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Entries in bushfire (4)

Wednesday

Sep072011

Bushfire marathon: Organisers were 'cowboys'

ORGANISERS of a desert marathon that left two women fighting for life after becoming trapped in a bushfire were yesterday described as "cowboys" with no clue about outback conditions.

A former competitor said organisers were "grossly unprepared" for last year's 250km race and had to urgently fly in intravenous fluids.

Footage of the weekend's 100km Kimberley Ultramarathon clearly shows smoke on the horizon just after the start, and it was reported that the course had to be re-marked just before the event after scrub fires burnt ribbon markers.

Ulladulla model Turia Pitt was among those burned when runners became trapped in a narrow gorge as bushfires, which had burned in the remote WA wilderness for up to a week, changed direction.

She was in a critical condition in Concord Hospital while marathon veteran Kate Sanderson is in Melbourne's Alfred Hospital. Both have burns to 80-90 per cent of their bodies.

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Monday

Sep052011

Marathon fire: Runners Turia Pitt and Kate Sanderson fight for their lives

A 100km outback ultramarathon turned into a fight for life after two women suffered horrific burns when they became trapped in a flaming gorge.

The two women severely burnt in a bushfire while running an ultra-marathon in remote Western Australia remain in a critical condition.

The women, aged 36 and 24, were competing in a ``rough country'' endurance race in the Kimberley region when they and two men became trapped in a gorge during a bushfire.

They suffered burns to up to 80 per cent of their bodies.

Turia Pitt, 24, is in a critical condition in Sydney's Concord Hospital, while Kate Sanderson, 36, is in a critical condition at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.

Ms Pitt is reportedly a model from Ulladulla on the NSW south coast who had been working in WA with Argyle Diamonds.