Elle Schembri and team raise $12k+ for cancer research at West Macs Monster

An NT social media personality and her team have raised more than $12,000 for brain cancer research running the 2023 West Macs Monster. See all the pictures and results from the running festival here.

A Territory influencer has completed her second major fundraiser for brain cancer after her father died from the disease, raising $12,400 running the West Macs Monster.

Elle Schembri completed the 25km Simpsons Monster on Sunday as part of a team of five raising money for the NeuroSurgical Research Foundation, an organisation which supported her dad Rick in his battle against brain cancer.

“He was diagnosed back in May, and we were pretty hopeful he would have a few more years, but unfortunately it was discovered he had a GBM stage four tumour, and after exhausting every single treatment option we lost him in December last year,” she said.

“I did some fundraising last year for the same cause in June when I did my marathon, but this year me and my sister decided to get a team together and do some more fundraising.

“Because in a situation where you can’t do anything with the hand you’ve been given, there is still something we can do and that is hopefully give others more hope.”

Ms Schembri, who has more than 20,000 Instagram followers, completed the gruelling effort alongside her younger sister Dana, Sam Page, Jack Page and Debbie Page.

“My sister tailed me the whole race, we all finished, we all did well, me and Dana came 14th and 15th in females, and I think 26 overall and 28 overall combined,” she said.

Ms Schembri completed the mammoth run alongside her sister Dana, Dana’s partner Sam Page, his brother Jack Page and Deb Page. Picture: Elle Schembri.

The team has raised $12,400 for their efforts with some donations still to be counted.

Ms Schembri said the money donated would go specifically to researching GBM brain tumours, the fast-growing malignant brain tumour that her dad was diagnosed with.

“I’m really tired today, but honestly I’m just over the moon with how much we managed to raise,” she said.

“We were hoping for $2000 so we’re feeling really great knowing we’ve made a difference.”

Multiple records broken

An Alice Springs local has smashed the course record for the gruelling 231km Sonder Monster at this years 2023 West Macs Monster.

Simon Duke completed all 12 stages of the Larapinta Trail in just 39 hours, 59 minutes and 26 seconds, crossing the line at Telegraph Station in Alice Springs at 1.30am on Sunday morning.

The new time topples the record of 40 hours, 55 minutes and 18 seconds previously set by Western Australia’s Shane Johnstone in 2019.

Perth’s Meghann Coffey took second place, finishing the mammoth course in 47 hours, 11 minutes and 38 seconds, setting a new record for the female course.

Simon Duke on track to break the record for the 231km Sonder Monster, beating the previous record by almost an hour. Picture: West Macs Monster.

She smashed the previous record set by Liz Woodgate in 2021 of 65 hours, 52 minutes and 0 seconds.

Only seven of the original competitors finished the race within the required 60 hour time frame, with David Turnbull running through the finish line just 11 minutes after the cut-off time to finish eighth.

Eight of the original 16 competitors retired from the ultra-marathon early.

Meghann Coffey at Standley Chasm on Saturday night, before she smashed the female record for the 231km Sonder Monster at the 2023 West Macs Monster. Picture: West Macs Monster

Daniel Janes, from Adelaide, took home the 128km Ellery Monster, finishing the course in 20 hours, 9 minutes and 6 seconds, slightly behind his own course record set in 2022 of 19 hours, 31 minutes and 5 seconds.

More than 300 people registered to run in the West Macs Monster 2023 festival, with more than half of the entrants travelling from interstate to participate.

Now in its fifth year, the popular running festival includes a 5km Tele Monster, 25km Simpsons monster, 65km Standley Monster, the 128km Ellery Monster and the 231km Sonder Monster.

West Macs Monster event director Marc Woods said the event was the toughest trail ultra-marathon in Australia.

“Running point to point, entirely on single track sets this event apart from any other offering available,” he said.

“Showcasing the world class Larapinta Trail to the wider running community has been exciting.

“Watching people push themselves to their absolute limit, achieving goals they did not think were possible during this incredible experience is very rewarding.”

Runners at the start line of the ABC Alice Springs 25km Simpsons Monster at the 2023 West Macs Monster. Picture: West Macs Monster.

Shade Mcclymont, foreground, and Steven Bruce through Redbank Gorge after summiting Mt Sonder at the very beginning of the 231km Sonder Monster at the 2023 West Macs Monster. Picture: West Macs Monster.

Runners en route at the 2023 West Macs Monster. Picture: Mparntwe social run club, Facebook.

Runners competing in the 231km Sonder Monster come through aid stations at Redbank Gorge after summiting Mt Sonder at the 2023 West Macs Monster. Picture: West Macs Monster

Runners at the Ekistica 65km Standley Monster start line at the 2023 West Macs Monster. Picture: West Macs Monster.