Final Champions Crowned as Australia’s Michael Dunstan & Poland’s Katarzyna Dombrowska Win UTA100 Titles

The women’s UTA100 was won by Polish runner Katarzyna Dombrowska, who dominated throughout the race – only to come within a kilometre of falling short as she cramped coming up the final 951 Furber Steps, stopping to stretch out her calf for nearly five minutes.

“I had such strong cramps on the stairs,” said Dombrowska. “I was lying, even screaming, because on my calves, I had such big cramps that I couldn't even stand, so some girls helped me to put my toes a little further to try and stop it. I was lying there for almost five minutes or something, I couldn't use them. If I tried to get up, then I had cramps in different parts of the legs. I don't know how I pushed to the finish line with those legs.”

That pause on the stairs allowed second place runner Beth McKenzie to make up considerable time but ultimately the gap was just too far bridge, with the American falling just five minutes short. Dombrowska took the win in 10:50:55, with McKenzie second in 10:55:49. Canada’s Emilie Mann completed an all-international women’s UTA100 podium in 11:24:47.

“I’m exhausted but so happy,” Dombrowska. “It was my dream to finish on this finish line and being first, it's like a dream come true, so I'm really, really happy.

“The race was so beautiful. It's so different than what we have in Europe. The nature, the kangaroos of course, it's really, really beautiful. It was quite funny because you had so many runnable parts, but then you have the stairs. Oh my god, it was like hundreds and hundreds of stairs, but it was so amazing and so beautiful,” she said.

In the men’s UTA100, Dunstan, who has called the Blue Mountains home for the past three years, completed the iconic 100km HOKA Ultra-Trail Australia by UTMB course in 9:04:19. He was pushed hard all the way by China’s Guidu Qin, who finished as runner-up and just over four minutes behind Dunstan. American Adrian Macdonald finished third in 9:32:47.

“I don't think it’s really sunk in at all. It's a bit surreal and a bit strange,” said Dunstan. “I thought on a really, really good day, maybe I could run a low nine [hour], but I didn't think with the runners that were in the race that I would ever be winning.”

Dunstan paced himself well over the first half of the course, but after taking the lead around the 56-kilometre mark his heart rate monitor stop working and so had to run the remaining half of the race on feel – something which left him running scared but ultimately paid off.

“I usually pace by heart rate and wanted to just run pretty steady and not really push the climbs too hard. I started doing that and it felt like it was working well, but everyone was a fair way ahead. Then my heart monitor died and so I just ran to feel for the rest of it. Luckily, it paid off,” he said.

This wasn’t Dunstan’s first taste of UTA, but it was his first time racing as a competitor, though he did have the advantage of course familiarity.

“It's really special to win here. I've been part of the event for the last two years crewing and was on the e-bike last year on the live stream. I guess running it in the race, I got an appreciation of how challenging it is in a race context as well. I think maybe when I'm training, you can take in the views a bit more. It's pretty intense, trying to race it like that,” said Dunstan.

But even in the hard moments, it was the support on course that kept him pushing to the finish line.

“I feel like everyone out there, when I went past, they read my bib and noticed that I was in the 100km, and they cheered me on. I felt like sometimes I couldn't speak because I was climbing, but I always tried to give back some sort of support. Everyone was so nice with regards to letting me pass – I know I don't deserve to get through any quicker than someone who's chasing a PB in the middle or back of the field, but they were super understanding. So, yeah, I felt overwhelmingly supported.”

UTA100 Results – Men

1. Michael Dunstan (AUS) 09:04:19
2. Guidu Qin (CHN) 09:09:41
3. Adrian Macdonald (USA) 09:32:47
4. George Knight 09:56:40
5. Rhett Gibson (AUS) 10:04:48

UTA100 Results – Women

1. Katarzyna Dombrowska (POL) 10:50:55
2. Beth McKenzie (USA) 10:55:49
3. Emilie Mann (CAN) 11:24:47
4. Julia Grant (NZL) 11:37:49
5. Tamami Arai (JPN) 11:38:43