WEEKLY NEWS REPORT – 23/10/2019

Kate Dzienis • October 23, 2019

Butter24, Qld
Blackall 100 & 50, Qld
GOW100s, Vic

There were some truly amazing performances at the weekend amongst AURA members and the ultra running community as a whole, and first we’ll go back to late September for the Sunshine Coast BUTTER24 which was held on 28 September in Brisbane, Qld with 6hr, 12hr and 24hr options.

BUTTER24

Participants ran loops of the University of Sunshine Coast track facility known for its ‘sandwich system’ which offers cushioning and rebound, a favourable condition for endurance events.

In the 24hr event, AURA’s Kathryn Austin from Springfield Lakes, Qld took home 1st Female after completing 163.798km. In 2nd place was Lisa O’Brien with 153.167km whilst 3rd was Amanda Pavey with 118.473kms.

For the men’s event in the 24hr, Dean Ivy took 1st Male after completing 185.312km, whilst 2nd went to AURA member Greg Ponych from Wishart, Qld who finished his day with 181.713km. Third was taken by another AURA member, Fergus Edwards from Launceston, Tas who completed 164.010km.

Congratulations to AURA members Kerrie Williamson (106.400km) and Kevin McCann (64.400km) who finished their 24hr events with great distances.

On to the 12hr event, podium finishes for the women went to Nicole Jukes (102.032km), Suzanne Wilson (72.653km) and Alexiallfc [sic] Broome (20.400km) whilst for the men it was Ben Dennien (109.542km), Trevor Lampard (104.860km) and Matt Fitzgerald (104.698km).

Well done to AURA member Andrew Kruck from Brisbane, Qld who completed the 12hr with 102.540km.

In the 6hr event, AURA’s Kerrie Bremner from Nicholls, ACT who took home top spot with 1st Female after completing a total of 60.199km. Second spot went to Cheryl McLean (42.493km).

For the men, podium finishes went to Robert Trims (76.604km), David Scroope (72.287km) and Josh Dinale (65.717km) respectively.

Blackall 100 & 50

The highly anticipated Blackall 100 & 50 trail event took place on Saturday (October 19) along the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk’s Blackall Range. Considered a large scale event, the Blackall offers a personal challenge with spectacular scenery and brilliant support.

On the morning, 199 participants stood at the start line for the 100km event with 173 successfully completing the distance.

For the women’s top spots, AURA’s very own Jessica Schluter from Keperra, Qld smashed the event and took control of the 1st Female position with a finish time of 11:38:37. She was a decent 20 minutes ahead of 2nd Female winner Alana Vought (11:59:00) whilst 3rd Female went to Chrissy Redwod (12:25:27).

For the men, Ryan Crawford took 1st Male and cemented a new course record with 9:53:53 (previous record was held by last year’s male winner Yun Phua in 9:57:21). Second Male went to New Zealander Steve Pemberton who finished in 10:20:40 whilst 3rd Male was held by Darryl Hill (11:00:25).

Congratulations to all our AURA members who took on the Blackall 100 including Shona Stephenson (13:02:44), Andrew Speakman (14:55:04), Jason Parsons (15:45:37), Cora Lau (15:46:42), Gregory Brown (17:29:21), Alena Scurrah and David Von Senden.

In the 50km, about 420 runners gathered their gear for the trails while about 413 successfully completed the course.

Podium standings in the men went to Josh Corcoran (4:32:37), Luke Garrett (4:38:38) and Oskar Booth (4:52:25). In the women spots went to Cecilia Mattas (4:59:59), Emma Burgess (5:30:19) and Mindy Durdin (5:40:26).

Congratulations to AURA members who raced in the 50km including Nicole Kruse (8:06:41), Lynn Mazza (9:30:25) and Benjamin Duffus.

GOW100s

The GOW100s event on Saturday (October 19) was held on the west coast of Vic through the Otway Ranges, along beaches, through rainforest and across rocky headlands, however the weather leading up to the event came into question if the race would go ahead.

It was decided on Thursday (October 17) that due to potential 6-metre swells and near gale force winds, the course would be modified for the safety of runners and volunteers.

The course was changed with a start in Apollo Bay at the anchor and then running to Aire River for a turnaround, with the remainder of the course heading for a finish at Marengo Caravan Park. With the modification, it means the distance was changed to 80km, the equivalent of a 50 miler.

The news didn’t stop 89 racers from participating though (81 finishing) and the event kicked off.

For the men, Tony Lopez took 1st Male with 8:05:12 whilst AURA member Damian Smith from Nowra, NSW claimed 2nd Male, finishing in a time of 8:08:49. Dan Beard completed the race in 8:39:41.

In the women’s race 1st Female went to Jo Nevin (8:16:07), 2nd went to Kerryn McTaggart (9:40:53) and 3rd went to Martine Nield (9:53:59).

Congratulations to all our AURA members who braved the weather including Adam Waites (9:59:50), Joseph Lewis(9:59:53), Tim Kacprzak (10:08:06), Nicole Vaughan (10:30:31), Niall Roche (10:34:27), Tony O’Connell (11:42:40), Mark Falls (12:46:46), Bill Bardsley (12:52:06), Oliver Mestdagh (14:10:10), Rob Sutton (14:19:30) and Jody Daff.

International news

With the infamous Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra held over the weekend in the US (Bell Buckle, Tennessee) it was hard to not keep an eye on social media posts as AURA’s David Giles held on strong against a highly competitive field of 72 runners.

Giles, from Willetton in WA, completed a total of 116.66km and finished 28th according to official results.

Last one standing was American Maggie Guterl from Colorado who totalled 250km.

Coming up

This weekend is another couple days of stellar events including the Heysen 105 in Newland Hill, SA on Saturday; the IAU 24hr World Championships in Albi, France on Saturday; the Ned Kelly Chase 50km and 100km in Wangaratta, Vic which also doubles as the National 100km Championships; and the Mico RunningWorks Ultra 50km at The Spectacles in WA.

Reports

If you are an AURA member and would like to contribute to the next edition of Ultramag which is due out very soon, email your race report along with high resolution images attached to the body of the email to ultramag@aura.asn.au

Pictured: Jessica Schluter ringing the bell at the end of her Blackall 100. Photograph – Blackall 100/Facebook

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AUTRA News Report 11-09-2025

By Kate Dzienis • September 11, 2025

Run The River Half, Qld Murphys Creek Challenge, Qld Lighthorse Ultra, WA Kunanyi Trail Series, Rialannah, Tas Upcoming Events WEEKLY NEWS REPORT FOR 12-09-2025 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 2025 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.

Team Manager 2025 IAU Asian and Oceania 100K Championships

By Gary Mullins • September 8, 2025

Location : Bangkok, Thailand Dates : November 21 - 24 2025 Role Type : Volunteer Position Time Commitment : Pre event planning + Travel Application Deadline : 17th 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 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 at 5pm 17th 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