WEEKLY RACE REPORT (08/01/2020)

Kate Dzienis • January 8, 2020

6 Inch Trail Ultra, WA
Narrabeen Allighter, NSW
Internationals, Memberships, and National Championship News

What a finish to 2019, and a start to 2020. Here is all the latest, including race reports, some international race reporting, who won the December 2019 membership competition and some important news about National Championships moving forward.

6 Inch Trail Ultra

Due to severe heat and extremely high fire risks in WA, the December 15-planned 6 Inch Trail Ultra Marathon was cancelled – always a tough call to make by a race director, but a necessary one for the safety of runners.

However in amazing Aussie spirit, a large number of registered participants have been travelling from Perth down to the south west of WA throughout the last few weeks to complete either of the two courses (47km and 23km) in their own time.

Each individual has then collected their finisher’s medal and worn their shirts with pride.

Narrabeen Allnighter

The Narrabeen Allnighter kicked off the 2020 running year on Saturday (January 4), held in Narrabeen, NSW.

The main event was the multi-lap trail race with the winner the person to complete the furthest distance in 12 hours (there is also a marathon which starts at midnight).

Held on a 5.275km out-and-back trail loop adjacent to Narrabeen Lake just 20km north of Sydney, the trail is full of bush that heads west from the start line.

Top three finishers for the men in the 12hr were Grant Brisbin who came in 1st Male (129.22km), along with AURA member Philip Balnave from Kensington, NSW who completed 118.67km in 22.5 laps to take 2nd Male, and Geoff Millar who took 3rd Male (110.76km).

For the women it was Joasia Zakrzewski who took 1st Female (129.22km) and AURA’s very own Renae Brock from Shortland, NSW who claimed 2nd Female after completing 19 laps and totalling a distance of 100.21km. Long-time AURA member Pam Muston from Wamboin, NSW held on to take the title of 3rd Female after racing a total of 18 laps to complete 94.93km.

Congratulations to all our members who raced at Narrabeen including Akira Suzuki (79.11km), Leah Weeden (79.11), Cheryl Symons (73.84km) and Samantha Post (68.56km).

International Events

Annabel Hepworth has been hitting the ground hard over in the US with her outstanding racing in the Across The Years multi-day ultra. Held in and around Phoenix, Arizona the event provides a number of options for participants, including a 10-day, six-day, 72-hour, 48-hour and 24-hour event.

This year, the ATY 10-day event started on December 28, 2019 and ran all the way through to January 7, 2020.

Hepworth really showed the Americans what the Aussies are made of in the 10-day, with her incredible endurance to secure 1st Female with her total distance of 740.78mi (1192.169km), landing the top spot overall out of 61 competitors.

For an overview of the top three overall finishers, it was Hepworth 1st, followed by American Philip Eberts with 660.10mi (1062km) in 2nd and Leanid Anatska from Belarus with 628.67mi (1011.74km) for 3rd.

Hepworth said she hoped women racing in events like ATY inspired younger girls to pursue their own adventures.

2020 Membership Competition

Congratulations to Gayle Cowling from Elsternwick, Vic who won this year’s AURA membership competition. She will receive free entry to any AURA-listed event in 2020 up to the value of $500, and a further $500 towards travel and accommodation associated with attending her chosen event.

Thank you to everyone who renewed or joined AURA during the month of December – there were a total of 199 individual and nine family memberships that were eligible for the draw.

While the competition is over, it’s not too late to renew your membership or join as a new member in 2020. Click here for renewals and here for new memberships.

National Championship News

A big change has been made with regards to AURA-listed National Championship events for 2020 with AURA president Rob Donkersloot explaining they were now open to all Australians, and not just members.

“Late last year, the AURA Committee made a significant change to its policy regarding qualifications for Australian Championship events,” he said.

“To qualify for Australian Championship awards, runners are now not required to be an AURA member, however Australian citizenship requirements will still need to be met.

“In recent years, Australian Championships were awarded to runners who had not necessarily won the event, which made the award feel somewhat hollow.

“Now, the best runner in Australia on the day will rightly be recognised.”

In other changes to Australian Championship policies, AURA has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Athletics Australia, which sees the 100km and 50km championships of both organisations aligned.

AURA will select the events to host the 100km and 50km championships each year after consultation with Athletics Australia.

Coming Up

This weekend will see the Sandman V: Atlas Rise held on Saturday (January 11) in Dunsborough, WA with a 50km beach run, whilst on Sunday (January 12) the Two Bays Trail Run will take place in the Mornington Peninsula, Vic for a 56km trail event.

Send in your race reports to ultramag@aura.asn.au along with high resolution photos and captions for inclusion in the monthly Ultramag digital magazine.

Pictured: AURA member Pam Muston in the 12-hour Narrabeen Allnighter. Photograph – Supplied.

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Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships 2027

By Jin Kato • July 8, 2026

The world-class trails of Kunanyi/Mt Wellington will play centre-stage for one of the country’s fastest-growing sports, after the Kunanyi Mountain Run (KMR) was awarded the hosting rights for the first-ever combined Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships (AMTRC). KMR was awarded the National Championships after a competitive bid process, overseen by the Australian Ultra and Trail Running Association (AUTRA) and Australian Athletics (AA). AUTRA President, John Claridge, said that KMR “offered everything we were looking for”. “World-class trails, proven event management and a passionate community. It provides the perfect stage for Australia's first combined National Trail Championships," he said. It’s expected that Australia’s elite mountain and trail running athletes, and support crew, will travel to Hobart, as they vie for a spot in the Australian team that competes at the 2027 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. "This is a landmark moment for trail running in Australia,” Mr Claridge said. "We're excited about what this championship represents; not just next year, but for the future of trail running in Australia... helping grow the sport and inspire the next generation of trail runners." The 2027 AMTRC at KMR will be the first time that all championship distances have been held together, at the one festival. “It aligns us more closely with the way World Championships are presented, creating a stronger pathway for athletes and raising the profile of the sport,” Mr Claridge said. KMR, a 3-day trail running festival which has been held annually since 2022, expects to draw more than 1500 runners and hikers from across Tasmania, Australia and internationally next year. The AMTRC will be embedded within KMR’s existing event program, allowing elite athletes to compete for the national titles, while sharing the same spectacular trails and event-experience as recreational runners. “We’re honoured to have been selected as host,” KMR’s founder and director, Lincoln Quilliam said. “KMR continues to welcome runners, and hikers, of all abilities. From the elites who want to represent Australia on the world stage, the group of mates or work colleagues who run the team relay together, the mums returning to running after having a baby, as well as those who are trying trail running for the very first time,” Mr Quilliam said. Tasmanian runner, Jessica Collins, who has represented Australia, said it was exciting news for KMR, Tasmania and the sport. “This is such a great opportunity for Australian athletes. I’ve run many of the KMR events and know the courses and the terrain are on par with what we see at the World Champs,” she said. The City of Hobart has supported Kunanyi Mountain Run since its inception, and Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said she was “thrilled” with the news. “Events like this not only showcase the natural beauty of our region but also reinforce Hobart’s reputation as a vibrant destination for world-class outdoor experiences.” The 2026 edition of KMR brought in $4 million to the Tasmanian economy, generating more than 8000 bed nights across the state, which Alex Heroys, Chief Executive of Destination Southern Tasmania, said was a “significant return for the visitor economy”. “Kunanyi / Mount Wellington is one of Tasmania’s great natural assets, and the Kunanyi Mountain Run shows exactly how powerful events can be in driving regional tourism,” he said. “We have an epic mountain right on Hobart’s doorstep, an airport less than 30 minutes away, and a city that is well set up to welcome thousands of visiting athletes, support crews and spectators.” “This event also reinforces Tasmania’s growing reputation as a world-class trail running destination. With steep, technical trails and real mountain terrain, Kunanyi offers conditions that are genuinely comparable to what athletes will experience at the World Championships, making it an ideal place to compete, train and visit.” For more information: Kunanyi Mountain Run Dates: 19-21 March 2027 Pic credit: David Nolan & Ryan Slater