History

The Trail Running Association of Queensland (TRAQ) is a non for profit organisation formed in 2006. It was conceived through the desire of trail runners wanting more trail events than what was offered. During TRAQ’s infancy years, races were held across Sunshine Coast and Brisbane areas.

We now boast races held within the Somerset, Moreton Bay and rural Brisbane regions. All these events have been run successfully, with the participant at the core of the events we run.

We focus on the quality of the trail event, allowing all skill levels to enjoy the challenge and experience of off-road running, from 5km through to marathon distance. We have incorporated specific events to allow entry runners and children to get the taste of why trail running is an ever growing pastime in Queensland.

TRAQ has worked tirelessly to ensure that all races are done in accordance with governing bodies and are proud of the product we provide all participants with each event.and concrete footpaths.

People

Who is TRAQ? You! The members vote on all committee positions and votes on our objectives at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) each year.  Through regular committee meeting the committee executes the objectives for the association and for each trail event for the Queensland trail running community. 

Our 2024-25 committee is:

President – Geoff Russell

Vice President – Tracy Baker
Secretary – Lisa Stevenson
Treasurer – Richard Symons

Committee Members: Paul Vennells and Meagan Cartwright

Each year, TRAQ holds an Annual General Meeting (AGM) where all Committee positions are declared open and any TRAQ members maybe nominated to join the Committee. We encourage all members of TRAQ and the wider trail running community to engage with our AGM. A notice identifying the date, time and location of the AGM will be provided to all members by no latter than a month preceding the date of the AGM.  Please note; you must be a member to be considered for a committee position.

safety on our trails

In 2024 due to several unfortunate incidents involving users of our trails at Mt Coot-tha in Brisbane, particularly females, TRAQ joined with the local council, local member Jonty Bush MP and the Qld Police to host an event in early August 2024 to Reclaim our Trails and show that they are safe to use. At the same time TRAQ released the below document to help users of our trails with some Safety Tips for not only themselves but for their fellow trail users. We hope you find it helpful, and please let us know at info@traq.org.au if you have any extra tips we should add. 

 

Strategy

TRAQ’s vision is to be an association that is respected through supporting trail runners and other associations and clubs, through events with competitors engaging in trail running events in the community across Queensland. TRAQ is viewed as the peak body for Queensland trail running and facilitates the sport’s safe, inclusive and sustainable growth across the State.

TRAQ committee organises events each year for runners in various stunning locations throughout Queensland. TRAQ establishes their own events through experienced trail running members and purpose six key values, which are;

  1. To promote trail running through both internal and external associations throughout Queensland.
  2. To promote active, covid safe and respected use of the trails in Queensland natural conservations.
  3. To collaborate a statewide trail running series through the TRAQ committee, and provides events throughout the calendar year.
  4. Continuous updates for improving events and locations to enhance the quality of our trails events.
  5. To build relationships with sponsors and provide in-kind support, time and or prizes to enhance each individual events.
  6. To create and maintain a website and social media liaison to assist in supporting the association’s objectives above.

In 2021-22, the TRAQ Committee aim to improve the development of the association through strategic planning to provide direction for the association during this period of growth in the trail community. This process involves continuous engagement with the trail running community,  members, sponsors and government bodies. A yearly strategy planning day will commence in 2021, to improve the associations procedures and guidelines. Having a strategy day in place will assist the TRAQ Committee, members and sponsors to:

  • Develop fundamental objectives and targets for the organisation that guide our elected committee’s decision making,
  • Coordinate all actions to achieve our longer-term goals within a specified timeframe,
  • Prioritise the allocation of finances and human resources to our trail community. 
  • Re-evaluation TRAQ objective and goals each year to continue the vision for the trail running community. 

The strategy statements is TRAQ commitment to the trail running community through;

  1. Providing value to the membership – providing our membership with value through investment back into strengthening the sport of trail running.
  2. Supporting advocacy and facilitation – engaging with stakeholders as a ‘peak body’ on behalf of the trail running community of Queensland.
  3. Ensuring safety and wellbeing – supporting improved safety within the sport of trail running and the wellbeing of participants.
  4. Exemplifying events excellence – providing safe and enjoyable trail running events to the wider trail running community.
  5. Providing trail running opportunities – providing opportunities for access to trail running by all community members and opportunities for trail runners to achieve their potential in the sport.
  6. Operating with governance and accountability – operating a well-managed, transparent and accountable organisation for the benefit of our members and the wider trail running community.
  7. Strengthening organisational and financial sustainability – ensuring that members and sponsor funds are invested and expended in such a way as to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Association for the benefit of the membership.

Sustainability

The Trail Running Association of Queensland (TRAQ) place the utmost of importance upon environmental and social sustainability, and commit to being of benefit to the State of Queensland, local communities and the traditional owners upon whose land we meet to engage in trail running activities and events.  

TRAQ’s mission is to assist people to engage with the natural environment around them, experience safe and challenging events, and to connect the growing community of trail runners and users in Queensland. TRAQ influences the behaviour of people in cultural, social and environmental matters by connecting them with five TRAIL Values: Tradition, Respect, Adventure, Initiative, and Learning.  

The five TRAIL values encourage safety, mateship, individual responsibility and respect for self and others. They are supported by four pillars, which provide the framework for this environmental and social sustainability policy: 

1. Environment – leave the environment in better shape than before the event. 

2. Community – respect for traditional owners and culture, local community, and athletic community & competitors. 

3. Economy – contributing to the growth of the regions in which trail running and events take place.

4. Governance – managing environmental and social risk through systems, monitoring and evaluation. 

TRAQ commits to continually improve our environmental and social sustainability performance in delivering  events and to implementing actions that demonstrate a commitment to our sustainability objectives. In addition, TRAQ will comply with all relevant legislation and regulations, and strive to achieve best practice in event management. Special consideration will be given to the safety of all event stakeholders and, wherever possible, environmentally sustainable, products and services will be sourced locally. 

TRAQ will appoint a Committee Member to monitor  our sustainability objectives. This volunteer will ensure ongoing environmental and social performance, identification of environmental risks, recording and monitoring of impacts and leading the implementation of environmental and social sustainability measures.  

We encourage staff, volunteers, competitors, visitors and the local communities to engage with us in our commitment to environmental and social sustainability. 

Governance

TRAQ is an ‘Incorporated Association’. Incorporation makes an association a legal entity and gives it a legal structure independent of its individual members, making it easier for the organisation to, for example, enter into contracts. In 2007, when TRAQ was legally formed, we developed a set of Association Rules which provide a framework for the organisation and the commitment we make to our members to operate for the their benefit. These Rules, for example, govern how we elect Committee members, set membership fees and when and how we conduct Committee meetings. In addition, each calendar year TRAQ commissions an independent 3rd party accountant to audit our finances for the previous calendar year. An audit report is presented at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), which is held before the end of March the following year. Any member may request to review TRAQ’s Association Rules, Committee Meeting Minutes and Audit Report at any time. Please, don’t hesitate in contacting us to request copies of these documents.

Please review the 2024 AGM Meeting Minutes here.

Please refer to the 2024 TRAQ Audit Report here.

Please refer to the TRAQ 2018-2022 Strategic Plan here.

Please find the TRAQ Association Rules here.

In addition, TRAQ maintains its leadership in outdoor recreation and sport holding membership with Queensland Athletics and the Queensland Outdoor Recreation Federation (QORF). A committee member attends the respective AGM for each organisation each year as well as other meetings from time to time.