WEEKLY NEWS REPORT 28/5/2019

Kate Dzienis • May 28, 2019

West Macs Monster, NT
Woodchopper’s Ultra, WA

On a tough, gruelling course along the Larapinta Trail in Alice Springs, NT the West Macs Monster took a hold of its inaugural year with a 231km race with three finishers completing the event in less than 48 hours.

Four participants took to the start line – three out of the four being AURA members Shane Johnstone from Caversham in WA, Stephen Redfern from Heathcote, NSW and Simon Duke hailing from Araluen, NT.

Redfern took an early lead, clearing the first of nine checkpoints (Rocky Bar Gap at 25kms in) in 2:59:00 while Johnstone and Duke kept a close eye on him, both checking in on Redfern’s heels in 3:02:00 and 3:05:00 respectively.

It wasn’t long though before Johnstone passed Redfern and held on to the lead for the rest of the race, but it wasn’t without a friendly competition between the participants. By checkpoint nine at Wallaby Gap (the 217kms mark), Johnstone was holding a nearly one-hour lead ahead of Redfern and was almost three hours ahead of Duke.

All three runners should be extremely proud of their efforts for the first ever West Macs Monster with the final tally at Johnstone with 40:55:18, Redfern at 42:36:49, and Duke with 46:42:00.

Race director Marc Woods said he was incredibly impressed by those who ran in West Macs Monster.

“I am truly blessed and humbled to think that we put together a crazy festival of trail running which obviously struck a chord,” he said.

“For Johnstone, posting an unbelievable time for a run of that magnitude and sheer ruggedness…it was an absolute pleasure to have (him), and be the first ever winner of the West Macs Monster.

“Redfern (has such a) beautiful personality and attitude towards such a gruelling and exhausting event, and his love of extreme trail running really motivates me.

“And Duke, how does he do it? He spent months brainstorming and organising so many elements of the event as one of the committee (members) and then smashing his own FKT and personal goal of sub 48 hours.”

Also at the weekend, Forest Series WA hosted it’s Woodchopper’s Ultra in WA, holding a 50kms trail in Donnelly River.

While some participants ran in their usual trail running gear, a varying few took the opportunity to dress up and showed up in all creativity that is the lumberjack theme.

Congratulations goes out to AURA’s Julia Mackay who completed the distance in a time of 9:35:43.

The next races on the AURA-listed calendar include the IAU/ITRA Trail World Championships in Mirandha do Corvo, Portugal on 8 June, the Gold Coast 100 in Queensland on 9 June and the Cleland 50 in Cleland, SA on 9 June which are the 2019 AURA National Trail Championships (Short Course).

Pictured: The four starters of the 231km West Mac Monster ultra race. Photograph – Jamie Lines/Facebook.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

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