YOUNG AUSTON HAS MORE UP HER SLEEVE

Kate Dzienis • April 28, 2020

By Kate Dzienis

In late March, the AURA Committee announced New South Wales member Stephanie Auston as joint recipient of the 2019 Young Female Runner of the Year*.

During that year, Auston saw herself gaining an impressive collection to her resume including 19th place at the Trail World Championships in June, 1st place at the Brisbane Trail Ultra (60km), Australian Alpine Ascent (50km), Six Foot Track (45km), Snowies Trail Run Festival (50km) and Two Bays (56km), and 2nd place at Tarawera 100km (NZL).

The 28-year-old from Merimbula, NSW said she felt humbled by the award, especially considering what amazing ultra runners there are in Australia.

“There are really some incredible athletes out there, and it’s so humbling and nice,” she said.

“I just love to run, so even if there were never any more events I don’t go for the accolades, but it is really nice to be recognised.”

Auston explains it is empowering to run as a female and be an inspiration for other women.

“There have been a couple races where I’ve been first across the line so it’s certainly a wonderful feeling to have; I’m quite little, only 5’2”, and I find my height helps me up hills – my power to weight ratio is probably pretty good,” she laughs.

“Running is one of those sports where certainly the mind becomes a bit more important than physical size.”

When it comes to staying consistent, Auston keeps her motivation strong. She enjoys running for the sake of running, revealing it’s all about the fresh air, being outdoors, and starting the day off right.

Auston’s training consists of enlisting the guidance of a coach, speed work, and never checking pace on her watch.
“I only ever keep an eye on distance just so I know that I’ve done the right distance, otherwise I just want to enjoy the journey,” she says.

“Some days are harder than others of course, but I’m using this opportunity (of isolation re COVID-19) to go exploring and run in places I’ve never run before; I’m trying to also use this opportunity to run faster and I’m finding I really enjoy that.

“Mentally, I feel like I’m in a good place. I remember when I was injured some time ago I couldn’t run at all, and right now I’m extremely grateful to be able to get out there and hit some kilometres.”

Auston’s favourite race in Australia is the Six Foot Track whilst overseas it is Tarawera; her most comfortable and enjoyable distance is the 50km, however she will be pushing herself next year for the Western States 100 miler in California, USA and finds support through her mother, grandfather, partner and sister.

“Be where your feet are, enjoy the process and where you are no matter the pace is my advice to ultra runners,” she says.

“I would love to keep representing Australia in all distances, those are my aspirations for the future.”

With the way Auston is running, she is bound for bigger things and you can be sure to see her name continue to be up in lights and on the podium.

Photograph – Trail Worlds/Supplied.

*The AURA awards, announced last February, recognise outstanding achievements by our members across a number of categories, with Nicole Vaughan awarded the Young Female Ultra Runner of the Year at the time.

Due to an error in the AURA membership database, Auston’s membership information was missed during the awards process. A subsequent review identified this error, and the AURA Committee agreed unanimously that her achievements deserved recognition.

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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.