Following our 100km preview yesterday, today it’s the turn of the 50km and a brief overview of the 22km race contenders too. Enjoy!
Women’s 50km Preview
The 50k female field is headlined by Lucy Bartholomew and several other local runners including Chantal Minchin and Katherine Peatey. Lucy is gearing up for another crack at the Western States Endurance Run later in the year after an incredible third place at the race last year. Lucy has dominated the Aussie trail running scene for the better part of the last five years including wins at the Buffalo Stampede 75k, Ultra Trail Australia 100k and Mount Buller Skyrun. She has experienced great success on the international scene as well and grows stronger every year, her most recent results include 1st at 2018 Lantau 70, 11th at 2018 CCC, 1st at 2017 Ultra Trail Cape Town 100k and 5th at 2017 Sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie (TDS).
Chantal Minchin has proven to be incredibly consistent scoring a 9th place and 4th place respectively at this event over the last two years, and I am sure she is aiming to keep this trend going and even go one better.
Katherine Peatey has also shown great consistency finishing 11th and 12th respectively at this event the last two years. The above three females all have huge amounts of course knowledge and experience that will come in handy come race day and I am sure they will be pushing each other.
The other strong contenders are Monika Ludriks who was 7th at 2017 Jabulani Challenge 45k and Katie Mackenzie who was 5th at 2018 Coastal High 50k and 3rd at 2016 Gold Coast 50k. There are however usually a few upsets plus not to mention surprise last-minute entries so expect some fireworks on the day but the final female podium positions should come from this group of women.
Men’s 50km
The 50k male field is headlined by the top two finishers from last year’s race, Sam Burridge and Michael Daly, who I am sure will be looking to go head to head again this time while making sure that Canberra is well represented in this strong local field. Even more devastating for Michael was losing to 2018 Canberra Beer Mile Championships to Sam as well, thus I think it is fair to say that there is no shortage of fire in Michael’s belly to get one back. All jokes aside these two guys both have what it takes to win and I would not be surprised if they took the top two podium spots again. They both know the course well and demonstrate strong climbing ability and raw leg speed. Michael’s recent results include a cracking 2.30 marathon at the Tokyo Marathon last March, plus his 2nd place here last year and 5th at 2018 Six Foot Track Marathon. Sam is the defending champion and has run the UTA 50k five times including three times in the top 10, plus he was 8th at 2018 Tarawera 60k.
They will however have to fight off the likes of Andrius Ramonas, Scott Hawker and Nicholas Fisher. Andrius Ramonas has much experience with the course having done the 50k twice before (finishing 10th and 1st respectively in 2017 and 2015) and also the 100k where he finished 5th in 2016, most recently he won the Motatapu Ultra 51k.
Scott Hawker has become one of our adopted local favourites despite coming from across the Tasman and he has had much success with the UTA 100 course over the years with 6th, 2nd and 7th in 2016, 2015 and 2014 respectively. More recently he was 1st at the Mount Solitary Ultra and 5th at the Vibram 100.
Nicholas Fisher has been going from strength to strength the last couple years, in 2018 he was 4th at UTA 50k and 5th at Surf Coast 100k, and more recently he was 11th at the Six Foot Track Marathon and 2nd at the Jabulani Challenge 45k.
Look out for a few other sneaky male contenders from the list below too
- Matty Abel – 6th 2018 UTA 50k, 1st 2018 Jabulani Challenge 45k
- Mick Donges – 7th 2019 Six Foot Track Marathon
- Rhett Gibson – 2nd 2019 Six Foot Track Marathon, 8th 2016 UTA 100k
- Henri Coombs – 7th 2018 UTA 50k, 17th 2017 UTA 50k
- Tom Brimelow – 1st 2018 Coastal High 50k , 1st 2017 Coastal High 50k
UTA 22
The UTA 22km race contains a number of gun ultra trail runners known well to us all, including both winners of Six Foot Track from this year. In the ladies, the woman of the moment, Steph Auston lines up and it’s really hard seeing her not taking this one out given her form of late. She’s utterly smashing it. In the men’s Courtney Atkinson takes centre stage.
Female contenders
- Stephanie Auston – 1st 2019 Six Foot Track Marathon, 2nd 2018 UTA 50k
- Simone Brick – 2nd 2018 UTA 22
- Jodie Earl – 4th 2019 Six Foot Track Marathon
Male contenders
- Courtney Atkinson – 1st 2019 Six Foot Track Marathon, 2nd 2017 Six Foot Track Marathon
- Ben Duffus – 2nd 2018 UTA 100k, 1st 2018 Blackall 50k
- Luke Babic – 5th 2018 UTA 22
- Lachlan Oakes – 2nd 2019 Canberra 50k, 9th 2018 UTA 22
- Chris Dunell – 2nd 2019 Old Ghost Ultra, 2nd 2018 Tarawera 60k
- Loughlinn Kennedy – 18th 2019 Six Foot Track Marathon, 10th 2017 Six Foot Track Marathon
- Vajin Armstrong – 1st 2019 Old Ghost Ultra, 4th 2018 UTA 22,
The race is not what it once was. hopefully it returns the the glory days