WEEKLY NEWS REPORT 22-3-2021

Kate Dzienis • March 22, 2021

Duncan’s Run, Vic
IAU 6hr Virtual Global Solidarity Run, Aust
Upcoming Events

Duncan’s Run
Held on Saturday, 20 March at Tarra-Bulga National Park in South Gippsland, Vic participants at Duncan’s Run were offered distances of 100km and 50km for the ultra categories.

In the men’s 100km Thomas Dade claimed 1st (12:00:13), Joel Read took 2nd (12:13:33) and Andrew Zhang got 3rd (14:10:50).

For the women’s event it was Eva Clarke in 1st (14:29:48), Alycia Marotta 2nd (15:42:47) and Julie Thomas 3rd (17:19:13).

Congratulations to AURA member Katherine McMillan who completed her 100km in a time of 17:34:24.

In the 50km event, we saw John Dutton take 1st for the men in 4:48:07, Corey Milner claim 2nd (4:57:04) and AURA’s very own Justin Hiatt from Weston Creek finished the podium standings after finishing 3rd Male with a time of 5:05:44.

In the women’s 50km race it was Sarah McConnell 1st (6:27:21), Ruby Greig-Hurtig 2nd (6:43:04) and Mary-Louise Van Dyk 3rd(6:49:24).

Well done and stellar efforts to AURA’s Ryan Claxton who crossed the finish line in the 50km in 8:01:16.

IAU 6hr Virtual Global Solidarity Run
Across the globe, 350 runners from 32 teams ran over the weekend (20-21 March) for the IAU 6hr Virtual Global Solidarity Run. The Australian men’s team consisted of Kay Bretz, Steve Robertson, Darren Linney, Anthony Boyle and Stephen Lomax whilst the women’s team starred Julia Mackay, Tash Fraser and Corrina Black.

Running on Saturday:

Kay Bretz clocked more than 14 laps around Albert Park, Melbourne, Vic in the early morning and covered more than 73km, doing the majority of the event with a large group of runners.

Darren Linney ran his 6hrs at Thorndon Park, Adelaide, SA and had a barrage of family and friends nearby to support and cheer him on. He succeeded with just under 67km – this, all after breaking his left foot 10 weeks ago.

Corrina Black hit Mermaid Beach in Qld at 2am on Saturday to knock out 65.67km in what were trying conditions – rain bucketing down in her first hour, and then a hit of humidity.

Running on Sunday:

AURA secretary Julia Mackay utilised her entry at the Perth Trail Series 12hr Diamond Run in WA from 9pm Friday (19 March) to 9am Sunday (21 March) to do her 6hr solidarity run. She ran a total of 62km.

Anthony Boyle ran in humid conditions in Byron Bay, NSW on Saturday and achieved 73.16km for his 6hrs. Thanks to support from family and friends, he got through the humidity with plenty of ice.

From 730am to 130pm, Tash Fraser completed a total distance of 72.79km around Ballarat, Vic with an average page of 4:57/km and utilised the event to fundaise for BeyondBlue. You can donate to her cause here.

Steve Robertson began at 6am and did 550m loops around Cooper St Park, Engadine, NSW despite wild weather conditions in Sydney. He achieved his goal of 50km for the event.

Stephen Lomax braved tough rainy conditions solo running around the Ridge Athletics Track in Barden Ridge, NSW and managed to secure a total of 63.3km. The weather was atrocious with rainfall and the chill factor; NSW State Representative Stephen Redfern and his wife Penny visited out in the morning to cheer him on.

AURA president Ewan Horsburgh is a part of the IAU Presidents Club Team and participated by contributing a 2hr taper run and a 4hr carbo-load in preparation for his upcoming 48hr Australian Championships race.

Upcoming Events
The Sri Chinmoy 48hr Track Festival will be held 26-28 March and doubles up as AURA’s 48hr Australian Track Championships. The event will see runners do laps of the Australian Institute of Sport track in Canberra racing in either a 48hr, 24hr, 12hr and 6hr event.

The inaugural Herdy’s Frontyard Ultra in WA will see it continue the busy weekend in March (26-28), placing itself as a sister-event to Birdy’s Backyard later in the year. Held at Herdsman Lake, the race is a Last One Standing format where runners will tackle a 6.71km loop until only one man or woman is left.

To finish off the month, Trails and Tails is also an inaugural event this year, to be held at Charlie Watts Reserve and Cairncross State Forest in Telegraph Point, NSW. Offering a distance of 7km, 14km or 21km the course welcome your pet dog to run with you.

Reminder
A reminder for all AURA members we would love to have more race reports contributed to our digital Ultramagmagazine. 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

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Location : Bangkok, Thailand Dates : November 21 - 24 2025 Role Type : Volunteer Position Time Commitment : Pre event planning + Travel Application Deadline : 7th 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 24 hour 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 on the 3rd 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