‘Herdy’s is about being there, having fun’

Kate Dzienis • March 31, 2022

Contributed by Julia Mackay-Koelen, AURA Member (Stirling, WA)

HERDY’S FRONTYARD ULTRA, HERDSMAN LAKE (WESTERN AUSTRALIA),

18-20 March 2022

My plan going into every event run is to ‘finish with no new injuries’. Herdy’s Frontyard Ultra two weeks ago presented a unique challenge – what was ‘finish’? I was also recovering from a ‘hip thing’ (MRI, sports doctor, physio, etc) and hadn’t run for three weeks so I had no idea how my hip was going to behave or if it would play up like various other body parts do from time to time.

I’m not usually a fan of laps but wanted to try the Herdy’s format after a bad case of bed bugs forced me to withdraw from Birdy’s Backyard Ultra when I couldn’t get back to Perth in time. I signed up with one of my running wives – Kylie – and we had our minds set on at ‘least one lap, try for two and it will be a miracle if we make three.’

Arriving at the Herdy’s village was glorious and I love that feeling of being part of something special (similar to Lighthorse Ultra) however Kylie and I couldn’t help but notice all the marquees, couches, tables, etc. when we only had our little trolley – our reality was that we were there for a very short but fun time and definitively not a long time. Some of the set ups were magnificent and fit the bill for a classic Taj-ma-hutchie!

I am a tortoise runner (pole pole – Swahili for slowly-slowly is my running mantra) and it usually takes me at least 5kms to find my feet, warm up my legs and work out how to breathe, but Kylie and I knew we would have to leg it for the first lap. We started at the back so that the stampede of what seemed like a thousand runners could take off and we, well, legged it as much as possible. The weather was perfect, the brilliant drummers at the start line and the support from folk along the roadside and other runners was fantastic. Coming along the spooky part I worried that I wasn’t going to make the lap so Kylie graciously told me to ‘rack off’ (she said it much more nicely) and I legged it a bit more to get in the first lap. Kylie made it too.

The second lap was awesome – I found my legs, could breathe properly, ran most of the way and came in with a whopping 10 mins to spare. Grabbed some lollies and a lady in a marquee next to me very graciously lent me her phone charger. I didn’t see Kylie but knew she was around somewhere. Soundtrack. These Boots Are Made For Walking. That meant it was almost time for the next lap. And off for the third lap. Stampede in front.

I am used to being Tailend Charlie so it was no deal being at the back. It was actually quite lovely seeing all the runners in front snaking around the path but as it got a bit darker other snakes came to mind and the words of one of my colleagues held heavy in my head: ‘The tiger snakes come out at dusk, Julia.’

Oh stop it. But I felt okay – until I didn’t. My hip started to feel a bit tight so I slowed down and just counted steps of eight (a trick I learnt while trekking in Nepal) until I felt I could speed up a bit. Then I realised I needed the porta loo. Why is it that when I run, other, ahem, things happen? Seriously. This body of mine is not always my friend. The porta loo stop cost me precious minutes which I tried to make up for but the hip tightened again. Dammit. The ‘spooky bit’ was even spookier (winding double and single tracks amongst marsh-like trees), and I was all by myself. I didn’t want to stop and put on my head torch so I used what knowledge I had of the track and kept going at a slow shuffle. No new injuries, Julia.

I saw the end point and also saw that everyone had left which was a bit sad as I knew I hadn’t made the third lap, but there was Kylie welcoming me over the finish line thingy which was the best sight ever. I shuffled to the bell and rang that gong! Fist pump from race director Shaun Kaesler and I got my well-deserved DNF fork trophy. Elated. Finished a great night off with a cup of tea at Kylie’s house.

I would love to have stayed longer but working Saturday and Sunday was a bummer – next time I will take the weekend off work! Wait, did I say next time? I said I would never do it again, but I have learned not to say this anymore as the lure of a great event, a wonderful village/community atmosphere and another goal (maybe four or even five next time) will have me heading back again. Herdy’s is not about how far, it’s about being there, doing it and having a bloody great time. Thank you to Shaun, all the organisers and magnificent vollies for a fantastic event.

Julia Mackay-Koelen takes a selfie at the start line of Herdy’s with her running ‘wife’ Kylie Sherwin. Photograph – Julia Mackay-Koelen.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

AUTRA Race Report 23-3-2026

By Kate Dzienis • March 23, 2026

Herdy's Frontyard Ultra, WA Gold Coast Backyard Ultra, Qld I'm Still Standing Sydney, NSW Trail Run Australia - Tathra, NSW Sri Chinmoy 48hr Track Ultra (Australian 48hr Track Championships, ACT Washpool World Heritage Trails, NSW Tamworth Trailblazer, NSW Upcoming Events WEEKLY NEWS REPORT FOR 23-3-2026 As always, we're continuously on the hunt for your stories and reports, so get those race reports and photographs in to ultramag@autra.asn.au with the following information: Word document, single spaced Include the name of the event, the date and the location anywhere in the report (just a bullet point at the top is great) Please attach photographs to the email – do not put images in the body of your Word doc. You’ll just get me emailing you back asking for the photos sent in the correct way! As many photos as possible. With our new website, it’s now easier than ever to include a nice gallery in each race report No PDFs please And remember, it doesn’t have to be about an AUTRA-listed event specifically! You just have to be an AUTRA member for the 2026 year. Also too, if you’ve run in a non-AUTRA listed event anywhere on home soil or internationally, we’d love to include your race results and experience in our Member Updates, so please do reach out to us via email to kate.dzienis@autra.asn.au If any corrections need to be made in any of the results listed below, please alert me via email.

2026 AGM Notice (15 April 2026)

By Dave Martin • March 14, 2026

AUTRA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Wednesday 15 April 2026

AUTRA statement regarding Snowies Trail Run Festival

March 12, 2026

AUTRA has been in direct contact with the organisers of the Snowies Trail Run Festival, In2Adventure, regarding a recent situation involving an athlete and the event’s in‑person safety briefing requirements. In2Adventure has confirmed that the situation was discussed directly with the athlete at the time. From In2Adventure’s account, and for the purpose of clarifying the public record, AUTRA notes the following points: At no stage was the athlete prevented from breastfeeding at the event. The organiser states that the following options were offered to enable the athlete to participate while still meeting safety requirements: a quiet and private space where she could breastfeed while still being present at the briefing; the option to receive the required briefing at the 30 km start line after the start; and the option to change her registration to the 21 km event, where the briefing is conducted on the start line. At no stage prior to event registration on Saturday night did the athlete contact the organiser to advise of her situation or request alternative arrangements, which limited what could be put in place at the time. Face‑to‑face safety briefings have always been a requirement for In2Adventure events due to the remote and higher‑risk nature of the trails. AUTRA was aware that in‑person briefings were used and had not raised concerns about that general approach. The organiser has indicated that this requirement is driven by safety, duty‑of‑care and insurance obligations, and follows previous experience where remote or online briefings resulted in athletes starting events without critical safety information. The organiser maintains that the event was not conducted in a manner that was intended to be non‑inclusive, inflexible or discriminatory, and that decisions made on the day were based solely on safety requirements that apply equally to all participants. AUTRA’s aim in issuing this statement is solely to clarify the context and ensure that the public record reflects the information provided to us by the organiser.