7000 trail runners and their supporters descended on Katoomba’s Scenic World and the surrounding World Heritage listed Blue Mountains National Park this weekend for the 12thedition of what is now the third largest trail running festival in the world, Ultra-Trail Australia. Conditions were perfect, with 50km and 100km runners treated to stunning blue skies and sunshine for the entire day, making it one of the best race days the event has seen in years. Polish runner Marcin Swierc claimed victory in…

Special trail envoy, Roger Hanney, takes a look back at how Ultra Trail Australia came to be the biggest trail running outing in the Southern Hemisphere and the second biggest on the planet. IMAGES: Kamil Sustiak Most sane people would run a mile at the thought of racing 100 kilometres on foot. But that distance is the main event at a multiday trail running festival in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, across the third weekend of May. Ultra-Trail Australia began in 2008…

Perth’s Justin Scarvaci bolted onto the home straight to win the Margaret River Ultra Marathon on Saturday, recording a new course record time of 7:46.26 despite howling winds and whipping sand. “It was a hard course, really brutal. There were strong headwinds. The sand section was horrible but I got through it OK. I just tried to stay focused on making ground on some of the relay runners. I was running in their footsteps in the sand and trying to…

Newcastle shone in the morning sun for the inaugural Coastal Ascent trail run on Sunday 28 April 2019. More than 800 runners took on either 25km or 11km of bushland, sand, single track and stairs enjoying spectacular views of Newcastle. Luke Babic (North Lambton) 1:47:13 and Ingrid Cleland (Charlestown) 2:07:28 won the 25km event. Sean Kelleher (Mayfield) 50:25 and Geordie Boyn (Cooks Hill) 1:04:44 took out the 11km event. “The scenery was stunning – coming down onto Dudley Beach, I…

Ash Watson and Deb Nicholl have been crowned champions of the Surf Coast Century 100km Ultra Marathon while Roger Lay and Rachel Tucker have taken the titles in the 50km race over the weekend at Anglesea, Victoria. The seventh edition of the race saw over 1,100 competitors from across Australia and overseas journey 50km and 100km across a spectacular off-road course along the beaches, 4WD tracks and hinterland trails of Anglesea, Torquay and Aireys Inlet. Despite conditions that saw multiple…