GET TO KNOW YOUR 24HR ASIA & OCEANIA CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM – SHARON SCHOLZ

Kate Dzienis • November 30, 2018

FROM AN EARLY CHILDHOOD, SHARON SCHOLZ HAD AN INTEREST IN SPORT. SHE RODE HORSES AND COMPETED IN DRESSAGE AND ONE-DAY EVENTS FOLLOWING IN HER PARENTS’ FOOTSTEPS IN THE HORSE INDUSTRY. SCHOLZ ALSO WENT ON TO PLAY NETBALL IN EARLY HIGH SCHOOL AND OCCASIONALLY COMPETED IN SOCIAL NETBALL AND VOLLEYBALL COMPETITIONS THROUGHOUT HER LATE TEENS AND EARLY 20S.

But it wasn’t until 2006 that Scholz, along with husband Justin, decided to change her lifestyle to reduce stress and improve fitness, health and overall well-being, so in 2007 the couple each took their first steps as runners and they haven’t looked back since.

By the end of that year, Scholz had lost a significant amount of amount and had completed her first marathon. Whilst her time of 3:38 may not have been world beating, it was a brilliant achievement after having just put her running shoes on for the first time 10-months prior.

Scholz saw improvement after improvement, and entered her first track ultra in 2008, the 12hr Coburg in Melbourne, Vic. Not only did she complete it, but with encouragement from her partner, she went on to complete the 24-hour event which was being undertaken at the same time, and managed the then 7th best ever track distance by an Australian woman.

At this stage, there was definitely a natural talent creeping out of this Aussie long distance athlete.

Her experience includes the 2009 Caboolture ultra event, where Sholz was asked by the Australian 24hr team selectors to prove her fitness, and she did this successfully by running a slow 100kms off a very limited base. The Wangaratta resident was selected in the Australian Commonwealth Championships 24hr team and just five weeks later at the Commonwealth Championships in the UK, Scholz ran 195kms to finish 3rd best of the six Aussie women and 8th overall.

The Australian team was awarded a silver medal for their combined distance behind gold medal winners England.

In April 2010 Scholz gained selection again for the World Championships and left for France in April 2010 with high expectations. Those expectations were exceeded however when she finished the race 6th outright female and 1st placed Australian woman smashing the Australian Road Course Record by nearly 20km.

Later that same year, she competed in the 48hr Australian Championships, and despite it being her first 48-hour event, Scholz broke the Female Australian Record with a final tally just over 333km.

In December 2010 she ran in the 240km event Coast to Kosciuszko and broke the Women’s Race Record.

It’s truly not surprising that this ultra running rocket landed her the title of Australian Female Ultra Athlete of the Year as well as World Female Athlete of the Year (IAU).

Her list of achievements continued, despite 2011 not going to plan due to injuries and health issues. Scholz won the NZ 100kms Championships, broke three major track records (12hr, 150kms and 100mi) in Brisbane, and finished 3rd Female at the Coast to Kosciuszko.

The 100mi record she broke in Brisbane saw her become the first Australian female to break 16 hours for this milestone and in that race she broke records earlier established by, arguably, Australia’s three best ever female ultra-runners in Mary Morgan, Helen Stanger and Margaret Smith.

Smith’s 100mi record had stood since 1984.

She has since been again on the 24hr World Championships team for 2012 in Poland, completed Coast to Kosciuszko for the third time, and broke 12 records in 2013 during the 24hr event in Sydney as a walker following a distance of more than 187kms. It was the 3rd best ever distance walked in 24-hours in Australia.

It was also at that event that Scholz and her husband became the first married couple in history (worldwide) to have run 200kms+ and walked 100mi+ in 24 hours in the same calendar year.

“Every ultra event is an individual feat,” she says.

“We’re not competing directly against a specific person, yet we are also surrounded by camaraderie and the passion of others taking on the same challenge.

“Each runner is often surrounded by supporters and/or crew helping us achieve our best outcome for the day.

“What’s not to love about this sport?”

This weekend’s IAU 24hr Asia & Oceania Championships in Chinese Taipei will be Scholz’s 10th selection and 9th participation, and despite her incredibly impressive resume, she still gets those butterflies in her stomach.

“It was nervous excitement when I got the call that I’d made the 2018 team,” she reveals.

“I thought I should be over that feeling of anticipation, but it really never goes.”

Scholz will be racing alongside her Australian team mates at the 2018 IAU 24hr Asia and Oceania Championships in Chinese Taipei the weekend of December 1-2.

Pictured: Sharon Scholz. Photographs – Supplied.

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Help Shape the Future of Trail, Mountain and Ultra Running in Australia

By Jessica Short • July 22, 2026

Your voice matters. Help shape the future of our sport

AUTRA Race Report 19-7-2026

By Kate Dzienis • July 19, 2026

Race results for 2026 Southern Sydney Track Ultra, 3M3D, Ultra Adelaide and Boyne Valley 50.

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