild Goose Chase Festival, WA

The Wild Goose Chase Festival hosted by Ultra Series WA was held across the weekend in the Avon Valley of WA, with festivities starting on one of the coldest nights of the year. From Friday through to Sunday (June 29-July 1), participants camped out in the frosty conditions, which soon became abundant with rain, but that didn’t stop runners from taking on a variety of distances across the three days of events and making themselves comfortable on the camp grounds for a weekend of racing.

Friday lay claim to the 18km Hill Climb, and taking top podium finish for the women was AURA’s Jen Millum from Karnup, WA who has leaped onto the ultra scene fairly quickly in just a short space of time. Needless to say, she finished in first position in the women’s division across all her entered events (18km Hill Climb, 106kms on Saturday, and the 53kms on Sunday). She smashed the Hill Climb in 2:02:28, and it was a well-deserved win. AURA members Emma Luscombe (3:07:09), Lucia Caravia (3:23:10), Shirley Treasure (3:35:10), and Sue Robertson (3:36:10) also did amazing in the tough, cold conditions.

For the men, AURA’s own Matthew Salinovich claimed third position with a fast time of 1:56:10. He was very closely followed by Wayne McMurtrie who crossed the finish line in a whopping 2:01:59, even after having camped out earlier in the week to assist with marking all the trails for participants. Big congratulations to Nick O’Neill (2:06:07), Glen Smetherham (2:15:09), Nick Swallow (2:15:20) and Peter Barry (3:18:41).

On Saturday, the festival hosted the 45kms and the 106kms events.

First to the 45kms, Shirley Treasure was the first AURA member to cross the finish (6th female) in a time of 8:14, while Lucia Caravia was second right behind her, completing the course in 8:17. Well done also for the efforts of Sue Robertson (9:01) and Zora Harvie (9:53).

For the men, Ben Treasure took first AURA member and second men’s with a speedy 5:02. AURA’s very own Peter Barry did extremely well also with his time of 8:16.

On to the race of the weekend – the 106kms.

As mentioned above, newcomer Jen Millum took top podium finish for the women, claiming a time of 14:48. Amazing efforts also by Emma Luscombe and Harmony Waite for this event, and both should be incredibly proud.

For the men, Logan Vickers was the first AURA member to cross the line in 14:25 and took third place for the males. Wayne McMurtrie was fourth for the men in 14:45, and congratulations to Nick O’Neill (15:26), Matthew Salinvich (15:36), Nicholas Goddard (17:15), Glen Smetherham (17:26), Nick Swallow and Thomas Martin.

Come Sunday, and top efforts for all our AURA members who entered the 22.5kms Half Ultra – Gemma Hamilton (3:15), Lucia Caravia (3:57), Shirley Treasure (4:00), Peter Barry (4:14) and Sue Robertson (4:21).

The last event of the weekend was the 53kms, and in her third race of the weekend, completing a total of 177kms in three consecutive days, Millum took first place for the women, completing her Wild Goose Chase debut in 7:19.

AURA’s Daniel O’Brien was first overall with a smashing finish in 5:39, and Shane Holstein wasn’t far behind, claiming third male and third overall in a time of 6:13. Whopping performances by all of our other members too, including Wayne McMurtrie (6:56), Nick O’Neill (7:01) and Matthew Salinovich (10:17) – all three of whom also ran 177kms in total across the weekend. Top efforts to Alex Keys in the 53kms!

As mentioned, it was one of Perth’s coldest weekends of the year, and every single participant did an amazing job at Ultra Series WA’s Wild Goose Chase!

Pictured: Jen Millum hitting the first event of the weekend, the 18kms. Photograph – Shannon Dale.

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AUTRA News Report 11-09-2025

By Kate Dzienis • September 11, 2025

Run The River Half, Qld Murphys Creek Challenge, Qld Lighthorse Ultra, WA Kunanyi Trail Series, Rialannah, Tas Upcoming Events WEEKLY NEWS REPORT FOR 12-09-2025 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 2025 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.

Team Manager 2025 IAU Asian and Oceania 100K Championships

By Gary Mullins • September 8, 2025

Location : Bangkok, Thailand Dates : November 21 - 24 2025 Role Type : Volunteer Position Time Commitment : Pre event planning + Travel Application Deadline : 17th September 2025 Thank you for your interest in supporting the Australian team for the 2025 IAU Asian 100k Championships. This role goes far beyond logistics. It’s about leadership, inclusion, and creating a positive, empowering environment for athletes competing on the world stage. AUTRA is committed to opening doors for those outside traditional pathways. We strongly encourage applications from coaches, former athletes, club leaders, volunteers, and passionate community members. You don’t need to have served on a board or managed a team before as we’re looking for people who genuinely care, are highly organised, and can proudly represent our athletes and country. Role Overview As Team Manager, you’ll work closely with AUTRA President Gary Mullins and Vice President Geoff Russell to prepare and support the national team before and during the championship. Pre-Departure Australia Act as the main contact for selected athletes and crew Assist with final entry forms and travel planning Prepare a Championships Agenda in alliance with the Team Managers Agreement Document Coordinate flights, uniforms, and team communications Help identify and organise crew support Attend online team planning meetings On the Ground in Thailand Be present and ready as athletes arrive Ensure all athlete needs are met so they can focus fully on their race Attend all technical meetings and represent the team professionally Coordinate team attendance at the opening and closing ceremonies Ensure the team and crew are prepared, organised, and calm Address any issues that arise with efficiency and discretion Provide hands on leadership and moral support throughout the race Support Provided Accommodation in Bangkok for 3 - 4 nights will be provided by AUTRA An official team uniform will be supplied A volunteer allowance of $1500 will be provided to acknowledge your time and service during the championship period. What You’ll Need Excellent communication and interpersonal skills Strong organisational ability under pressure A calm, inclusive, and athlete first mindset Commitment to AUTRA’s Code of Conduct Member of AUTRA Applying To apply for the role of Team Manager please CLICK HERE and fill out the Application Form. Applications Close at 5pm 17th September 2025. Selection Process Following the application deadline, the AUTRA Committee will review all submissions and select the most suitable candidate. All applicants will be contacted by Gary Mullins within 7 days of applications closing. Gary Mullins AUTRA President