Last year Ultra168 was born, and after a rapidly growing and highly successful six months we know that to take the website even further we need to expand our offerings and horizons. To help us with this, we have formed an editorial board. This will consist of a group of individuals, all highly regarded and well-known within our sport and whom we can consult to bounce ideas off as we plan for the next few years.

The editorial board and its members are our conscience and in some respects, will be devil’s advocate for us. They will be there to run ideas past, but to also glean ideas from too and challenge our thinking when it comes to planning the content, races and gear that we want to bring to our readers. We selected these individuals as we think that they are not only highly respected in our sport, but also know a thing or two about running!

Why does Ultra168 need an editorial board?

We’re four guys from Sydney, but Australian trail and ultra running is far bigger than that, so we felt that to ensure we cover everything Australian ultra-running has to offer, we needed an Ultra168 Editorial Board, containing a mixture of both male and female runners from a variety of States.

Over the course of 2012, this team of people will be our sounding board for all our ideas, articles and reviews to ensure we’re getting the right information to our readers.

Are the editorial board members part of Ultra168?

The editorial board are not members of Ultra168 per se, this will still remain as Andrew, Dan, Darrel and Marcus – but they will help with our development to make us not only the best resource for all things ultra and trail related in Australia, but in time, globally. We have big plans over the next few years and to hit those goals, we need big people to be our conscience and tell us what we’re doing right, or indeed wrong.

Who is on the board?

So without further ado, here are the wonderful men and women that have agreed to be our sanity check and to impart their great knowledge and advice over the course of 2012:

Martin Fryer – ACT: A man that needs very little in the way of introduction. If there’s an ultra going, chances are Martin has done it and won it. A mainstay of the Australian 24hr track team for many a year, one of Martin’s finest performances that sticks in our minds is the mammoth 433kms he racked up at the prestigious Surges 48hr track race a few years back.

Bry McConnell – ACT: Certainly one of the up and coming ladies on the circuit, who regularly places on the female podium in which ever race she enters. Hailing from the Canberra stable, she trains with the best of them and when she’s not, you’ll probably catch her pounding the treadmill in her front living room.

Nikki Wynd – Victoria: Like Bry, Nikki tends to win most of the races she enters and is the current AURA women’s ultra athlete of the year. She had a fantastic 2011, and we’re sure more beckons for her in 2012. Following her form in 2011, it will be very interesting to see how she goes in 2012, where she’s sure to be challenging the ladies for a top spot in most races.

Dave Eadie – Victoria: The Running Man himself. Like Martin, there isn’t much Dave hasn’t done. He’s been at the top of the running game for nigh on 10 years. Current AURA male ultra athlete of the year and the Ultra168 most consistent performer of 2011 too.

Samantha Gash – Victoria: One of the few females to have completed the four desert races as part of the Racing the Planet series, and all at the tender age of just 25. Sam recently became our dedicated female reviewer and is a great person to help us with our focus for the girls.

Mike Le Roux – Queensland: Mike has blasted onto the ultra scene in the last 12 months, running the fastest ever 100 mile time on Australian soil up at Glasshouse last year. This performance earned him the Ultra168 best male performance of the year. Next stop is the US grand slam in 2012.

Dave Kennedy – Western Australia: Dave made a huge impression on the Australian 24 hour track team this year with an impressive Silver medal at the recent Commonwealth championships in North Wales. Dave is a great guy to have on board as he helps us with everything in the West.

Adam Chase – Our International ‘rep’: Adam was part of the team that brought Kilian and crew over to the North Face 100 last year and is Captain of Team Salomon – he’s a pretty handy runner too. Adam has won more than 20 ultra-marathons, served as the President of the American Trail Running Association for more than a decade and is on the Mountain Ultra Trail Committee of the CO USATF, the International Skyrunning Federation Technical Product Commission, and the US Snowshoe Association board.

As always, here at Ultra168 we look forward to hearing your feedback so please feel free to engage not only with us but also our board members should you have ideas or opportunities. Our sole goal is to further and better the sport of ultra-running in Australia, so we will always ensure your comments are treated with the up most respect they deserve, and if needs be in confidence too.

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Dan

I'm a mediocre runner who can bat above his average when I train hard. A man of extremes, I do enjoy everything life offers and consider it an absolute pleasure just to be able to put one foot in front of the other and let my mind wander somewhere different.