Australian police have criticised Hong Kong-based adventure racing company Racing The Planet for their staging of an ultramarathon which left two runners fighting for their lives after they were trapped in a bushfire.
A competitor in last year's event also questioned the company's preparedness, labelling them 'cowboys' who had no idea about the tough conditions in the remote Western Australian wilderness.
However, Racing The Planet CEO Mary Gadams - who was among those sent to hospital with second-degree burns on her hands, arms and legs - was adamant her company had done everything possible to ensure the competitors' safety, describing the bushfires as 'an act of God'.
Sydney model Turia Pitt, 25, is in a critical condition while marathon veteran Kate Sanderson, 35, has gone into a coma after being caught in last weekend's bushfires. Both have burns to 80-90 per cent of their bodies. They were among 11 runners who became trapped in a narrow gorge as bushfires - which police said had burned in the Kimberley region for up to a week - changed directions.
Kimberley police Superintendent Mick Sutherland called into question the organisers' risk assessment.
He said police were only told of the event on August 16 and had not been asked to give any briefing about the dangers of such remote areas, particularly during the fire season.
'I don't know what their level of preparedness was,' he told The Sydney Morning Herald. 'I would expect people who run such an event to contact local emergency providers when making risk management plans.'