Weekly News Report 16-10-2023

Weekly News Report 16-10-2023

Kate Dzienis • October 16, 2023
  • Hume & Hovell Ultra, NSW
  • Australian 6 Day, SA
  • BRuTUS, ACT
  • Lonely Mountain Ultra, NSW
  • Member Updates
  • Upcoming Events


We are always on the hunt for your stories and reports, so with us getting started on the next edition of Ultramag, send in your incredible tales to ultramag@aura.asn.au And remember, it doesn’t have to be about an AURA-listed event specifically! You just have to be an AURA member for the 2023 year.

If any corrections need to be made in any of the results listed below, please alert our editor via email by contacting Kate Dzienis at kate.dzienis@aura.asn.au

Also, don’t forget to give us a follow on Instagram! Our handle is @australian_ultra so feel free to tag us in your posts and stories! 

HUME & HOVELL ULTRA

The highly anticipated Hume & Hovell Ultra was held on the weekend of 7-8 October along parts of the Hume & Hovell Walking Track in Tumbarumba, NSW. This particular event is an ultra runner’s dream, with offerings of a 100mi (with a total of 6 participants), 100km (which saw 19 finishers) and 50km.

In the Women’s 100mi, 1st Female was awarded to AURA’s very own Melissa Robertson from Long Jetty, NSW who secured her position with a brilliant time of 1D:02:45:58, whilst AURA member Lindsay Hamilton from Forde, ACT walked away with a fantastic time of 1D:04:52:26 to take home 2nd Female. Third female went to Lauren Rakose (1D:07:58:40).

In the Men’s 100mi, podium positions were won by Alex Hull (23:00:42), Anthony Metcalfe (1D:07:22:52) and Sean Robertson (1D:07:39:23).

In the Women’s 100km, Annabelle Swainston took 1st Female (14:01:54) and Bianca Pietrass-Wong won 2ndFemale (15:52:07). AURA’s own Lisa Sherman from Hillsdale, NSW secured herself 3rd Female following a finish time of 16:36:35, well done!

In the Men’s 100km, top spots were awarded to Andrew Kennedy (12:24:11), Liew Gartrell (12:45:08) and David Pearce (12:51:38).

Congratulations to our two AURA members who raced in the 100km at Hume & Hovell Ultra – David Campbell from Sydney who finished in 14:43:42, and Julie Steele from Bulli, NSW who crossed the finish line in 19:44:01.

Forty-three participants crossed the finish line of the 50km event with top spots in the Men’s 50km being awarded to Daniel Cox (5:04:16), Glenn Hangan (5:37:49) and Daniel Wallace (6:01:38), whilst for the Women’s 50km it was Gemma Jenkins (5:07:11), Sarah Burger (5:44:58) and Sasha Lee (5:50:21) respectively.

A big congratulations to our AURA members who ran in the 50km, including Lisa Krummer from Helensburgh, NSW who finished in 5:52:59 and took 4th Female, and Catherine Froome from Berrima, NSW who secured her race with 8:01:18.

To view the full list of results, click here.

AUSTRALIAN 6 DAY

It was a big week in early October, with the Australian 6 Day Ultra Marathon Festival held from 1-7 October at Thorndon Park east of Adelaide in SA. The event has a long standing history having originated in Colac, Vic and many AURA members, past and presented, have raced in it and created long lasting, fond memories.

On offer this year was the 6 Day as well as 72hr, 48hr and 24hr events. Many records were attained, and in the 6 Day itself there were 39 participants.

Kicking off results with the Men’s 6 Day, AURA’s Darren Linney from Paradise, SA secured himself the top spot after finishing the week with a whopping 735.631km whilst AURA Secretary Stephen Redfern from Engadine, NSW claimed 2nd Male following his finish of the 6 Day event with 638.724km. AURA member Greg Ponych from Wishart, Qld rounded off the podium to take home 3rd Male following a total of 602.989km.

In the Women’s 6 Day, AURA’s Annabel Hepworth from Castlecrag, NSW took 1st Female with an incredible 708.573km whilst NZ’s Kerryn Bell claimed 2nd Female (658.152km). AURA member Sabina Hamaty from Cambewarra, NSW pushed herself to get 3rd Female after securing a fantastic 537.513km.

A true testament to the distances ultra runners achieve, congratulations to every single AURA member who ran in the 6 Day event, including David Billett (553.318km), Phil Ryan (540.270km), Paola Flury (521.403km), Colin Brooks (506.059km), Tamas Lorincz (491.897km), Sandi Faddy (440.214km), Bill Bardsley (431.497km), Kelly Conroy (427.686km), Tamyka Bell (411.975km), Robert Flury (410.197km), Marie Boyd (364.503km), Cassie Smith (314.671km), Benjamin Anchor (314.606km) and Richard Crane (286.531km).

Two runners entered the 72hr, both women, so in the Women’s 72hr the top spot was awarded to Emily Breakwell (165.458km) whilst AURA’s Sandra Howorth from Horseshoe Bay, Qld took 2nd Female with a total distance of 114.049km. 

There was one participant in the Men’s 48hr – congratulations to AURA member Geoffrey Langhans from Happy Valley, SA who finished the event with a total of 206.772km and title of 1st Male.

It was the same for the Women’s 48hr, with one runner; Michelle Salerno who finished with 128.296km whilst in the 24hr event there was just one participant. Lib Smith completed the 24hr with a total of 122.817km.

BRUTUS 60KM

The BRuTUS 60km (Brindabella Ranges ultimate Trail Ultra Spectacular) was held Sunday, 8 October in the mountain ranges west of Canberra, ACT and hosted by the Ultra Mediocre runners.

For ultra runners, a 60km was on offer with top spots in the Men’s 60km awarded to Rowan Lewis (5:23:06), Jack Brand (5:42:45) and Joseph Hughes (5:42:47). In the Women’s 60km, podium finishes went to Jordan Anderton (7:30:01), Marnie Shaw (7:46:21) and Nicole Siddon (7:51:33).

LONELY MOUNTAIN ULTRA

The Lonely Mountain Ultra was held the weekend of 14-15 October in Orange, NSW and offered a wide variety of distances for runners, including a 104km (solo/relay), 50mi, 50km, 32km, 22km, 11km, and for the kids a 2km and 4km.

In the Women’s 104km Solo event, AURA’s Anna Pillinger from Fairlight, NSW took top honours with a 1stFemale finish, crossing the finish line in a whopping 12:05:06 – well over four hours ahead of 2nd Female finisher Jodie Bailey (16:08:48) and 3rd Female Kate Fitzpatrick (16:35:05).

In the Men’s 104km Solo, podium finishes were awarded to Gerald Macpherson (10:54:01), Ghale Diwakar (12:42:48) and Kieran Van Bunnik (13:28:47).

In the 104km Solo and Teams event combined, there were 39 finishers. Congratulations to AURA’s Darren Cox from Beacon Hill, NSW who finished 2nd in his age category with 14:33:40.

Twenty-one participants raced in the 50mi event. AURA’s very own Louise Clifton from Mount Victoria, NSW took 1st Female in the Women’s 50mi with a total time of 9:12:00. Second and 3rd Female were awarded to Hannah Mcrae (9:38:25) and Penny Kee (11:20:09) respectively.

In the Men’s 50mi, winners were named Ryan Tomkins (9:00:35), Bern Ward (11:17:11) and Alex Mcdonnell (11:56:33).

Heading into the Women’s 50km, AURA’s Hayley Teale from Tamborine, Qld took 1st Female after finishing the event in 5:07:26 whilst AURA member Gill Fowler from Rozelle, NSW claimed 2nd Female following a completed time of 5:15:54. Third female was awarded to Beatriz Ogilvie (5:56:53).

In the Men’s 50km, AURA’s Matthew Crehan from Northcote, Vic took home the gong with 1st Male in a time of 4:21:53. Second and 3rd positions were won by Nicholas Spanner (4:46:40) and Andrew Lennon (4:47:10) respectively.

One-hundred-thirty-one runners finished the 50km. Congratulations to all our AURA members, including Piera Kohout (6:12:10), Luke Ferry (6:16:10), Faye Lehane (6:18:20), Rene Collins (6:32:13), Kayden Penhall (6:55:33) and Rob Stoneham (6:59:50).

For a full list of results, including the 30km, 22km, 11km and kids races, click here.

MEMBER UPDATES

Congratulations to AURA’s Greg Wilson, who raced at the 2023 Chicago Marathon earlier this month on 8 October where approx. 49,000 people raced. Greg, spotted racing in his green and gold Australia singlet, secured his fastest time since 2016 with 3:32:43.

Also in member updates, AURA’s Phil Gore has landed in the US with his family ahead of Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra (in Tennessee), due to kick off on 21 October. We wish Phil all the best for his first international performance in the backyard format.

UPCOMING EVENTS

This weekend: the kunanyi Trail Series – Cascade Slide will be on 21 October in South Hobart, Tas as well as the Heysen 105 Ultra in Victor Harbour, SA; and Old Mates Backyard Ultra from 27-30 October in Upper Barron, Qld.

Bondi to Manly Ultra will be held on 28 October in Bondi, NSW and the Great North Walk Ultras in Patonga, NSW will be from 28-29 October.

Looking ahead, November will also be a busy month with the Feral Pig Ultra from 4-5 November) in Mundaring, WA; the Great Southern Stage Run from 16-18 November in WA; Hysterical Carnage Backyard Ultra from 17-19 November in Loxton, SA; GSER from 17-19 November in Harrietville, Vic; and the Stromlo Running Festival from 18-19 November in Stromlo, ACT.

Pictured: Anna Pillinger atop the podium following her 1st Female finish at the 2023 Lonely Mountain Ultra 104km.

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.
By Dave Martin March 14, 2026
AUTRA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Wednesday 15 April 2026
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.
By Kate Dzienis March 12, 2026
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By Dave Martin March 2, 2026
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IN OTHER NEWS

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.
By Dave Martin March 14, 2026
AUTRA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Wednesday 15 April 2026
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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