GET TO KNOW YOUR 100K WORLD TEAM – TASH FRASER

Kate Dzienis • July 26, 2018

We all use running as a form of therapy, one way or another, but none more so than 31-year-old Tash Fraser from Ballarat, Vic. Now on the 100km World Team heading to Croatia this September, she has gone from strength to strength considering how and why she got into sport in the first place.

And she’s not afraid to talk about it.

“I was the girl at school who always forgot her sports uniform because ‘it wasn’t cool to sweat’,” Fraser recalls.

“I hung out with the wrong crew at school, and ended up dropping out of school altogether after being severely bullied by that crew, who were supposedly my friends.

“At that age, around year eight or nine, it’s detrimental to your self-esteem, and so I ended up developing an eating disorder, was smoking and drinking, I was basically doing everything I could to pretty much take out the pain I felt on myself because I didn’t like myself as a person.”

Fraser claims the bullying by her peers played a stringent role in her lack of self-esteem, and it didn’t help that depression and anxiety ran in both sides of the family.

“Mental illness has always been around me,” she admits.

“But then I discovered running, however at the time it was purely for superficial reasons.

“I had been given an ultimatum to quit smoking, and I’d never met an overweight runner before, so as a teenager, I thought, ‘this would be a good way for me to get skinny.’

“I joined a running club at a local gym; I didn’t lose any weight from it, but what it actually gave me was a lot more important.

“I was able to talk to people, interact with them, running gave me the strength to do that.

“It taught me gradually to respect my body because I had to utilise food for fuel, and I couldn’t do that with an eating disorder.”

As the years moved on, Fraser was forced – through running – to make peace with who she was, and the sport came to her from a mental health perspective, not from a competitive one.

“The lessons running has taught me have been so incredibly valuable, and now I have opportunities to coach others, especially young women who are going through similar circumstances I’ve been through,” she says.

“I’m blessed to be able to share my experiences and help them avoid the same pitfalls.”
And when it comes to personal growth in running, Fraser is a strong contender in terms of mind set.

“Running the longer distances strips you bare, there are no distractions.

“I love getting completely in the zone of just me – it’s just me, the run and my thoughts.

“I’ve actually gotten into trouble before on training runs around Ballarat for snubbing people, and it’s not that I do it on purpose; it’s just that they don’t understand how much I zone out, I can be on a completely different planet.

“I guess you could call it my own form of moving meditation.”

Fraser is truly looking forward to being on the 100k World Championships team, especially because she finds the distance a challenge – and that’s always a good thing!

“There’s always that spot where you hit 70km and you’re thinking, am I comfortable enough? Have I eaten enough? But I appreciate the fact that it just gives me time to settle in, and it’s not ‘go from the gun’,” she reveals.

The strategy moving forward leading up to Croatia in September will be not moving beyond 150kms per week, just because the Victorian-based runner prefers quality sessions of quantity.

Naturally, Fraser feels she can run quite a long distance if there is no specific pace for her to follow, and has a physio on board to ensure she stays injury free in the lead up to the World Championships.

“I’m going to be working on sitting in the mental pain-cave, is the best way to describe it,” she says.

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Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships 2027

By Jin Kato • July 8, 2026

The world-class trails of Kunanyi/Mt Wellington will play centre-stage for one of the country’s fastest-growing sports, after the Kunanyi Mountain Run (KMR) was awarded the hosting rights for the first-ever combined Australian Mountain and Trail Running Championships (AMTRC). KMR was awarded the National Championships after a competitive bid process, overseen by the Australian Ultra and Trail Running Association (AUTRA) and Australian Athletics (AA). AUTRA President, John Claridge, said that KMR “offered everything we were looking for”. “World-class trails, proven event management and a passionate community. It provides the perfect stage for Australia's first combined National Trail Championships," he said. It’s expected that Australia’s elite mountain and trail running athletes, and support crew, will travel to Hobart, as they vie for a spot in the Australian team that competes at the 2027 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. "This is a landmark moment for trail running in Australia,” Mr Claridge said. "We're excited about what this championship represents; not just next year, but for the future of trail running in Australia... helping grow the sport and inspire the next generation of trail runners." The 2027 AMTRC at KMR will be the first time that all championship distances have been held together, at the one festival. “It aligns us more closely with the way World Championships are presented, creating a stronger pathway for athletes and raising the profile of the sport,” Mr Claridge said. KMR, a 3-day trail running festival which has been held annually since 2022, expects to draw more than 1500 runners and hikers from across Tasmania, Australia and internationally next year. The AMTRC will be embedded within KMR’s existing event program, allowing elite athletes to compete for the national titles, while sharing the same spectacular trails and event-experience as recreational runners. “We’re honoured to have been selected as host,” KMR’s founder and director, Lincoln Quilliam said. “KMR continues to welcome runners, and hikers, of all abilities. From the elites who want to represent Australia on the world stage, the group of mates or work colleagues who run the team relay together, the mums returning to running after having a baby, as well as those who are trying trail running for the very first time,” Mr Quilliam said. Tasmanian runner, Jessica Collins, who has represented Australia, said it was exciting news for KMR, Tasmania and the sport. “This is such a great opportunity for Australian athletes. I’ve run many of the KMR events and know the courses and the terrain are on par with what we see at the World Champs,” she said. The City of Hobart has supported Kunanyi Mountain Run since its inception, and Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said she was “thrilled” with the news. “Events like this not only showcase the natural beauty of our region but also reinforce Hobart’s reputation as a vibrant destination for world-class outdoor experiences.” The 2026 edition of KMR brought in $4 million to the Tasmanian economy, generating more than 8000 bed nights across the state, which Alex Heroys, Chief Executive of Destination Southern Tasmania, said was a “significant return for the visitor economy”. “Kunanyi / Mount Wellington is one of Tasmania’s great natural assets, and the Kunanyi Mountain Run shows exactly how powerful events can be in driving regional tourism,” he said. “We have an epic mountain right on Hobart’s doorstep, an airport less than 30 minutes away, and a city that is well set up to welcome thousands of visiting athletes, support crews and spectators.” “This event also reinforces Tasmania’s growing reputation as a world-class trail running destination. With steep, technical trails and real mountain terrain, Kunanyi offers conditions that are genuinely comparable to what athletes will experience at the World Championships, making it an ideal place to compete, train and visit.” For more information: Kunanyi Mountain Run Dates: 19-21 March 2027 Pic credit: David Nolan & Ryan Slater