WEEKLY NEWS BRIEF – 18/12/2018

Kate Dzienis • December 18, 2018

6 Inch Trail Ultra, WA

The weekend saw the iconic and ever-growing 6 Inch Trail Marathon being held in WA, about 80kms south of Perth, on Sunday, December 16.

The 47km event saw more than 270 participants race in favourable conditions. What started out as a fairly chilly morning turned into the perfect day for an ultra along the Munda Biddi Track from North Dandalup to Dwellingup, WA.

Visiting runner Brendan Davies from Woodford, NSW kept entrants on their toes as he held on to a decent pace throughout the distance. Before the start button hit, Davies said he was raring to go and it was ‘just another day at the office’, his calm positivity truly showcasing what he’s made of.

Davies crossed the finish line in 3:34:53, claiming 2nd Male, and said jokingly while taking a rest he felt ‘pretty smashed’.

“It was a lot harder than I expected, despite having raced it before,” he said.

“I raced it better this year, and definitely finished stronger, but just didn’t have the legs today; from the very beginning, I just felt rotten, sluggish, but that’s to be expected. I haven’t really given myself too much of a taper for it, because I still want to keep my momentum building for a race I have in February.

“Overall though, despite that, I’m really happy with my effort, and that’s all I really wanted to do – be happy with my effort, and I totally was.”

Jacqueline Kellerman from Burns Beach took control of lead position for the AURA women, and took victory with 2nd Female in a time of 4:26:14.

Congratulations to all our AURA members who conquered 6 Inch including Kevin Matthews (3:46:10), Richard Avery (4:04:54), Mick Francis (4:31:12), Nick Swallow (4:35:08), Ben Treasure (4:41:26), Beck Hefferon (4:46:19), Jason Phillips (4:51:43), Barbara Fieberg (4:54:50), Matt Byles (5:06:39), Shane Holstein (5:14:03), Logan Vickers (5:15:06), Ian North (5:19:31), Darryl McKenzie (5:30:49), Alexis Oosterhoff (5:31:03), Kerriann Bresser (5:31:11), Jordan Grooby (5:38:11), Lee-Maree Gallo (5:52:29), Mark Caldwell (6:02:03), Ian Dougan (6:03:03), Kathryn Hookham (6:03:40), Cheryl Tatterton (6:11:02), Glen Smetherham (6:18:07), Gemma Hamilton (6:20:23), Shon Fry (6:25:46), Margie Hadley (6:29:40), Harmony Waite (6:39:20), Lucia Caravia (6:42:26), Bob Colligan (6:45:47), Tom Louden (6:53:48), Jo Dean (6:57:02), Sue Robertson (7:02:53), Mike Gibbon (7:10:49), and Louise Wallace (7:31:11).

AAA Racing Hill Climb was cancelled due to weather conditions in Qld but will be due for a rescheduling by the race director. The next race on the AURA calendar will be the Sandman 50 in Dunsborough, WA on Sunday, December 23.

Pictured: Brendan Davies just five minutes after crossing the finish line at 6 Inch, looking fresh and energetic. Photograph – Kate Dzienis.

< 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.