WEEKLY NEWS REPORT 5/08/2021

Kate Dzienis • August 5, 2021

Glasshouse Series, Flinders Tour, Qld
Yaberoo Trail Ultra, WA
Upcoming Events

GLASSHOUSE SERIES, FLINDERS TOUR

AAA Racing’s Glasshouse Series Flinders Tour was held on July 24 (2021) in the Glasshouse Mountains National Park, Qld. There were 3 distances on offer with a 12km, 25km and an ultra 50km.

In the women’s 50km, AURA’s very own Tia Jones from Springfield Lakes, Qld took home 1st Female in a time of 5:40:30. In 2nd place it was Mallani Moloney with 5:50:00 and in 3rd it was Eliza Brewer (6:02:04).

In the men’s 50km event, AURA member Kevin Muller from Wodonga, Vic claimed 1st Male with 4:55:00, taking the title with an 11 minute lead over Jeff Hannah (5:06:10). Nic Moloney took 3rd Male with 5:31:41.

YABEROO TRAIL ULTRA

The Yaberoo Trail Ultra was held on August 1 (2021) in some of the most horrid conditions, in Joondalup, WA along the Yaberoo Budjara trail. By the time race day came along, the entire month of July was the wettest month on record for the past 26 years along with some of the wildest wilds and storms throughout this winter.

Sunday at Yaberoo was no exception, with participants copping a barrage of bad weather – but the smiles on everyone’s faces were priceless.

The event offered a few distance options, including a 15km, 25km and a 50km ultra.

In the women’s 50km, podium finishers were Michelle Hankey 1st (4:32:41), Kelly Thompson 2nd (4:42:59) and Veronika Kretzer 3rd (5:30:07).

In the men’s 50km event, the top spot was won by AURA’s Michael Bellmon from Subiaco, WA who finished with a time of 3:54:41, securing a 13-minute lead over 2nd place getter Alex Clapin (4:07:32). Third Male went to Simon Bennett (4:08:19).

Congratulations to all our AURA members who ran in the Yaberoo 50km event including Sergio Gustinetti (5:06:29), Mick Francis (5:15:25), Chris Gerdei (6:05:08), Zoe Kirkman (6:12:46), Geoff Quinton (6:32:14), Diane Breant(7:04:33), James Sawyer (7:51:05) and Greg Benn (8:01:12).

UPCOMING EVENTS

Antsy for Anstey will be held on 8 August in Tea Tree Gully with a 62km ultra option whilst Birdy’s Backyard is due for 13-15 August in Moddiarrup in WA. The Berry Long Run will be held on 14 August along a 70km trail in Lerderderg State Park, Vic and on the same day the Track Ultra WA will be held, offering the state’s only ultra track event, in Bunbury with 3hr, 6hr, 12hr and 24hr options.

More events in late August include the Cairns Port Douglas Trail Ultra in Qld (21-22 August), Bottlebutt Bash Trail Run in NSW (22 August), Run Larapinta 2021 (26-29 August) in NT, Bright Running Festival in Vic (28 August) and doubling up as the 2021 AURA Short Course Trail Championships, the Great Trail Relay in WA (28 August) and the Wonderland Run in Vic (29 August).

All events as of 5 August 2021 are still listed to go ahead. Please keep a watchful eye on any events you are entered closer to the dates to ensure no cancellations or postponements have occurred due to the current COVID situation.

Pictured: AURA’s Glenn Smetherham from Consistent Running presenting Yaberoo 50km Men’s Winner Michael Bellmon. Photograph – Supplied.

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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.