Hugo, a passionate runner, was the national champion at the 2023 Australian Cross Country Championships for U15 multiclass. However, this year, Hugo and other short-statured athletes were banned from competing in events longer than 400m.

Without providing clear reasons, School Sport Australia and Athletics Australia removed T40 and T41 classifications from the list of eligible categories for cross-country. This decision means that people with short stature, or dwarfism, can no longer participate in these events.

School Sport Australia stated via email that they have taken guidance from the rules of Athletics Australia and have "decided to follow their lead and subsequently change our rules to have T40 and T41 no longer eligible to compete over distances of 400m".  They have informed 2GB's Ben Fordham that they will be "guided by Athletics Australia's technical advice. If that changes after a review, that will be reflected in our national championship rules and guidelines". 

Athletics Australia explained via email that "the decision was made by the Athletics Australia Technical Committee last year based on advice from multiple people involved in Short Stature sport".  They have advised that they are reviewing the guidelines for 2025.  However, they also told Fordham that the boss of School Sport Australia can make his own decision and "with the stroke of a pen he can let Hugo run".

It appears that neither organisation consulted a panel of medical experts with experience working with short-statured people.  They allude to potential health risks, but Professor Ravi Savarirayan from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, a leading expert in achondroplasia (the most common form of dwarfism), says that this is just plain wrong. 
He encourages participation and says "the benefits of participating as a classified athlete is significant for both the physical and mental health of our children".  You can hear more from Professor Ravi Savarirayan on Ben Fordham Live.

While not every person with short stature can run longer distances, this should be determined by individual circumstances and medical advice, not by a blanket ban.  Hugo is happy to continue to provide medical certificates to confirm his health and capability to compete. 

Learn more about the situation from these stories on 7 News, A Current Affair and Ned's Uncomfortable Challenge.

We request that athletes with T40 and T41 classification who have  individual medical clearance

• be reinstated so that they are eligible to compete in cross country events at a national level; 
• be allowed to compete in longer running events at a national level, particularly the 1500m. 

Sport should be about inclusion and participation, not exclusion. 

Please sign this petition to help us restore the spirit of inclusion in sport, giving short-statured athletes the opportunity to compete and excel in the sport they love.  

Running brings Hugo joy and he excels at longer distances.  Please let Hugo run!

UPDATE 1 DECEMBER 2024

Thank you so much for your interest and support.  Hugo has received so many lovely messages and positive feedback from the community and the media.  

Unfortunately Athletics Australia have not yet changed their guidelines to allow short stature athletes to run longer distances. 

Since posting this petition, Athletics Australia (AA) have advised that: 

• their Technical Committee will review the eligible events and guidelines for short stature athletes
• Professor Ravi Savarirayan (and Hugo) will be invited to contribute to the review. We are pleased that AA will consider the medical advice of world-leading expert Professor Savarirayan.
• a decision will be made by March 2025

We would love you to share the petition to keep up the pressure and push for change.

On some good news...

Hugo recently completed Nedd's Uncomfortable Challenge, running 3km every day for 10 days.  Hugo was blown away by the generosity of his sponsors, raising $128,700 for homelessness.   

Hugo finished off the challenge with an honour guard from his school community, welcomed by Nedd Brockman.  It was affirming, emotional and unforgettable!  You may enjoy this (tear-jerker) video of the experience :-)

You can also see other videos and updates on Instagram @let_hugo_run

UPDATE 20 JUNE 2025

After talks with @australianathletics, it seemed like #LetHugoRun had worked. Short-statured athletes like Hugo would be “invited” to the National Cross Country Championships.

We celebrated. Briefly.

Then came the catch: Hugo could run, but not compete. 
No medal. No ranking. No result.

When we spoke up, Athletics Australia said: “The vast majority of participants do not come away with medals – it is about taking part, doing your best time and being part of the running community”.

But that’s not the point. This is a national competition, not a community fun run. Athletes commit time, training, and travel for a fair shot, not a demonstration run. 
This isn’t inclusion. It’s tokenism!

AA also promised a transparent, evidence-based review. After 12 months, we got a vague “update”, no real transparency or specific rationale that we could work with. 

This does not pass the pub test.
Let Hugo run, not for show, but for real. 

Let Hugo run as an equal. 

Watch the video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLHjk-4v6gd/

UPDATE 26 OCTOBER 2025 - FROM THE NATIONALS TO A NEW CHALLENGE: JOIN HUGO'S JOURNEY

Hugo ran at the Nationals for cross-country but was sadly not allowed to compete. 🏃💔

It was tokenistic, but Hugo went anyway because he earned his spot, loves running, and wanted to keep raising awareness that short-statured athletes must be allowed to compete, not just participate. Real inclusion matters. 💛

7NEWS succinctly captured the outcome in their news story ➜ Facebook link
The Manly Observer also published an insightful overview and Instagram explainer.

We'll keep you updated if Australian Athletics decides to include short-statured athletes as equals during their ongoing three-year review. Hugo will have left school by then🤦, but he still hopes to help the next generation of short-statured athletes.

What’s next? Hugo isn’t slowing down. He’s halfway through Nedd’s Uncomfortable Challenge, running 4 km and doing 100 push-ups every day for 10 days to raise funds and awareness for people experiencing homelessness. 💪🙌

Hugo said, “With my short legs, every run feels about triple the distance because I take so many more steps than most people. Last year I pushed through 3 km a day and ended up completely wrecked, so stepping up to 4 km plus 100 push-ups this year is going to be seriously tough.”

If you can, please support Hugo’s fundraising for Nedd’s Uncomfortable Challenge ➜ Donation link.  Every contribution makes a real difference.

Thank you again for your support, for fairness, inclusion, and the dignity everyone deserves. These values connect Hugo’s fight for equal opportunity in sport with his efforts to help those doing it tough. 💛

Follow Hugo updates on Instagram and Facebook 
#LetHugoRun #RealInclusionMatters #fairness #inclusion #dignity #NeddsUncomfortableChallenge