One of the Greatest Endurance Runners on the Planet Phil Gore, from Western Australia, is the undisputed Greatest of All Time in backyard ultra running. In June 2025 at Dead Cow Gully in Queensland, he completed 119 consecutive 6.7km loops, covering nearly 800km and setting a new men's world record. Months later at the Backyard Ultra World Championship in Tennessee, he ran 114 laps over almost five days to claim the title as last man standing. Brutal mileage. Mental steel. Unrelenting spirit. Phil Gore doesn't compete. He dominates.

Erchana Murray-Bartlett is an elite marathon runner who narrowly missed the Tokyo Olympics. She then turned her focus to running across Australia to raise money for the Wilderness Society and spotlight the nation's extinction crisis. Tarkine supported Erchana as she ran a marathon every day from Cape York to Melbourne. 155 consecutive marathons to spread one message: Extinction is a choice. An elite athlete using her platform and endurance to fight for what matters most. Our planet and its creatures. Erchana exemplifies the spirit of Tarkine: performance with purpose.

From professional cyclist racing alongside Richie Porte and Sir Bradley Wiggins at the 2009 Jayco Sun Herald Tour, to complete ultra running dominance. Since 2016, only one defeat. That sole loss was 2nd at the 2020 Margaret River Ultra, a course record he would shatter two years later. Winner of Kep Ultra 76K. Winner of Transcend Trails 60K in 5:55 with 2000m+ elevation, finishing 30 minutes clear. UTMB 100km age group podium. Elite pedigree from two wheels to two feet. Ruthless consistency. One of Australia's most formidable ultra runners.

Christie Lori is built for the long haul. In 2025 she claimed the Cape to Cape Track FKT (Supported, Female), took first at The Guzzler Ultra 105km, won the Transcend Ultra 65km, and finished second female at Ultra Trail Kosciuszko 161km by UTMB. Four elite performances across wildly different terrain in a single year. From coastal tracks to alpine climbs, Christie doesn't specialise. She conquers. Relentless preparation meets unshakeable composure. One of Australia's most complete ultra runners.

Ben Leeson lets his legs do the talking. A 2025 breakout year saw him claim victory at the Feral Pig Ultra 100km, dominate the Margaret River Ultra Marathon 42km trail, and finish runner up at the Transcend Ultra 65km. He then placed 7th at the XTERRA Snowdonia Trail Marathon World Championships. No fanfare, no posturing. Just relentless forward motion and results that speak for themselves. Ben represents the Tarkine ethos: show up, put in the work, let the finish line tell the story.

Annika Keall came from the track and took her speed to the dirt. One of Western Australia's most promising trail runners, she's already stacking up race wins and turning heads across the Australian trail scene. The track background shows in everything she does. Sharp on climbs, lethal on descents, and carrying a finishing kick that most trail runners simply don't have. Annika is just getting started, and the ceiling is a long way up.

A UTMB competitor and holder of multiple Australian national ultra-distance records, cementing a place among the country's elite trail runners. Beyond racing, co-creator of Transcend Trails, advancing the sport through innovative race experiences. Expertise extends off the trails too. With a Bachelor of Science in Sport Science and a Master's in Occupational Rehabilitation, working as an Exercise Physiologist brings scientific rigour to training. An athlete competing at the highest level while building the future of Australian trail running.

Fraser Darcy moves fast on any surface, but give him elevation and he becomes untouchable. 2025 Australian Mountain Running Champion. 63rd at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. Third at the Melbourne Marathon in 2:17:38. Top ten at the Brisbane Trail Ultra 20km Golden Trail Series Final. Road speed, mountain precision, trail instinct. Fraser doesn't pick a lane. He runs all of them at elite pace. Super rare versatility at the highest level.

Joel Gray runs until everyone else stops. First at the 2025 Delirious WEST 100 mile. First at the Run Bibbulmun Track Stage Race covering 107km. Fifth at the Transcend Ultra 65km. Joel thrives where distance breaks people, finding rhythm in the relentless accumulation of kilometres. No shortcuts, no gimmicks. Just an engine that refuses to quit and a mind that stays sharp when others fade. For events measured in days, Joel is the man you don't want ahead of you.

Ahnika Lennie is carving her name into Australian trail running with consistent high level performances. First female at the Cape2Cape Ultra 50 mile in 2025, second female at the West Macs Monster 65km, and top 15 at Ultra Trail Kosciuszko 50km by UTMB. She chases variety, testing herself on coastal trails, desert ranges, and alpine terrain alike. Still ascending, still hungry. Ahnika brings grit, adaptability, and the quiet confidence that turns potential into podiums.

Matt Gore doesn't win every race. He just keeps finishing on the podium. Second at the 2025 Sydney Ultra Marathons 30km. Second at the West Macs Monster 128km. Second at Ultra Trail Kosciuszko 100km. First at the Hume and Hovell Ultra 100km. That pattern isn't luck. It's the mark of an athlete operating at elite level across varying distances with ruthless consistency. Matt brings the same intensity whether it's 30km or 130km. Always dangerous.

Blaine Bourke runs until the clock tells him to stop, then keeps going. 2024 Australian Men's 24 Hour Ultra Running Champion. National record holder. Back to back Cut Ultra champion. Second place at King of the Hill. Blane thrives in the formats that demand total physical and mental commitment, where pacing and pain management separate contenders from survivors. Pure Tarkine energy.

Mikaela Kelsall races long and races hard. Sub 10 hours at the 2025 IRONMAN Western Australia. 4th female at the 2024 edition. 8th female at IRONMAN 70.3 Western Australia in 2023. Then she took her endurance off-road and placed 13th female at the 2024 Transcend Ultra 65km. Iron distance on the road, ultra distance on the trails, no signs of slowing down. Mikaela brings the kind of engine that most athletes only dream about, and she's still building.

Daniele Lissoni runs until the clock surrenders. Winner of the 2025 Backyard Ultra of Livata at 60 hours. Winner of the 2024 Italian Backyard Ultra at 73 hours. Representative for Team Italy at the Italian Team Backyard Ultra Championships. The backyard format demands perfect pacing, mental fortitude, and the ability to keep moving when your body screams stop. Daniele has mastered all three. A true specialist in the art of outlasting everyone.

Brian Lyons knows Tasmanian trails like few others. First at the 2024 Australia Day 100km Ultra Marathon. First at the 2022 Bruny Island 64km Ultra. Third at the 2023 Bruny Ultra 64km. Second at the 2023 Ross Running Festival Marathon. Brian combines local knowledge with hard earned endurance, grinding out results through sheer persistence. A Tasmanian stalwart embodying the no excuses approach that defines island running.

Emma Philippe represented Australia at World Youth Championships in 2013 and World Junior Championships in 2014 and 2016. WAIS scholarship holder alongside Nina Kennedy, training under Alex Parnov with a 4.35m personal best. She pivoted to the 800m, becoming one of Western Australia's premier middle distance runners with multiple state titles and a 2:04.35 personal best. Now competing at Hyrox Pro level with a 1:11:23 solo finish in Melbourne. OG Tarkine supporter. Still pushing limits.

Brendan Verrier is a trail runner from Perth, Western Australia. After sustaining a serious concussion in 2017 that affected him for two years, Brendan rebuilt himself physically and mentally, ultimately finding his stride in ultramarathon running. One of his standout achievements includes winning the West Mac Monster 65km in both 2023 and 2024 on the Larapinta Trail, a result that reflects his strong connection to the landscapes of Central Australia.

Jordan Nuks attacks the big stuff. Sixth at Harry's King of the Hill, 51 hours and 15,300 metres of elevation. First at The Guzzler Ultra 100km. Fourteenth at Tarawera Ultra Trail 163km by UTMB. First at the 2023 Brisbane Trail Ultra 110km. Jordan combines climbing strength with flat speed, equally comfortable on vertical slogs and runnable trails. The appetite for punishment is genuine. The results are earned.

Petra Jerejian doesn't just race trails, she owns them. 2025 XTERRA Asia-Pacific Trail Run Champion in Dunsborough. First place at Transcend 2025 28km in 2:43:22 across 810 metres of elevation. Three-time podium finisher at the Margaret River Ultra Marathon 78.5km. She races everything from technical coastal single track to deep bush ultras and comes out the other side faster than she went in. Petra runs with the kind of quiet consistency that turns age group titles into world championship crowns.

Timberlin Henderson conquers the American Southwest. First at the 2023 Canyonlands 100 Mile Ultra. First at Monument Valley Ultra 50 mile. First at Arches Ultra 50 mile. Third at the 2022 Silverton Alpine Ultra. Three wins in a single year across Utah's most iconic desert landscapes. Timberlin doesn't just survive the heat, the sand, and the exposure. He weaponises them. A force in American ultra running bringing that firepower to the Tarkine Wild Pack.

James Bland chases the big mountains and the big distances. First overall at You Yangs 100km in 2025. Fourth male at The Spectacle 100 mile. Third at Wilsons Prom 100km. Third at GSER 50 mile. UTMB 100 Miler finisher. Western States silver buckle holder. First male at South Island 100km. Top ten at Tarawera 100 mile. James has lined up at the world's toughest courses and keeps coming back for more. Consistent podiums, international credentials, unfinished business.

Joe Ward measures success in hours, not kilometres. 2025 Sri Chinmoy 24 Hour National Champion with 246.5km. 2023 Coburg 24 Hour Australian National Champion with 230km. C2K 240km Champion in 25:14, a course record. Multiple Australian representative at World Championships and IAU Asia Oceania Championships, earning team silver and top five finishes. Podiums across 12 hour, 24 hour, 100 mile, and multi day events. In 2026 he's chasing the 24 Hour Treadmill World Record.

Oakie Diggins is a Boorloo (Perth)-based ultra trail runner drawn to the long game. Since committing to the sport in 2023, he has established himself as one of Western Australia’s most consistent and relentless hundred-mile athletes. In 2024, he placed 2nd at the WTF 50km before winning his debut 100-mile race at the Feral Pig 100 Mile. He backed that up with a 2nd-place finish at the 2025 Delirious West 100 Mile and a top-10 finish at the 2025 Grampians Peaks Trail 100 Mile — the AUTRA 100 Mile National Championships.

Joel came to ultra running in 2023 and wasted no time finding his format. He claimed his first win at only his second backyard ultra, on home turf at Maribyrnong Valley Park, then pushed to a 59 yard personal best. That performance earned selection to the Australian team for the 2024 Backyard Ultra World Satellite Championships. Joel thrives in the format that demands one more lap when everything says stop. Sights set on 2026 and another Team Australia jersey. He's just getting started.