GRINDFEST 6HR IN CANBERRA

Kate Dzienis • June 30, 2020

Contributed by Matthew Griggs, AURA member

GRINDFEST 6HR – ULTRA Mediocre Runners of Canberra

In this time of COVID-19 restrictions, ULTRA Mediocre Runners of Canberra held a small invite-only 6hr race. The Grindfest was so named due to the gruelling false flat on the 1.75km loop course that would destroy the hopes and dreams of participants, forcing all to give in to the Grind.

Ten local starters and a virtual runner in Japan signed up for the Grindfest. Due to restrictions the race required participants to ‘self-crew’. Changes in restrictions closer to the race allowed for a small number of spectators to watch the Grinders in action.

Prior to the race, all participants were given tongue in cheek nicknames that somehow resembled (sometimes ironically) their running style or preference.

Matt ‘Goes Boom’ Robbie, a local speedster, was attempting his first 6hr ultramarathon and mused prior to the race of how slow the pace of the current Australian record is, predicting that he could rattle off a paltry 87km running at his usual ‘long slow distance’ pace.

Robbie kept his word, and set of at LSD pace, lapping the entire field before he completed his fifth lap. The rest of the field was left to Grind away as they watched Robbie fly past.

Everything was going to plan, but as he started to approach 50km Robbie started to realise that what looks easy on paper is something entirely different in reality.

Robbie mused after the race, “At about 48kms (I thought I was still slow) the strangest thing happened. I lost my passion for running, my heart left me, my mind walked away, my fire was lucky to be a candle! Nothing I tried could get my fire going or mind positive.”

At this point he was posting 6 to 10 minute kilometres.

Local Grinder and race organiser Matt ‘Cheezburglar’ Griggs pegged back a lap overtaking Matt Robbie up the soul crushing false flat. Then Griggs got back a second lap and not long after took the lead with a little under an hour to go. Griggs got a little over half a lap in front of Robbie about 66km into the race.

Then, buoyed by the support from his family (and long aid station stops), Robbie found the strength to run faster than he had all race. He started punching out three and a half minute kilometres and would run 5km in 18 minutes to take the lead with 9 minutes to go.

In the last 20 minutes of the race, participants had the option of running small 1km laps, with marking every 250m, allowing for partial lap distances to be added to the final total. Runners could still continue to run the big 1.75km lap, however partially completed laps would not count towards the final total.

In some last minute drama, Robbie ran through 70km and then continued out on to the big lap. As he was halfway through his laps the message got through to him that he had to complete the lap before 6 hours or it wouldn’t count. With around a minute to go Griggs, who had already started running small laps then come through to record 70.25km and take the lead on paper. Robbie was now sprinting for the line, he crossed over to record 71.75km with 20 secs to spare, his last kilometre run at 3:10 pace! Matt “Goes Boom” Robbie, lived up to his nickname!

Robbie’s final musings on running ultras: “WOW! JUST WOW! What a different sport this is! Feels good to be brought down off the pedestal and see that until I’ve walked (literally) in the ultra world I KNOW NOTHING and have a very long road ahead!”

Cian “The Sensible” Gray rounded out the podium with 61.25km and Allicia “Good Sport” Heron was first female with 57km. Whilst Nick “Water Boy” Hamilton completed his six hours as a solo effort in humid Tokyo.

The Grindfest was a great local event for the race-starved ULTRA Mediocre Runners of Canberra. Undoubtedly, this small local club will be having more races into the future!

Click on the image to be redirected to a video of the Grindfest 6hr Ultra.

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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