WEEKLY NEWS REPORT 1-3-2021

Kate Dzienis • March 1, 2021

RunningWorks Lark Hill Dusk to Dawn, WA
IAU 6hr Virtual Global Solidarity Run, Worldwide
Award Presentation
In The News

RunningWorks Lark Hill Dusk to Dawn, WA
The RunningWorks Lark Hill Dusk to Dawn Ultra was held at the weekend (Sat, 27 Feb) at the Lark Hill Sports Complex in Port Kennedy, WA.

The event offers a variety of distances for participants, including a night time 100km (34 laps), 50km (17km) , 25km (8 laps) and kids 45min race. All distances are run on a 3km limestone track loop which sees some sandy bits and a small hill to get to the finish/start.

In the lead for the 100km was AURA member Sergio Gustinetti from Tuart Hill who claimed 1st Male in a time of 10:48:40 (the 6th fastest time by a male since 2012). Second Male was won by Michael Coughlan (12:41:00) whilst 3rdwent to Nick O’Neill (12:55:56).

For the women in the 100km the top spot went to Michelle Lane (12:18:25) whilst 2nd Female was claimed by AURA’s Pamela Williams from Esperance who crossed the finish line in 12:42:00. Nicola Humpris, also an AURA member from Broome took 3rd Female after a completing 50km in the event in a time of 7:41:13.

Congratulations to Jimmy Brook from Parmelia who finished 50km also in the event in 7:41:15.

In the 50km division, AURA’s Nathan Fawkes from Waikiki held on to take 1st Male with a fast time of 3:49:08, the 5thfastest time by a male in the event since 2012. Second Male went to Justin Kelly (3:55:57) and 3rd was claimed by Trevor Bosveld (4:13:19).

In the women’s event the podium spots went to Martina Tairea (4:54:04), Casey Edlington (5:15:42) and Bron Larner (5:44:08).

Well done to all our AURA members who ran in the 50km including Adam Loughnan (4:24:17), Giovanni De Vita(4:45:15), Mick Francis (5:02:50), Jeff Gray (5:08:20), Geoff Quinton (6:43:12) and Diane Breant (7:17:48).

IAU 6hr Virtual Global Solidarity Run Team Announced
The Australian team for the 2021 IAU 6hr Virtual Global Solidarity Run has been announced, with the men’s team consisting of Kay Bretz, Steve Robertson, Darren Linney, Anthony Boyle and Stephen Lomax. The women’s team stars Julia Mackay, Tash Fraser and Corrina Black.

Athletes are expected to run in a continuous 6-hour block across the weekend of 20-21 March in their own time zone and then share their recorded performance.

Award Presentation
On February 27 (2021) AURA’s Dion Finocchiaro from Chelsea, Vic was presented with a trophy by Karen Mickle for his 2020 efforts in breaking a record. The Australian 50km record was originally set in Canberra back on 13 April, 2008 by Mark Tucker (2:53:47) however more than 12 years later on 29 November, 2020 Finocchiaro cracked that record with a speedy 2:50:49 on the track in Melbourne.

“It’s a great feeling to get my hands on the record officially and hopefully build on to it from here,” he said.

In The News
Henley Brook AURA member Margie Hadley was last week featured in her local Echo Newspaper both online and in hardcopy where she was interviewed about her Australian Female Ultra Runner of the Year Award. Check out the digital article here.

Coming Up
Trails of Kings and Queens will be run from 5-7 March in Southampton, WA and will see runners participate in 3 days of racing, camping, games, socialising and camaraderie.

The Six Foot Track will be held on 13 March on a 45km trail stretching across the Blue Mountains from the Explorer’s Marked Tree to the Jenolan Caves in NSW.

Reminder
A reminder for all AURA members that with the new year already upon us, we would love to have even more race reports contributed to our digital Ultramag magazine. It doesn’t matter what event you ran in, it can be AURA-listed or not, we love reading your reports and sharing them with the AURA community. Email your reports in a Word document (single spaced and include your name, event name and dates you ran) along with high resolution photographs (not in the Word document but attached to the email) to ultramag@aura.asn.au

Pictured: Karen Mickle presenting Dion Finocchiaro with his trophy and certificate for his 50km Australian Record on Saturday. Photograph – Tia Jones.

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Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships 2027

By Jin Kato • July 8, 2026

The world-class trails of Kunanyi/Mt Wellington will play centre-stage for one of the country’s fastest-growing sports, after the Kunanyi Mountain Run (KMR) was awarded the hosting rights for the first-ever combined Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships (AMTRC). KMR was awarded the National Championships after a competitive bid process, overseen by the Australian Ultra and Trail Running Association (AUTRA) and Australian Athletics (AA). AUTRA President, John Claridge, said that KMR “offered everything we were looking for”. “World-class trails, proven event management and a passionate community. It provides the perfect stage for Australia's first combined National Trail Championships," he said. It’s expected that Australia’s elite mountain and trail running athletes, and support crew, will travel to Hobart, as they vie for a spot in the Australian team that competes at the 2027 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. "This is a landmark moment for trail running in Australia,” Mr Claridge said. "We're excited about what this championship represents; not just next year, but for the future of trail running in Australia... helping grow the sport and inspire the next generation of trail runners." The 2027 AMTRC at KMR will be the first time that all championship distances have been held together, at the one festival. “It aligns us more closely with the way World Championships are presented, creating a stronger pathway for athletes and raising the profile of the sport,” Mr Claridge said. KMR, a 3-day trail running festival which has been held annually since 2022, expects to draw more than 1500 runners and hikers from across Tasmania, Australia and internationally next year. The AMTRC will be embedded within KMR’s existing event program, allowing elite athletes to compete for the national titles, while sharing the same spectacular trails and event-experience as recreational runners. “We’re honoured to have been selected as host,” KMR’s founder and director, Lincoln Quilliam said. “KMR continues to welcome runners, and hikers, of all abilities. From the elites who want to represent Australia on the world stage, the group of mates or work colleagues who run the team relay together, the mums returning to running after having a baby, as well as those who are trying trail running for the very first time,” Mr Quilliam said. Tasmanian runner, Jessica Collins, who has represented Australia, said it was exciting news for KMR, Tasmania and the sport. “This is such a great opportunity for Australian athletes. I’ve run many of the KMR events and know the courses and the terrain are on par with what we see at the World Champs,” she said. The City of Hobart has supported Kunanyi Mountain Run since its inception, and Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said she was “thrilled” with the news. “Events like this not only showcase the natural beauty of our region but also reinforce Hobart’s reputation as a vibrant destination for world-class outdoor experiences.” The 2026 edition of KMR brought in $4 million to the Tasmanian economy, generating more than 8000 bed nights across the state, which Alex Heroys, Chief Executive of Destination Southern Tasmania, said was a “significant return for the visitor economy”. “Kunanyi / Mount Wellington is one of Tasmania’s great natural assets, and the Kunanyi Mountain Run shows exactly how powerful events can be in driving regional tourism,” he said. “We have an epic mountain right on Hobart’s doorstep, an airport less than 30 minutes away, and a city that is well set up to welcome thousands of visiting athletes, support crews and spectators.” “This event also reinforces Tasmania’s growing reputation as a world-class trail running destination. With steep, technical trails and real mountain terrain, Kunanyi offers conditions that are genuinely comparable to what athletes will experience at the World Championships, making it an ideal place to compete, train and visit.” For more information: Kunanyi Mountain Run Dates: 19-21 March 2027 Pic credit: David Nolan & Ryan Slater