PHOTO: MARCO NOE WHILE MOST PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF AUSTRALIA think the country’s nothing but red desert and dirt with hardly a watering hole in sight, the west coast is fifty shades of emerald green and a host to overflowing rivers when winter kicks in. Showcasing the very best of the Avon Valley National Park, which is set 80km north-east of Perth in Western Australia, the Transcend Ultra was created in 2021 by mates Shane Johnstone and Mitchell Craig. Having travelled together…
The Shotover Moonlight Mountain Marathon & Trail Runs are excited to announce a new partnership with Sky Running Australia & New Zealand (SANZA). In February 2022 the Shotover Moonlight Mountain Marathon will be the New Zealand Sky Running Championships, and include a new uphill only race the ‘Ben Lomond Vertical Kilometre” on the 18th of February where runners will climb 1200m to the peak of Ben Lomond in a short sharp climb of 3.9km. The 11th edition of the Shotover…
BY LAUREN FORCEY The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown so many aspects of our lives into chaos. Social distancing, self-isolation and lockdowns have led to so much more than the cancellation of trail races – businesses have shut down, people have lost their jobs, and those close human connections we all need have been severely tested. It’s a confusing time for everyone, especially Australia’s younger generations. 1000 Miles to Light is an endurance relay that seeks to reconnect and inspire our…
The 10th edition of the Surf Coast Century is cementing its reputation as one of Australia’s must-do ultra trail marathons, attracting a number of past winners from ultra running events across the country. Held on Saturday 11 September 2021 in Victoria’s Great Ocean Road Region, the Surf Coast Century will see previous winners Kellie Angel (nee Emmerson), Ash Watson, Ross Hopkins, David Eadie and Sarah Hedger all from Victoria line up on the 100km start line. The fast five will be up…
A new initiative aims to entice runners and walkers into New South Wales’ rugged and wild outdoors by restoring walking huts in NSW’s National Parks. Pony Rider is launching The National Project, which will see the Australian homeware and lifestyle brand donate 1% of all sales from its new National Project range, alongside its initial donation of $10,000, to fund much-needed restoration work on the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Walking Huts. “The National Project aims to help protect and…
Ultramarathon runner Damian Hall has set a new record time for the 185-mile Wainwright’s Coast to Coast route. Running west to east, from St Bees on the Irish Sea coastline to Robin Hood’s Bay on the shores of the North Sea, the inov-8 athlete completed the iconic cross-England challenge in an incredible time of 39 hours and 18 minutes. Damian beat Mike Hartley’s previous record, which had stood for 30 years, by 18 minutes. Established by legendary guidebook author Alfred…
UTMB Group has joined forces with The IRONMAN Group to boost the sport’s international development. Together, they will launch the world’s ultimate trail–running circuit: the UTMB® World Series. From as early as 2022, the UTMB® World Series will bring together many of the best international events on the planet, which will provide exclusive access to the sport’s pinnacle event, UTMB® Mont-Blanc. Runners across the globe are invited to be part of it and “meet their extraordinary”. An extraordinary adventure for all runners The UTMB® World Series will bring the trail running community together through a new, integrated sports system that is…
BY SIMON HARRIS I was lucky enough to visit the Pilliga Forest in north-west New South Wales recently, where a few of us were scouting the area to find trails for The Pilliga Ultra, an event to support The Wilderness Society’s campaign to protect the Pilliga Forest and its communities from damaging fossil fuel extraction. We had an absolute ball running over breathtaking rocky outcrops while taking in the stunning views and rare eucalypt woodlands. We found two beautiful routes,…
The Run Larapinta stage race gets underway tomorrow in the four-day, four-stage event, which will see participants take in some of the most spectacular sections of the iconic Larapinta Trail in Australia’s Northern Territory. Held from Wednesday to Saturday, 21-24 April, this is the rescheduled 2020 event after it was postponed due to COVID-19 last year. The popular stage race has developed a cult status among trail runners since its’ conception six years ago, and organisers Rapid Ascent can’t wait…
A huge weekend for Argentina’s trail running scene was lived in the stunning mountain village of San Martín de los Andes, in Argentina’s Northern Patagonia. Following guidelines and protocols from the local and national authorities, Patagonia Run was held with over 4,000 runners distributed in its six distances, from 10k to 100 miles. The second stop of the inaugural Spartan Trail World Championship was affected by the country’s safety restrictions not allowing international runners, but it was still a huge…
