Weekly News Report 10-08-2024

Weekly News Report 10-08-2024

Kate Dzienis • August 10, 2024
  • Birdy's Backyard Ultra, WA
  • Red's Backyard Ultra, NSW
  • Tolosa Half-Tolosa Quarter-Tolosa Mini, Tas
  • Rumble in the Jungle, NSW
  • Sri Chinmoy Canberra Trail 100, ACT
  • Upcoming Events


WEEKLY NEWS REPORT FOR 10-08-2024

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 AURA-listed event specifically! You just have to be an AURA member for the 2024 year. Also too, if you’ve run in a non-AURA 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.

Birdy's backyard ultra (wa)

The 6th annual Birdy’s Backyard was held last weekend from Friday, 2 August through to Sunday, 4 August in Lake Towerinning, WA and saw a total of 127 participants (93 M, 34 F).

Chris Martin took out the title of LOS after finishing a total of 37 laps (248.122km) whilst Charles Bosveld took out the Assist.

Congratulations to all our AUTRA members who ran in Birdy’s including Margie Hadley (30 laps), Kevin Matthews (22 laps), Brad Halls (18 laps), Phoebe Hurliman (16 laps), Mark Lawrence (16 laps), Gabe Alves (16 laps), Dave Romanin (15 laps), Bianca Harding (12 laps), Fay Wells (10 laps), Heath Watkins (10 laps), Jason Simpson (9 laps), Glen Smetherham (8 laps) and Alexis Oosterhoff (7 laps).

above Images: Astrid Volzke.
End event! Image: supplied/facebook.

red's backyard ultra (nsw)

Red’s Backyard Ultra kicked off on Saturday, 3 August in Kembla Grange, south of Sydney.

We are still awaiting the full list of results, but will bring that to our members as soon as it’s available for the next weekly news report.  

Image: Supplied/Facebook.

Tolosa Half-Tolosa Quarter-Tolosa Mini, Tas

Hosted by kunanyi Trail Series, the Tolosa Half-Tolosa Quarter-Tolosa Mini was held on Sunday, 4 August in Glenorchy, Tas. On offer was a 21km, 10km and 5km.

In the Women’s 21km, the top spots were awarded to Jillian Lyall (1:58:14, Petra Melis-Walsh (2:04:15) and Amy Noakes (2:06:28).

In the Men’s 21km, 1st Male was won by Titch Hagger (1:35:14) whilst 2nd Male was awarded to AUTRA’s Charles Gunn from Tas who secured his second placing with a great time of 1:35:44. Third Male went to Marc Iseli (1:36:07).

In the Women’s 10km, winners were Anna Hughes (1:04:44), Anthea Messmer (1:04:49) and Jess McDonald (1:05:11); in the Men’s 10km, top spots went to Michael Smith (51:46), Calum Clarke (1:00:20) and Noah Bradley (1:00:55).

In the Women’s 5km, winning spots were awarded to Suzanne Sinquin Van Santen (27:24), Hannah Fielder (28:11) and Eadie Price (29:06); in the Men’s 5km, winners were Jean Sinquin Van Santen (26:54), Otis Fielder (27:39) and Ted Bartle (27:41).

Images: Supplied/Facebook.

Rumble In The Jungle, NSW

Rumble In The Jungle was held on Sunday, 4 August in the Bindarri National Park, Coffs Harbour and was hosted by Coffs Trail Runners and offered four official courses for every level of running – 50km, 30km, 21km and 8km. There was also a kids/family race on the day.

In the Women’s 50km, the top spots were awarded to Belinda James (5:27:26), Victoria Van De Stadt (5:45:13) and AUTRA’s very own Melissa Robertson from NSW who finished the race in a fantastic 5:55:02).

In the Men’s 50km, winners were named Trent Irwon (4:30:32), Chris Stephens (4:45:21) and Luke Nichols (4:53:30).

There were 48 finishers in total for the 50km. Well done to all our AUTRA members who raced, including James Dennett (6:27:51).

In the Women’s 30km, podium finishes went to Annabell Swainston (2:48:13), Leah Doman (2:58:35) and Matilda Murdoch (3:09:33) whilst in the Men’s 30km, spots were awarded to Chris Giffin (2:26:25), Paul Woodhouse (2:29:23) and Alex Gilbert (2:38:41).

In the Women’s 21km, the winners were Alexie Grice (1:59:58), Michelle Reardon (2:06:17) and Kate Bevitt (2:12:25), and in the Men’s 21km, spots went to Kayden Elliott (1:29:02), Scott Cawley (1:32:41) and Jonathan Murdock (1:36:22).

In the Women’s 8km, placings were awarded to Alexka Vanheekeren (34:06), Savannah Bartlett (38:33) and Alexandra Bruggisser (38:39), and in the Men’s 8km winners were Rory Husband (30:43), Sai Rorich (32:18) and Jed McIntosh (32:58).

For the full list of results, click here.

Sri Chinmoy Canberra Trail 100, ACT

The Sri Chinmoy Canberra Trail 100 was held on Sunday, 4 August in the ACT and saw 99 finishers (82 Males, 17 Females).

In the Women’s 100km, 1st Female was won by AUTRA member Stephanie Auston from NSW who crossed the finish line in 9:47:11. She was closely followed by fellow AUTRA member Cassie Cohen from the ACT who finished her race in 11:20:59, and another AUTRA member for 3rd Female, Annie-Marie Cook, who completed the distance in 11:21:54.

A brilliant AUTRA podium finish at the Sri Chinmoy Canberra Trail 100 for the women!

In the Men’s 100km, 1st Male was won by Reece McKenzie (9:25:38). Second and 3rd Place spots were taken by James Quaife (9:49:26) and Benjamin Butler (10:41:02).

Well done to all our members who ran in the event, including Thomas Allen (11:03:31), Elliot Cooper (11:23:46), Damian Smith (12:13:05), Brad Malone (13:28:49), Mark O’Grady (15:17:30), Sandeep Chandra (16:02:22), Michael Thompson (16:27:04), Robin Fieldhouse (16:27:14) and Craig Dawson (16:36:53).

You can access the full list of results here.

Images: Supplied/Sri Chinmoy Races Website.

UPCOMING EVENTS

AUTRA Race Report 23-3-2026

By Kate Dzienis • March 23, 2026
Herdy's Frontyard Ultra, WA Gold Coast Backyard Ultra, Qld I'm Still Standing Sydney, NSW Trail Run Australia - Tathra, NSW Sri Chinmoy 48hr Track Ultra (Australian 48hr Track Championships, ACT Washpool World Heritage Trails, NSW Tamworth Trailblazer, NSW Upcoming Events WEEKLY NEWS REPORT FOR 23-3-2026 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 2026 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.

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.

AUTRA Race Report 12-3-2026

By Kate Dzienis • March 12, 2026
Results for 2026 Lark Hill Party Ultra, Belair Marathon, Mirrim Wurnit Back Paddock Ultra, and Coombabah Trail Run.

Feature: Trail Tails

By Dave Martin • March 2, 2026
Carrying that mandatory gear
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IN OTHER NEWS

AUTRA Race Report 23-3-2026

By Kate Dzienis • March 23, 2026
Herdy's Frontyard Ultra, WA Gold Coast Backyard Ultra, Qld I'm Still Standing Sydney, NSW Trail Run Australia - Tathra, NSW Sri Chinmoy 48hr Track Ultra (Australian 48hr Track Championships, ACT Washpool World Heritage Trails, NSW Tamworth Trailblazer, NSW Upcoming Events WEEKLY NEWS REPORT FOR 23-3-2026 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 2026 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.

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.
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