SPOTLIGHT ON: MICHAEL HOOKER

Kate Dzienis • March 1, 2023

ntroducing a new feature we like to call Spotlight On, where our AURA members get to know a little bit about some other AURA members!

Name: Michael Hooker
Age: 42
Location: East Perth, WA

FAVOURITE DISTANCE AND WHY

100 Miles would be my favourite distance. I think it’s an iconic distance to be able to run as an ultra-marathon runner. It’s always a great challenge, no matter the course or event and can never be taken lightly.

WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND YOU GETTING INTO ULTRA RUNNING?

I’ve always loved running, and was an above average runner in my younger years, but never trained. I received a phone call from a great friend of mine, Timothy Hamilton one afternoon back on 24 February, 2015.

He asked me to come and do something crazy with him, I asked ‘What now?’. He said ‘Come and run an ultra-marathon with me’. I asked him how far it was, having no idea at the time. He told me it was a 50km race, and I replied, ‘Are you serious? I haven’t even ran a marathon yet, and you want me to run 50km.’ He reassured me that I would be fine as we would run together and at his pace so it would be easy for me. That very afternoon I skipped the gym and Tim and I went for a long run together to check out the event course. I ran 36km, a distance PB for me at the time, 32km being the furthest I’d run before that.

So on 28 February, we ran the Dusk to Dawn 50km. I finished in a time of 5:05:18, and from this germinated my love for ultra running.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE ULTRA RUNNING EXPERIENCE SO FAR?

My favourite ultra experience would have to be my Feral Pig 100 mile race in 2020. It’s my favourite so far as it was a redemption run for me and the tail of that journey really has been the foundation of my future success in running.

You see, in 2017 I attempted the Feral Pig 100 miler, as my first ever 100 mile event. It was and is known by those in the know as ‘the hot year’, 40 degree temperatures made it difficult for all entrants, and many DNFd because of the conditions.

I managed to handle the conditions very well and towards the end of the course found myself unexpectedly in the lead with only the trip from Perth Hills Discovery Centre to Kalamunda and back to complete. After reaching Kalamunda and turning for home I reached the final checkpoint at Camel Farm. This left me only about 9km to cover in just over an hour in order to complete my first 100 miler and reach my goal of a sub 24hr finish. Unfortunately about two kilometres later, my pacer and I took a wrong turn and got off course onto the Munda Biddi Trail and we couldn’t find our way back on course.

By that stage I had been off course 5 times already during the event, each time managing to get back to the right trail. But this final mistake turned out to be my end. I was exhausted, delirious and mentally and physically started to shut down. I had already run 160.4km, which was a 43km PB at the time. The night time conditions and disorientated situation that I found myself in deleted me and my race was over. I had back surgery a month later to correct a prolapse disc issue that had me suffering from sciatica for over the previous 18 months. Then came 6 months of agonising recovery and a very slow build back to my best running form and from there I was ready to attempt the 100 mile beast in 2019 once again.

An extreme fire ban cancelled the event and I was devastated after such a long and patient journey. I refocused and then aimed for the event in 2020. In an extremely well planned and executed run, I reached my original goal in the 2020 race.

Not only did I complete the course in under 24hrs, but I actually won the event in a new course record time of 18:28:42, slicing a huge 2:17 from the previous record time!

IF YOU COULD HELP PACE ANYONE IN A RUN/EVENT, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

I don’t have any one person that I would love to pace, but I have paced several friends in the past and will again in the future. Schedule permitting, I would be honoured to help anyone of any level achieve a goal that they set for themselves.

If I did have to choose someone, Kilian Jornet Burgada would be my choice to pace. Widely known as one of the best ultra trail runners of all time, I feel I could learn so much from his knowledge and experience, not to mention the amazing challenge it would be to try to keep up with him. But most of all, as a world class athlete, to play a small part in a massive achievement that he would set for himself would be very satisfying for me.

AND NOW THE OPPOSITE. WHO WOULD YOU WANT RUNNING ALONGSIDE YOU?

That one is easy after the previous question, a reverse role with Kilian Jornet Burgada pacing me would also be just amazing. If he wasn’t available, Alexsandr Sorokin, another world class ultra runner and record holder.

WHAT ARE 3 THINGS WE WOULD ALWAYS FIND IN YOUR DROPBAG?

Chocolate, frozen water bottles and Bix Hydration electrolytes.

WHAT’S YOUR DREAM RUN OR EVENT?

That one is easy too, UTMB Mont Blanc 100 miler.

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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