Mightiest congratulations, untold admiration and gratitude to all participants in the Sri Chinmoy 48 Hour Track Festival, 2025 edition. You are the trailblazers, the torchbearers, harbingers of peace and progress. You are the ones improving our world, bringing hope, inspiration, and the promise of a brighter future for humanity.

Sri Chinmoy 24 Hour Race
AUTRA 2025 National Championships

The Sri Chinmoy 24 Hour race is the longest-running ultra event in Australia, first staged in Adelaide in 1982. In that time, the race has seen numerous super-human performances and multiple records.

Yet none have astonished more than today’s offering from Holly Ranson. Holly came to this race – the 2025 AUTRA National 24 Hour Championship – as the clear favourite, already holding the National record set last year on this track, 238km. Right from the early laps, it was clear Holly’s race was not against the field of assembled runners, but against the very boundaries of human potential, her only real rival, the concept of “the possible”. Beholding Holly’s adamantine, ironclad determination was at once a privilege and a celebration, an exhilarating affirmation of the power of the human spirit to grasp and embody the wondrous. Holly’s race was a virtuoso recital, mixed with equal parts elegance, power, grace and sheer resolute will, poured out onto the track in a sublimely masterful performance.

The facts never tell the story, but these facts are gobsmackingly impressive. To break a national record by even a hundred metres tells of a superb effort: to surpass it by a full 25 kilometres is simply super-stellar. In recording a final distance of 263.548km (163.761 miles), Holly notched the 3rd highest distance ever achieved by any woman in human history. And she ran effectively a solo race – no question of being ‘paced’ by the men’s field, barely visible in her rearview mirror.

Holly, we can only stand aside, applaud and offer our gratitude for the deluge of inspiration and volcano of aspiration which you invoked, embodied, revealed and showered all around you during these magical 24 hours…

Jenny White ran an amazing race for 2nd place female. While much of the attention was understandably focussed on Holly, Jenny’s return of 225.797km marked a personal triumph of focus, courage and resilience – which would have won her this race almost any other year. Samantha Hornby took the 3rd podium place in the AUTRA National Championship with her excellent 165.172km; while not far behind, Julie Savage topped the 100 miles-(stone) in winning the F50-59 category with a wholehearted 161.817km.

Joe Ward is a true champion. Happy to run “under the radar” while Holly was blazing her trail of glory, Joe ran a beautifully-paced race, starting conservatively and working through the gears through the night and morning in a masterclass of controlled running, gradually overtaking all the men’s field and finishing full of flowing ebullience with a superb 246.56 km. Barry Kreem took the 2nd placed AUTRA Championship award, completing a fine run of 236.715km.

John Bayne came from New Zealand with a focus to tackle the NZ 60+ 24 hour record, and he gave it a red-hot shot. The only one to (almost) keep up with Holly at any stage of the race, the veteran eclipsed the NZ 60+ 6 hour record, but having aimed for the summit, found the body not quite willing to accompany his lofty goals – yet nevertheless finished with a more than creditable 217.287km for his efforts.

3rd placed in the AUTRA Australian Championship was Adam Meredith, with a gutsy 204.269km. Adam was the first among a group of 5 who all topped the prized 200km mark in close proximity, whether by accident or design – close after Adam came Ben Foessel (202.136km), Josh Luck (201.406km), Tom Allen (201.131km), and Dale Paul (201.066km).

Aaron Francey took out the M50-59 category with 187.301km; while evergreen Peter Badowski impressed in the M70+ with 121.103km.

Sri Chinmoy 48 Hour Race

Comets draw all our attention, wonder and amazement. They grab the headlines. They have more 'star-power' than most actual stars. Yet they could not exist without context – the night sky of myriad galaxies and cosmic phenomena. So it is with these races. The winners and record-breakers naturally command our awe and commentary. Yet it is all the participants, the literal “also-rans” (and also-walked) whose often selfless, invariably heroic efforts provide the context, the canvass upon which the chronicles of the race are portrayed.

Usually we would start our race report for the whole Festival with the 48 Hour, but this time the race itself, true to its self-effacing nature, ceded top billing to the 24 Hour, in deference to its National Championship status. Indeed, perhaps the one quality which most exemplified and unified the participants of this year’s 48 Hour race, was humility. Humility carries a sheen far sweeter and more alluring than the trumpeting of ego. There was no sense that anyone had come with the intention of dominating the race, but rather all were here to offer their very best and to accept and hopefully enjoy, whatever the race might offer in return. This pervading selfless humility flowed like an underground river, nourishing the spirit of the race and the track itself, connecting each participant with each other in a mystical yet palpable bond of affection and concern. Through this 48 hours, lifelong friendships were formed, refreshed and deepened. While the “faster” races surged around the wider arc of lanes 3 and 4, the 48 hour runners formed a tighter ‘inner circle’ in lane 1, literally and metaphorically.

This was a race in which excellence shone brightest at both ends of the age spectrum. Rarely indeed is a race won outright from the Female 50-59 category! Today was Cheryl Symons’ day, her 324.776km victory a crowning highlight of an ultra-marathon career exemplifying the priceless principles of inner beauty, integrity, self-discipline and a simple love of running.

1st placed Female Under 50, Alicia Heron, the reigning National record holder for 48 hours, had aspired to an even greater tally from this race. Yet it was not to be. As we all know, there are things we can control and unseen forces we cannot. One of the highlights of this event, was witnessing Alicia’s journey of struggle, then acceptance of her fate, that on this occasion, she had been assigned the role of second fiddle. “Second fiddle” may be considered an unfortunate or less valuable contribution – yet it takes as much if not more strength of character, commitment and largeness of heart to play a perfect second fiddle, than many a first violin part. Alicia exhibited a rare adaptability to the circumstances, and played her role to the final curtain with exceptional grace, poise and goodwill, finishing with 293.196km.

If Alicia played second fiddle, then Phil Ryan played the consummate viola part in winning the men’s race from the Male 50-59 category, with a finely measured 283.619 km. Phil’s calm optimism and resilience infused and uplifted the whole group. You felt that if the group were stranded in some inhospitable place and had to elect a leader to navigate our way back to safety, Phil might be a natural choice for the role.

Maryanto Sardjimin was next with 276.829km, winning the Male 60-69 category and, coming from Indonesia, the only runner who found the temperatures overall “a little too cool”! Consistently cheery and colourful, Maryanto was a warmly welcomed presence around the track, who we hope will return another year.

Next in distance was the event’s only walker, and what a walk it was! Write down the name, Sabina Hamity. Patience, poise and persistence personified, an innocuous dowdy floppy hat concealed an engine of relentless will that powered Sabina to 275.957km – not only an age group, but a new Australian Open Women’s record for 48 hours. Huge congratulations, Sabina!!

Last time this race was held in 2023, David Billett phenomenally walked the entire 48 hours, and this year demonstrated his versatility by actually running most of his tally of 257.128km, for 2nd place in the M50-59.

Not many would have heard of Maia Nagy before today. Having just run a 100km race a month ago, 20-year-old Maia noticed there was a vacancy in the Australian National 48 Hour records for the age group F20-24, so decided: why do I need experience? Knowing that any distance attained in this IAU-labelled race would have qualified her for a National Record, Maia nevertheless showed incredible inner and outer strength and fortitude to will her way to 254.792km, a formidable target for any aspiring ultra-runner. Maia impressed many far more experienced runners with her dauntless, fearless approach. A new and highly promising ultra-running career has dawned!

While I’m skipping numerous outstanding performances, each worthy of its own chapter, the one other name who must be applauded is Oliver Sheekey, the 19-year-old who led the race for a quite a while on Day One. Perhaps paying the price for youthful exuberance (how else are you going to find out?), Oliver’s pace dipped somewhat, but he had enough in the bank to claim the Australian Under 19 Male 50km, 50 mile, 100km, 100 mile, 200km, 6 hour, 12 hour AND 48 hour records en route to his final total of 200km.

Sri Chinmoy 12 Hour Race

This year’s 12 hour race happened to coincide with the highest temperatures of the whole festival, making it a “tough day at the office” for the 20 adventurers who toed the line at 10am with excitement and trepidation swirling in the air. Holly Ranson had just surpassed her own Australian National 24 hour record moments earlier, and with Holly still having 2 hours to run, it felt like anything was possible. What a time to be led to the starting gates! Not surprising then, that a few of the 12 hour runners made a bold dash for it, before the stern gaze of the blazing sun issued its own speeding ticket for this over-eagerness.

There is zero shade on this track, a simple truth which inspired a strong sense of camaraderie as all faced the same unavoidable plight: there is nowhere to hide. While bodies toiled, focus was honed and then spirits soared, especially once the sun set and the faintest of breezes whispered hints of relief from the surrounding sentinel-eucalypts.

Mark Avery exceeded 10km/hour to clock an impressive, determined 120.322km for the half-day outing, less than a lap ahead of M50-59 stalwart Andrew Donaldson with 120.013km. James Quaife followed with 117.974km, with Neredah Brogan the first woman, and the only other campaigner to cross the 100km mark with 100.607km under her feet. A special honourable mention goes also to the irrepressible Elizabeth Smith, whose 75.631km gained her 1st place in the F60-69 cohort.

Sri Chinmoy 6 Hour Race

While it’s tempting to consider the 6 hour race the “baby“ of the ultra-distance family, running for 6 hours is a feat far beyond the wildest dreams of the vast majority of present-day humanity. Starting in the heat of the afternoon and concluding in the cool of the evening, the 6 hour race was an event of contrasts – the field comprising a mix of seasoned veterans and ultra newbies, dipping their toes in the world of track ultras for the first time, with an almost-70 year age range from 15 to 84. Based on the reactions, some will definitely return for more, and longer, next year – while a few might have seen and felt all they need to of this strange ultra world…

The heat of the afternoon was a telling factor, and may have stood in the way of anyone breaching the 60 km mark (for an average of 10 km/hour). Mark Brookes came closest, winning the race and the Male Under 50 category with a sterling 59.44km, barely holding off a charging Gregory Jenkins who took 1st place in the Male 60-69, with a fine run of 59.428km. Completing the podium placings in the Male Under 50 were Ashley Colquhoun with 58.66km in 2nd, and Damien Lakin’s 58.239km for 3rd.

Next home was the women’s race winner, the impressive Rosie Reynolds with 51.392km. After Rosie in the Female Under 50s were Kristine Halme with 46.108km (2nd) and 3rd placed Amy Kemp with 42.725, not far ahead of the youngest contender, Amy’s 15-year old daughter Ruby Kemp who tallied 38.163km.  Hayley Daniel took out the F50-59s with 44.649km; Maria Jones Caballero commanded the F60-69s in 29.996km; Susan Archer the F70-79 with an indefatigable 38.986km; while 84-years-young Val Chesterton shone in the F80+ category with a glorious 29.823km.

Sandeep Chandra took home the main award for the M50-59s with 46.851km (the trophy heading “straight for the pool room”); Mark Gladwell the M70-79 with 15.836km; while Geoff Barker triumphed in the M80+ with his offering of 22.616km.

Sri Chinmoy Midnight Marathon

After 10 pm on Saturday night, when the excited buzz of the 24 hour, 12 hour and 6 hour races has subsided, lane 3 falls silent and empty, there is an almost eerie few hours when only the 48 hour runners circle the track, by this time focused deeply inward and clinging to that invisible thread which draws and claws them to their own finish, a long 12 hours hence. It is a lull: a deep, long breath in the weekend’s proceedings.

Then, on the stroke of midnight, the freshest of legs and hearts leap onto the stage and seemingly hurtle themselves into the action. The Midnight Marathon brings a surge of energy, enthusiasm, vigour and optimism in the hour of most need, savoured by 48 hour runners, crews and spectators alike.

The bounding Craig Benson (1st outright and also 1st M50-59) raced the clock – specifically 3am – to cross the finish a full 28 seconds ahead of the arrival of that auspicious hour, in 2:59:32. Mitch Poulos was next with 3:15:54, to claim 1st place Male Under 50, then Nick Levin in 3:35:42, not far ahead of Lindsay Hamilton, winner of last month’s Sri Chinmoy 100km Road Race (and Australian Championships), running her third Midnight Marathon and winning the women’s race with a sterling 3:38:28.

Rick Patzold added yet another marathon finish to his encyclopaedic collection, taking out the M60-69 in the process with 4:20:44; while Beck Myors won the F50-59s with her 5:27:07. Very special mention to Ray James, who seems to be getting jauntier, winning the Male 70 and Over category with 6:29:50.