AURA Points Race & Ultramarathon Runner of the Year Awards

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As of January 1, 2002, all AURA members will be eligible for the AURA Ultramarathon Runner of the Year award. This will be decided as a result of the Points Race, which involves all official Australian, and international ultramarathon races.

What is the Points Race and Ultramarathon Runner of the Year Award?

The points race involves AURA members being given points for each race they start, each 100km completed (whether in one race, or over a number of ultramarathons), and for minor places, wins and records. The points system is described in more detail below. The male and female with the most points at the end of each calendar year are the Ultramarathon Runners of the Year.

In remembrance of Bryan:

The two winners will each receive the Bryan Smith Memorial Trophy. Bryan Smith was arguably the best Australian-born ultramarathon runner with achievements including a win in the prestigious Westfield Sydney-Melbourne Ultramarathon, and being one of only a handful of people in the world to have run further than 1,000km in a 6 day race. Bryan was well liked for his sporting values and it is thus fitting that the Ultramarathon Runner of the Year Award is named in his honour.

Do I need to sign up?

No. As long as you're a financial member of AURA, you're automatically eligible. You don't have to do anything other than turn up and run. As long as the race director provides the results to the AURA committee, points will automatically be given to financial AURA members. Members who join during a year can begin to earn points after their membership is accepted.

How can I find out my ranking?

Points and rankings will be displayed in two tables (one for males and one for females) on the AURA website as well as in each edition of ultramag. The final results for each year's points race will be displayed in the March edition of the following year's ultramag, although they should appear on the AURA website much earlier.

Can my overseas races count towards the Points Race?

If you compete overseas throughout the year, you can earn points towards the Award, but you must provide an AURA committee with the official results (or request the race director do so) before the end of the calendar year.

For more details contact:

David Criniti, 14 Cambridge Ave, North Rocks, NSW 2151 or (02) 9871-8753 or 0411-438-344
or email dcriniti@bigpond.net.au

Tell me more about the allocation of points.

Category 1 - Points for everyone

1pt awarded for Starting : Each competitor receives a point for each ultra in which they start, regardless of finishing position.

1pt awarded for Each 100km : This can be accumulated eg Someone who runs two 50km races in a year will get 1 point for reaching 100km. Someone who runs a 100km race and then does 600km in a 6-day race will get 7 points for completing 100kms 7 times within the year.

Category 2 - Placegetters

3pt awarded for 1st place : Provided there are at least 2 starters in your division (male / female)

2pt awarded for 2nd place : Provided there are at least 4 starters in your division

1pt awarded for 3rd place : Provided there are at least 6 starters

Category 3 - Bonus points

1pt awarded for winning a National championship : Winning a national championship entitles participants to 1 points in addition to any points gained in category 1 and category 2.

5pt awarded for Breaking a Record (age, national or world) : Breaking a record entitles a person to 5 points in addition to any points earned in category 1. Record breakers will not get any points in category 2 (The intention of this rule is to recognise that all records are equally important and worth striving for. An age group record where the person finishes last in a race, gets 5 points, as does a national record where the record breaker wins the race. The person who wins the race and breaks a record therefore gets 5 points, not 8, although they also get 1 point for starting and points for the kilometres run.)