Tasmania Hosts 200-Runner Takayna Trail Ultra
Tasmania's Takayna Trail ultramarathon drew 200 runners for 22km, 37km, or 62km distances through remote rainforests, including crossings of the muddy Huskisson River. Meanwhile, Leadfeet ran 18 miles on Missouri's Katy Trail bluffs, and another runner completed a 15K Ancient Trail Trek involving challenging climbs.
- The ultramarathon is an annual fundraiser organized by the Bob Brown Foundation to raise money and awareness to protect the takayna/Tarkine region. The 2025 event raised over $400,000 for the cause. - The event's primary goal is to campaign for the takayna/Tarkine to be protected as a World Heritage-listed National Park and returned to Aboriginal ownership. - Takayna/Tarkine contains Australia's largest tract of cool-temperate rainforest, which is a relict of the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. The area is also home to one of the highest concentrations of Aboriginal cultural heritage sites in the Southern Hemisphere. - The region is habitat for over 60 rare and endangered species, including Tasmanian devils, spotted-tail quolls, and the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle. - Conservationists are actively protesting logging and mining operations in the area, including a proposal by MMG to build a heavy metals mine waste dump in the rainforest. - The Australian Heritage Council found takayna/Tarkine to have outstanding heritage value and recommended it for National Heritage listing, though the government has not listed the full recommended area. - Runners in the various race distances traverse a challenging and varied landscape that includes dense rainforest, open buttongrass plains, and rugged coastal tracks.
