Everyone loves a new ultra but when it comes aligned with a cause that seeks to protect our wilderness, the announcement resonates all the more deeply within the trail community.
So we welcome the news that the Bob Brown Foundation will host a new 70km ultra-marathon event, the takayna Ultra, in Tasmania’s stunning north west. The event will take trail-runners across a wild and remote region; over grass plains through coastal eucalypt forests, and along open beaches, dunes and impressive rocky shorelines along the rugged wild coastline of the takayna / Tarkine.
IMPORTANT: race registrations opened TODAY 17th December with places limited to 100 runners only. REGISTER HERE.
The takayna Ultra will happen on 5th April 2019.
Starting beside the dark brown buttongrass tannin-stained Nelson Bay River, the run immerses participants immediately in rolling native grass plains and stands of dry eucalypt forest. Open beaches, dunes, and impressive low rocky sections, and more dark rivers and creeks to cross, are dispersed occasionally with fishing shack settlements and extensive Aboriginal heritage. Traversing complex coastal country and a stand of remnant old growth forest adjacent to the Arthur River, this run takes you across wild takayna – an experience unlike any other, with more heart and southern soul than any other ultra.
Because of its difficulties, runners must provide evidence of their suitability to tackle this run.
The current entry criteria are as follows:-
1) Minimum age of 18 years on race day AND
2) You must have completed any 50km ultramarathon (such as UTA 50) or longer than 50km (such as Bruny Island) and finished within race cutoff time in the last three years.
Please note:- all results must be easily verifiable by the Trail Run organisers (eg results on web). If information cannot be provided to easily verify results the organisers will reject the application.
The event will add weight to the bid by the Bob Brown Foundations and its campaign partners, including outdoor brand Patagonia Australia, to save the area from logging, mining and off-road vehicle damage.
Earlier this year, Trail Run Mag was involved in a small way helping spread the word about the threat to takayna / Tarkine with a feature in Edition 28 profiling environmental campaigner Nicole Anderson, and via MCing and promoting screenings of the documentary film takayna.
Feature in Edition 28 of Trail Run Mag profiles Nicole Anderson, trail runner and campaigner for the Bob Brown Foundation, host of Australia’s newest ultra.
In 2018, Patagonia in partnership with the Bob Brown Foundation produced the movie, which focussed on the region with the goal being to have the area nominated as a World Heritage Area by 2020 and for the land to be returned to Aboriginal ownership.
The documentary screenings helped lift the profile of the issue of wilderness destruction in the region. Patagonia Australia has been supporting the Bob Brown Foundation for a number of years through the 1% For The Planet environmental grants program.
Since the release of the film, 274,000 people from around the world have signed the petition in support of World Heritage protection; a petition that has now been presented to the Federal parliament. This petition is the largest of its kind that has ever been tabled in the Senate.
Patagonia has been named as race sponsor and the event will raise money to support the Bob Brown Foundation’s campaign to have takayna / Tarkine protected as a World Heritage listed National Park and returned to Aboriginal ownership.
Check out the event page here.
Join us in calling for World Heritage protection for takayna / Tarkine
www.patagonia.com.au/pages/takayna
