24 March 2024
Almost 1000 runners took to the trails of kunanyi/Mount Wellington, competing in six races at the kunanyi Mountain Run across the weekend, which ranged in distance from a Vertical Kilometre (1000 metres elevation over 5km) to a grueling Ultra Marathon 66km.
But just 12 runners set themselves the toughest of challenges: running a race each day of the 3-day event.
And six of them completed that challenge (5 females and 1 male), including Victorian Jackie Goudy, who made it 2 years in a row to complete the impressive feat and Ursula Adams from New South Wales.
But Adams not only ran the 3 races across the weekend, she also was a podium winner in two of the events, winning the Vertical Kilometre on Friday, and was second female over the line in the Foothills 9km on Sunday.
“I’ve been absolutely blown away and wrapped with my kMR story,” Adams said.
“I had no expectations. I just wanted to get through this event injury free, soaking up all this scenery, meeting people and other passionate trail runners along the way. And I absolutely did that plus more.”
The three-day trail running and mountain culture festival was first held in 2022 and this year was its highest turnout, with more than 900 runners registered.
The majority of runners were from Tasmania but around a third travelled in from interstate or overseas, including runners from the US, France, Norway and New Zealand.
The event’s founder, and Run Director, Lincoln Quilliam, said the event was an important way to showcase the natural beauty of the mountain to both locals and visitors, as well as to celebrate the iconic landmark.
“kMR is on many trail runners’ ‘bucket list’ now, and we believe that’s because of the incredible diversity the mountain offers runners. From eucalypt forests, to beautiful ferny gullies and of course, the impressive views out over nipaluna/Hobart as well those up to the famous Organ Pipes,” he said.
“But it’s also about our incredible Hobart community. We’ve had more than 100 people volunteer, putting in incredible hours, and some people spending hours in some very remote locations, to help us put on a world class event”.
This year, kMR was selected to be part of the Golden Trail National Series, powered by the global brand Salomon, which is being held in Australia for the first time, following its huge success internationally.
Just four events and locations (in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland) were handpicked to feature in the Series, in which Australia’s elite trail runners compete for the opportunity to compete at the highest level globally.
But kMR’s Lincoln Quilliam said the event aimed to celebrate the mountain and help both the trail running community, as well as the local community, to learn more about it.
“We have been sharing stories across the weekend. The stories of the runners, but also those of the mountain, from those of the Palawa community, to the work that groups like BushCare do on kunanyi and lots in between!
“Hobart is a Mountain City, in fact it’s Australia’s only Mountain City and at kMR, we hope to foster that identity in years to come.”
“This is a really great community feel, and the Indigenous participation has been spectacular,” runner Ursula Adams said.
