Running has become a shared passion for many Tuckwell Scholars. Some have been training since high school, while others only discovered the joy of running after moving to Canberra to ANU and exploring the city’s incredible trails and events. For others they started running when they got involved in Inward Bound— The legendary ANU Residential College navigation‑based endurance race held each year in the rugged surrounds of Canberra.
Below are some recent highlights from our Tuckwell runners and the events they’ve been part of.
Buffalo Stampede 2026
The Buffalo Stampede draws more than 3,500 trail runners from across Australia and overseas, to Bright in northeast Victoria. With distances ranging from a 100km ultra to a 2km junior run, there’s a challenge for every kind of runner.
This year, four Tuckwell Scholars took part, bringing together Alumni and current Scholars:
- Bridget Lunn (2020) – A third‑year medical student currently on GP placement in Jindabyne, Bridget completed the 20km SkyRun.
- Marissa Ellis (2020) – Also a third‑year medical student, Marissa is on rural placement in Gundagai and raced the twilight 10km event.
- Jacob Gome (2021)’24 – Now a Chemistry PhD student at EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland, Jacob took on the 100km solo event.
- Patrick O’Connor (2021)’24 – An astrophysics PhD student at ANU, Patrick ran the final leg of the 100km relay.
ACT 6‑Hour Rogaining Championships
Rogaining is best described as a giant bush‑based treasure hunt, where teams navigate with a map and compass to locate orange flags known as controls. Tuckwell Scholars Aimee Choi (2025), Inez Crosby (2024), Ethan Zhu (2025) and Kelso Wentworth (2024) headed into the Orroral Valley to compete in their respective teams. Alumna Abby Kidston (2022)’25 also joined the challenge.
Canberra Times Marathon Festival
As Australia’s oldest city marathon, this festival offers five distances that showcase the beauty of the nation’s capital.
Martha Dingle (2025) recently completed her first half marathon at the event and is now training for her debut full marathon on the Gold Coast in July.
Ironman 70.3 Western Sydney
The event saw more than 1,800 athletes take part, including some of the top professional triathletes from across the region.
Daniel Fihrer (2024) completed his second Ironman 70.3, completing a 1.9km swim, a 90km Bike ride into a casual half-marathon. Daniel improved on his previous record of 5 hours and 10 minutes by 30 minutes with a time of 4 hours and 40 minutes.
Daniel was cheered on by housemate Liam Rees (2024) and is coached by none other than Aidan Velten (2024). Great camaraderie within a cohort!
Keep Running, Tuckwells! From trail ultras to rogaining adventures, city marathons and triathlons, Tuckwell Scholars and Alumni continue to push their limits and inspire one another.
We can’t wait to see where their running journeys lead next.
