With the Ultra168 Supporters club rolling along nicely, we thought it high time to add a few more races to list to help bring even more deals to readers and runners alike. With fourteen races under seven race organisers already ‘in the club’, we’ve got a further three races to announce today and then another two to add later this week, taking our total up to nineteen races to choose from.
If this is the first time you’ve heard of the Supporters Club, let us explain. We’ve pulled together a package of deals across some of the best races in Australia and New Zealand, along with the best gear providers too. For under $40 a year, you have access to thousands of dollars of savings on races and gear.
If you haven’t signed up yet, click here for more information, or go here to the sign-up page.
While we have some of the bigger, well-known ultras on our books, such as the Surf Coast Century and Buffalo Stampede, we’re also big supporters of some of the more community led events. I’ve personally cut my teeth as a trail runner on the likes of Wagga Wagga and Glasshouse 100s. I still love those style of events today.
For those of you based down in southern New South Wales and Canberra, we’ve got two races to entice you to come onboard the Ultra168 Supporters train:
The Hume and Hovell 50/100 ultra and the Wagga Wagga Trail Marathon, both of whom are giving Ultra168 Supporters 15% off race entry.
The Hume & Hovell 50/100 ultra takes place along part of the Hume & Hovell Walking Track. The walking track follows as closely as possible the historic route taken by Explorers Hume & Hovell on their 1824 expedition to Port Phillip Bay.
The 100km event , starts at the Henry Angel Trackhead, (some 9km south from Tumbarumba on the Tooma Road), and finishes at Blowering Dam Power Station near Tumut. The track is a mixture of constructed walking track and fire trails. The highest point is over 1200 metres in elevation , passes scenic Buddong Falls, then close by to Snowy Hydro Tumut 3 Power Station, near Talbingo and then along the foreshores of Blowering Dam.
The 50km event starts at Jounama Dam, joining the Hume & Hovell Walking Track near Ben Smith Campsite and finishing at Blowering Dam Power Station, near Tumut. The course follows a mixture of single track and fire trails. The event is being organised by members of Wagga Wagga Road Runners. Event Director Peter Fitzpatrick is an accomplished distance runner for many years.
The Wagga Wagga trail marathon was the first trail race I ever entered here in Australia back in 2008. I must have liked what I ran, as soon after I gave up running proper road marathons and was a firm convert over to trail running.
It largely follows the magnificent Wiradjuri walking track, a loop around the city of Wagga, and is about 95% off-road. It starts at the Wagga beach, follows the riverside track to a cutting under the Sturt highway, then follows the bike path to Lake Albert. From there it follows bike paths and trails over the hills to the Silvalite reserve. Then it cuts under the Sturt highway and climbs to the magnificent hill top views of Pomingalarna reserve. From there it descends to the sleepy countryside of Flowerdale lagoon, and returns to the Wagga beach along the riverside trail through the red gums of the Murrumbidgee river.
Finally a new race for those of you based down in Victoria. We’ve had such a great response from Victorians and at last count, I estimate that of the whole membership based, around half are from down Victoria way. Great support from you guys down south!
Berry Long Run – Victoria
The Berry Long Run is a new 70km race on the ultra calendar on August 15th and one that we’re really happy to have on board as it has close associations to charity. This race is a great opportunity to run one of the few intermediate distance ultras in Australia, while also supporting a local charity that performs a crucial role in undoing the harm caused by the abuse and neglect of children.
The great news is that these guys are offering us a whopping 20% off entry, but there was also a massive part of me that had a conscience on this one, given the strong links to charity. As such, anyone that does sign up as an Ultra168 Supporter, we’ll be covering that 20% deduction you the runners can save and donating it to the charity – that way, everyone’s a winner.
I’m sure you’ll agree that this is a great cause for the race. The Berry Street charity helps;
- children and young people recover from the devastating impact of family violence, abuse and neglect
- women keep themselves and their children safe from family violence
- struggling mothers and fathers to be the parents they want to be
- to contribute to, and advocate for, a fairer and more inclusive community
- to provide foster care and kinship care when children can’t live safely at home
We have some excellent races added to the fold, and with two more to come – another Victorian race, along with a biggie up in Queensland – it’s a great reason to sign up for the Supporters Club. In a few weeks, we’ll also be announcing another big-named NSW event. That will bring the tally up to twenty races to choose from. Just hit the big green button below for more information.
