By Tania Phillips
Organisers have hailed the second annual Untamed Border Run festival at Killarney as a major success and are already planning to make it bigger and better next year.
Organising committee president Susie Blissner said on the back of the success of the first two events they would be adding a 100 kilometre race to the program next year.
More than 210 competitors took part in this year’s event coming from throughout Queensland and down to Sydney.
She said they even attracted an international interest this time around with a runner coming from South Africa to compete in the event after finding it on the internet.
The Untamed Border run was two days of trail running events which included 50km, 21km and 10km run as well as the Kids Cattle Yard Dash around the picturesque Killarney region.
Headquarters for the run was at the Killarney Showgrounds however the run courses started at remote locations in both Qld and NSW.
“The start of the 50 was a little bit overcast but the beautiful Killarney weather had turned it on for us by about 10am and then we had lovely sunshine the whole day, it wasn’t bitterly cold,” Blissner said.
“At the finish line we had a bit more of a festival feeling this time. We had tables and umbrellas, a guy playing music, massage therapists, a couple of stalls, two MCs and the ice baths back again.
“At 5am in the morning when the 50 km runners were arriving we had big fire pits. There were next to no injuries, we didn’t have to pick anybody up, everybody came across the smiling.
“The first runner in the 50km, Nicholas Skewes came across the line in 4:51:06.500 – a little bit slower than last year but still very impressive.”
Among this year’s competitors was ultra-marathon runner Kerri Williamson – mother of Queensland State of Origin Lindsay Collins – who showed just where her talented forward son gets his determination from – by winning her age division.
Blissner said the event would be possible without the team of local volunteers and sponsors.
Results: Ten Km winners: Male: Scott Beesley: 59:37.230; Female: Victoria Richards: 1:06:52.090;
Twenty-one kilometre: Male: Will Mulcaster: 1:56:16.630, Woman: Sam Stevens: 2:04:50.260.
Fifty kilometres: Male: Nicholas Skewes, 4:51:06.500. Female result unavailable at time of printing.
