Trail runners from across Australia and around the world will descend on Australia’s alpine region this week for the return of Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB.
The third edition of the sold-out event will welcome more than 3,000 runners to the Snowy Mountains from 28-30 November over 30km, 50km, 100km and 100-mile courses.
More than 36 countries will be represented on the start line this week, with New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom the most represented nations outside of Australia.
Stand-out names on start lists
In terms of the elite fields, in the 100M, 2023 men’s KosciMiler champion Chris Lenkic (AUS) and runner-up Takumi Sawayanagi (JPN) are set to go head-to-head once again for the 2024 titles.
While on the women’s side 2023 KosciMiler runner-up Steph Auston (AUS) will be hoping to go one better this year. She will face stiff competition from Sabrina Stanley (USA), a two-time UTMB top 10 finisher.
Abby Hall (USA) is the standout name in the women’s Kosci100 race, while young gun Juliette Soule (NZL) will step up the distance and hope to challenge for a podium. Wyatt Million (USA) and Ben Duffus (AUS) will likely do battle for the men’s Kosci100 title.
Avery bidding for double
Melbourne-based British runner Kate Avery (GBR) headlines the women’s Kosci50 field after a dominant win in the 50km race at Ultra-Trail Australia by UMTB in May.
The Brit will be hoping to put the disappointment of not being able to finish this year’s OCC (50km) race at UTMB Mont Blanc behind her with a strong performance in the Snowy Mountains.
On the men’s side serial winners David Haunschmidt (NZL) and Ben St Lawrence (AUS), a double Olympian, will go toe-to-toe.
Traditionally a track runner specialising in the 5000m and 10,000m, St Lawrence will tackle only the second 50km of his career but is hoping to continue his impressive streak at UTMB World Series races, having won on three occasions at Ultra-Trail Australia by UTMB – held in his backyard of the Blue Mountains.
“This will be my first time racing at Kosci, and only my second ever 50km after racing at UTA in 2022,” he said. “I’ve coached runners across all of the events at Kosci and they’ve all come back and said how spectacular the course is through the alpine environment, so that is definitely the thing I’m looking forward to the most.
“I’d love to keep my UTMB winning streak alive but I know I’ll be facing some great competition and a challenging course, so if I can execute a strong race and run to the best of my ability, I’ll be happy regardless of the place,” he added.
Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB begins at 7:00am on Thursday 28 November for those taking part in the Kosci50, followed by the Kosci30 start at 10:00am.
The following day, runners in the KosciMiler will rise in the early hours of the morning for a 3:30am start, navigating the early parts of the course in the dark before being rewarded with an epic sunrise over the mountains. Runners are given a total allowable time of 36 hours to complete the 161km/100-mile course. Also on Friday 29 November is the Kosci100 which begins at 7:00am.
