Community Trail Running

Jeff and Warren Dudar are the race directors behind Prairie Sky Running. The brothers started Prairie Sky Running with Beaver Flats 50 (registration opened this morning at 7am for the 10th anniversary!), and now have a second race, Reesor 50. They love the sport and getting people together, and they do so in a lighthearted manner. The races are tough and fun. They look to make memorable experiences and I really enjoyed hearing about how they get there!

They are also passionate about growing the sport. They started Prairie Harriers to help youth get into the sport. Prairie Harriers...

Fat Dog 120 is set for August 7-9 in Manning Park, BC, and it will be my first crack at this distance!

I’m terrified and excited. A great spot to be.

Erik Bird is the Race Director, and his journey to directing this race is a fun one to hear. His passion for the sport and the area drives him, and the race offers a remote and breathtaking ultra-challenge. Erik is proud of all the work Fat Dog does on the area trails, and it’s gonna be amazing getting to explore them. I can’t wait...

I am so excited to run towards a 100-mile finish in 2026! I am even more excited to be working with Team Run Run coach Andrew Miller once again to do so! He and I worked together while I trained for Moab Run the Rocks this past year, and so I’m really grateful Andrew wants to work with me some more towards my biggest goal ever. Andrew is also running 100-mile races this year, for the first time in a while, so I’m pumped we’re going to be going through similar journies at the same time. We invite...

Merry Christmas and happy holidays my friends. It’s an exciting day around here, and it’s time for our holiday special episode. The third year! The holiday special is when former guests share their funny trail running stories with all of us, and it’s something I greatly appreciate they take the time to do! This year is a set of fantastic stories that I know you will all enjoy and probably relate to.

Big thanks to our guests, here’s who you will hear from:

Jeannine Avelino

Cory Jennerman

Kirsti...

Samuel Matte-Thibault is the Event Director for Événements Harricana and the only paid employee. So Event Director means all the jobs. And he wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s incredibly passionate about bringing the community together, he loves having a cause behind all the races, and he’s excited for the 2026 calendar.

His description of the events they host is great to hear, and I think you’re gonna be intrigued by what they’re doing in Quebec. The races sound like large celebrations of the sport in beautiful and challenging locations.

He’s even...

Mauro Campanelli and Steve Connor are the passionate folks behind Straw Dog Racing, the group that organizes Sulphur Springs Trail Race, the Western States Qualifier in Hamilton, Ontario. They are inspired to make their event as fun as possible and ensure runners have a great experience, no matter what distance they decide to tackle. It was so much fun for me to hear how much they care and how much they think about all the details. They even work through a substantial wait list each year to try and get as many runners as possible to the start lines...

Natasha Swartley wears many hats, but she never seems to be as happy as when she’s wearing hats that have to do with trails. As a medic or a runner, she loves being out there and getting the best out of herself and others. After working many years in the Navy, her leadership skills and no BS attitude allow her to be organized and supportive in her role as a Trail Medic. She is the lead medic at many events, and her role is growing and expanding in 2026.

I had so much fun chatting with Natasha. I...

Community Trail Running is presented by Altitude Sports!

Peter Cudmore met Red Isle Trail Running partner Kris at a race in 2023 and decided right away that they wanted to showcase what Prince Edward Island had to offer trail runners through their own event. They are a few years into the journey, they’ve added a few more events, and they’re pumped to be sharing trail running vibes with fellow islanders and travellers alike. Peter just wants to give the community an event he would want to participate in.

🔥💯Shop now at Altitude Sports and...

Community Trail Running is presented by Altitude Sports!

A big reason why Jeremy Rolle was drawn into the sport of trail running was the community around it. It was so much fun for him to be a part of it and that’s where his vision for sharing the sport with others starts. He just wants people to enjoy trail running as much as he does. As he continunes to expand what Heads or Trails does, fun will always be the motivating factor, and he hopes the community will continue to show up and enjoy it, one ev...

Community Trail Running is presented by Altitude Sports!

Kristian Andres and his wife Nicole are passionate outdoor people who just want to get people on the trails. They both work in healthcare and know the benefits of outdoor activity, and that’s why they started organizing events. Although the races at Trails of ‘Toba weren’t the first activities they organized, they are certainly popular today! Kristian loves to run and push himself, and provide that opportunity for others as well. It was really fun hearing all about it!

🔥 Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy up...

Community Trail Running is presented by Altitude Sports!

We are so lucky to have Cassandra de Winter on our latest version of The Long Run! Chantelle Erickson and I were so thrilled to chat with Cassandra about her family life and her running. She’s been finishing on podiums and setting course records (Black Spur Ultra), but none of that has been her goal, and that’s what makes her story so interesting and unique. It was so great hearing her insights and how she kicks so much ass!

🔥 Shop now at Altitude Sports and enjoy u...

It was so good to have Shep and Kirsti on the cast once again. It’s always a treat to chat with them, and we were even lucky enough to chat in person at the famous Rum Runner in Coleman, Alberta.

They told us all about the High Five, which is summarized awesomely in this post from Shep on IG:

The High Five consists of peakbagging Turtle, Coulthard, Crowsnest, Tecumseh, and Bluff mountains. Shep was the first to attempt it, and as such, he owns the FKT. Shep and Kirsti both shared great stories from th...

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Jon Ritter is a virtual physical therapist who specializes in ankle and foot care. He’s passionate about the outdoors and getting on the trails. This passion, combined with his education, enables him to work with individuals he has plenty in common, which fuels his work and growth. He loves the feeling that comes with helping others achieve their goals and it’s evident he really enjoys what he does. I hope you will enjoy the conversation as m...

I get the pleasure of working with Amy Reynolds and her skin care products through my real-life job at Rock Gear Distribution. runOn™ (a skin repair and antichafe) is one of those products. It’s a product that I really like, as it works well and is 100% natural. So I jumped at the chance to chat with Amy about runOn™ here on the show! It’s always fascinating to hear where the motivation comes from and how the business ends up where it is. We’ve even been partnering with a bunch of races lately, so you may have e...

Brennan Fawcett finished in second place at the Divide 200. Everything contained in that sentence is impressive, and yet it’s not the most impressive part of his time on course. Brennan and his pacer had an encounter with a couple of campers who will forever be grateful for the racer/pacer combo (even if they weren’t showing it at the time). I’m not sure “defend campers from bear” was on the map at km200, but they figured it out, and I hope you love the tale as much as I did!

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Janelle Schultz met Amy Alain, and it was an instant friendship. Both of them loved to run trails and foster community. Amy had a profound impact on Janelle in a short amount of time. Sadly, Amy was diagnosed with cancer shortly after the two met and passed away. Janelle and Amy’s partner, Phil, started Amy’s House in her honour for those having to stay in Edmonton for cancer treatment. They have two houses and are working on a third, as families are staying nonstop and appreciative of the home to stay in. “Run On Edmonton” helps su...

I want to share some more about the amazing Galiano Island after yesterday’s episode with Kirsten Evanish of The Galiano Gallop, and since we’ve had so many new subscribers since July 2022, it makes sense to dip into the archive and share this once again. I will also share a podcast episode from the vault. I think this will pique your interest in the island and running there!

An island meant for trail running

Galiano Island is a singletrack paradise. The ease with which you can get onto the trails and run is unparalleled, and...

It’s so cool to see the Galiano Trails Society announcing their first trail race! Set for September 28, 2025, on gorgeous Galiano Island, the Galiano Gallop will feature a kids' race, 6 K, and 10 K courses on some amazing island trails. Kirsten Evanish is the race director, and she is so stoked to be highlighting the trails and the work GTS does. As a former member of the society and a lover of the trails on Galiano Island, I am so excited for this announcement, and I have high hopes for where this all goes. I hope you all en...

James Duvall wanted to be able to raise money while being active outside of events. He found events would allow folks to collect money for important causes, but he wanted to carry that over to training and every day life. Trifundit was born, and now they are growing and looking for more ways to get involved and help great causes raise even more. It’s turned into a family affair for James and he couldn’t be happier. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did!

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It’s always fun to explore with my wife Sheena, I’m always appreciative when we get to go check out a new race together. We did this in June when we went to “The Wildness” stage race at Panorama Resort. This was especially cool because Sheena doesn’t run, so it meant she’d have a whole resort to keep her entertained while I was on course at this event, how fun!

I was thrilled to take on the beautiful and challenging course, and even more so when I was able to think about Sheena enjoying a coffee, ta...

Cory Jennerman, co-owner of Run Guides, knew the beer mile event was quirky and fun, and he also knows how to bring people together to have a good time. This combo has led to some memorable events in Vancouver for runners and drinkers, and running drinkers(?) through “Vancouver Beer Mile”. Whatever you want to call the participants, they certainly show up and enjoy the events that Jennerman hosts. After seeing the success of the “horizontal” beer mile, Cory decided that some vert needed to be involved, and that’s how the vertical beer mile started.

Hearing about these even...

Chantelle and I were super stoked to have Jacob Puzey on the latest episode of The Long Run! Jacob is a race director of many events, including the 5 Peaks race series, and he reached out recently with some race cancellations happening and wanted to chat with us about the back-end of races and how those sorts of decisions are made. He also sheds some light on what his event costs look like, including this cool breakdown of his expenses:

Jacob also let us know that his insurance claim from the 5 Peaks race that was cancelled has been...

6 Cities.

18 Performers.

850 Viewers.

$1,500 Raised for Jasper.

What a damn year!

Thank you all for coming out. We celebrated our amazing sport and community in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Crowsnest Pass, Jasper, and Canmore!

Not only did we bring our community together, but we highlighted local performers as well. We had burlesque performers, magicians, theatre artists, go-go dancers, and musicians. We highlighted local films, we spoke with local runners, and we raised $1500 for Jasper as they rebuild after the devastating wildfires last year. 850 of you showed up, and we’re...

Brittany Peterson loves the outdoors and loves helping runners achieve their goals. So when she had the opportunity to be a part of BC’s latest stage race, The Wildness, she jumped at it. Now people are signing up to participate in the two-day event at the beautiful resort, taking place June 27-29, and final preparations are underway. Brittany, the entire crew, and the resort are all super stoked to be hosting trail runners, and they want to see the event grow in the future. They have a vision and they hope to make Panaorama Resort a trail running de...

Chris Fenlon MacDonald loves challenging himself through endurance sports and he especially loves the community that makes up endurance sports. That is why he’s created the Relentless 24 in Canmore, Alberta. A 24-hour event at the beautiful Nordic Centre. Although this year has to be postponed due to some labour issues in the province, this event will be worth the wait for next year. I hope you enjoy hearing from Chris as much as I did!

The Miller Minutes

I’m so excited to be chatting with Coach Andrew again for the Miller Minu...

Christian Roy owns Canadian Skyline Adventures in Jasper, Alberta. He absolutely loves getting people out on the trails and into nature. He’s always found nature a healing part of his life and wants to share that with as many others as possible. He accidentally found his way into trail running, but it’s been intentional ever since. The chance to be out there and showing off the great trails around his home is something he cherishes and looks forward to. I really enjoyed the conversation and hearing about why he loves it as much as he does. I hope...

Kimberly Stark owns multiple businesses in Jasper and has chased ultra distances on the trails. She loves to see what she is capable of and push herself as close to her max as she can get. It’s something that’s always driven her and that drive has led to a lot of success. It was such a blast and an honour to hear more about her and why pushing herself has been important to her.

It was also awesome hearing about the Bear’s Paw Cafe, Ursidae Lair, Lostlands Cafe, and her work on the Volunteer Fire B...

Brandon Regier is a huge fan of running. He loves it so much he’s made it his career and he chases huge goals on the weekends too. He’s also a proud new father and someone who values time with family. He was a pleasure to chat with and I’m so glad Chantelle made this happen! Drop by Runners Soul in Lethbridge and meet him yourself.

We learned a lot about why he loves the sport, some advice he has for people thinking about it, and all kinds more! He’s another legend of Lethbridge and I ho...

It’s so great to chat with Trevor Soll from the Jasper Canadian Rockies Half Marathon! Trevor has been race directing for 30 years and he enjoys the people and providing a challenging event. The Jasper event is this weekend and Trevor is excited to welcome 1300 runners for the event. The course sounds stunning, and it’s a great way to head back to the town and be part of the revival after last year’s fire. Learn more about this awesome sounding race and get involved!

Get your film fest tickets

We’re incredibly excited to be ho...

The Raven 50 in Whitehorse, Yukon, has had a journey of it’s own since its inception. The current iteration is set to be directed by Natalie Thivierge after long time race director John Carson handed the reigns over. We are thrilled to have them both on this episode and hear the story about this race and its evolution! The race sounds absolutely stunning, and it raises funds for great causes! They have also taken reconciliation seriously and looked to work with all communities involved in their event.

“That kind of really hit me. It's like, wow, we need...

Suddenly our shows are around the corner and it’s nearly go time, so Jeannine Avelino and I are getting you all set for our 6 screenings! We’re so excited for this year, from the great films to our amazing sponsors, we're gonna have an absolute blast getting together and celebrating our sport!

Our sponsors this year

5 Peaks - Stoked Ultra/Scramble

Odlum Brown

Ski Uphill/Run Uphill

Coast Mountain Trail Running

Well Health Medical and Longevity

Sinister Sports

Golden Ultra

7 Summ...

Moab Run the Rocks

I’ve officially completed my first stage race, desert race, and Transrockies Race, and I’m so damn grateful to have taken part. What a party in the desert!!! A massive thank you to Houda and the entire Transrockies group, they know what’s up and I’m honoured to have been included in Moab Run the Rocks. Three days of trails and community was really cool to be a part of and I have to recommend trying a stage race to anyone who’s curious. It’s different and all kinds of fun. This gr...

Elite Heart is all about body positivity and Jordan Marie Whetstone is super excited for this film to release. She is always working towards creating a more inclusive and diverse sport through her films. It was a ton of fun chatting with her for the second year in a row and we’re definitely better off having such an amazing creator in our space!

When a body challenged woman starts running, she enters a 100 mile race to help bring representation to a space lacking diversity and body positivity. Elite Heart features Callie Vinson, who once weighed 377lbs an...

Anna Brannon had to deal with a tornado to get her first major production over the finish line (I’ll show myself out later). She was great to chat with as the challenges the crew faced were tough but they managed to get everything done and we’re grateful to show it as part of the film fest. This week continues to fly by and we’re having so much featuring all of these awesome filmmakers!

Missouri isn’t a place most people think of when they think of ultra running. But it’s here on the rolling hi...

Tony Dispasquale was excited to feature We Run Long and even more thrilled it turned into what it did! I love hearing about all the Trail Running Film Festival selections from filmmakers like Tony. They all seem most excited about the fact the stories they tell are being shared and the groups featured get the recognition they deserve.

The inaugural Camp We Run Long brought together BIPOC trail runners from all over the country for three days of workshops, community and the West Line Winder trail races. Founded in 2021, WRL is a community of Black...

It’s double header day on the podcast as we continue the Trail Running Film Festival preview week with Alexandre Chambet’s “The Pointe Pessey”. Alexandre was super excited to chat about the film and I enjoyed hearing about the reasons why he wanted to tell this story. It’s a lot of fun chatting with people all around the world about our awesome sport and I’m so glad I get to share it with all of you!

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It’s fun to preview The Trail Running Film Festival here at CTR and today we continue the fun chatting with Candice Burt and David D’Angelo of “Halfway to Crazy”. It’s great to hear some of the challenges that they faced and I love hearing from all the filmmakers about what goes into making these features that we enjoy watching with each other so much! We’re going to have a great time gathering for the tour this year because of these great films and I can’t wait to hang out with a bunch of you myself to watc...

It’s Trail Running Film Festival Preview week here on the podcast and we’re so excited to launch it with Matt Green’s “Talk to Frank”. Here is the movie description from the trailfilmfest.com:

My name is Frank, and I’m a cocker spaniel from Manchester. My story began when I moved in with Maleek, my human. He wasn’t in a great place—having just finished a four-year sentence, he found himself transitioning from one prison to another: the COVID lockdown and a debilitating depression. I gave him no choice; he had to start walking me. One...

Wayne Cassidy's Tajik Mountain Traverse is an awesome sounding race that takes place in the Mountains of Tajikistan. It offers runners a unique mix of history, culture, and natural beauty. The race is designed to challenge endurance athletes and immerse them in the culture of the Tajik people.

"The Tajik people are just some of the warmest, most hospitable people," Wayne shares. "Strangers will be inviting you to come in for tea. That’s just an amazing experience to have." The event takes runners through an environment steeped in history, from the ancient Silk Road to the fo...

"Individual actions are good, but it's not enough. We need to work together and create collective actions."

Dakota Jones is passionate about our climate and making a positive difference. This is why he got involved with Footprints Running Camp. The camp looks to empower local community members and help them push forward their climate action plans. The camp takes place yearly and this year Dakota was in Las Vegas attempting to break the American 100 mile record as a way to fundraise for the camp. Although the record attempt didn’t quite go according to plan, aw...

The next episode of Community Trail Running will drop tomorrow, so in the meantime, I thought I’d share a video from the past with you. We’ve made our way to the back of the vault, removed all the dust, and uploaded this thing in all its glory. When I say the past, I mean nearly 25 years ago, back when I was in high school in Orillia, Ontario. We had a mountain bike team and I had to make a video for Communication class (shoutout Mr. Noble). If you like poorly framed video, bad audio, questionable transitions, and a la...

“I really just enjoyed treating creativity like silly putty and stretching it and grasping it and molding it in different ways.”

Angela Hollowell is the type of person to just go ahead and do something rather than wait for someone else to do it. This has led her to writing newsletters and hosting podcasts about various topics, including Melanin MVP, which she dubs “the ultimate destination for women of color athlete news stories”. I learned what Angela was doing through Run Tri Bike, as she is working with them now. I love the opportunity to spread t...

“While I was doing the Spine, even though I was on my own on the Pennine Way, it felt like I had the other Black Trail Runners around me.”

What started as a reluctant attempt to stay active quickly became a passion for Rebecca Devereux. Her journey was fast and within three years she was standing on the cusp of one of Britian’s most grueling races. The Winter Spine Race is notoriously difficult. It also had a really convenient finish line just a few minutes from Rebecca’s house. It was a challenge she couldn’t...

Food Fight Friday at the Aid Station presented by @7summitssnacksSince 7 Summits Snacks as the presenting sponsor, @communitytrailrunning decided we should chops to eat, carry or toss chocolate based products.The choices presented were:• Chocolate Almonds• Chocolate Milk• Chocolate CricketsWhat did @cooktraineatrace choose to do with the options? What would you do?Do you want be a guest and get some 7 Summits Snacks bars for joining us? DM us your interest and we will get you on the schedule.Another option is to answer the Food Fight Friday rankings in the non-live weeks and you’ll be entered into a monthly...

“Our ancestors would pass messages along by running from community to community. To this day, we still teach that, especially to our youth.”

Apologies for the late release, I had some major technical issues to sort through!

For Marlinda Bedonie, running is more than a sport. It’s a way of life, a cultural tradition, and a means of connecting with her community. As an Indigenous ultrarunner, mother of four, coach, and health advocate, Marlinda has worked running into every aspect of her life. Through her work with Native Women Running and Renew Earth...

“For us, coffee was such an essential part of those trips. We would even think about, while planning the trip, 'Okay, where are we going to drink coffee? Where's the spot going to be?"

Alexander Häberlin loves a good cup of coffee. So much so that it was often the sole focus of outdoor adventures. Where would they drink the coffee? What did they need to pack for it? Along with his partner Phillipe, the duo set out to ensure those adventure coffee’s were as tasty and convenient as possible. This led to No No...

“I assumed that there were tons of women running. You know, we’re so good at this, it feels like there is something really there, especially in this mental aspect. So I’d assume it’s at least a 50/50 gender ratio, probably at all the races. And learning that it wasn’t, I kinda had to stop and take a pause and think why that might be.”

Rachel Bambrick loves the sport of ultra running and just wants to make it a more accessible place for all involved. When she realized there weren’t as many women as...

“Am I ever thinking about I want to die? Yeah, maybe. But the point is, I'm not alone. I'm not alone.”

Chris Chan got into running simply because he was looking to be active and needed something other than soccer. He didn’t know he’d be getting into something so important to his life, and so fulfilling.

He also didn’t realize what a learning journey it would be. Finding supportive people who had similar interests was one thing, but learning about men’s mental health and how that was missing from his life was...

“I’m a facilitator of other people’s stories in trail running. Everyone has a unique journey, and that’s what makes each episode special.”

Troy Meadows is a dad, husband, marketing executive, and passionate ultra-runner. He’s been trail running for over a decade and not only is he an athlete but also a storyteller who loves amplifying the voices of those around him. His podcast, The Midpacker Pod, part of the Free Trail Network, celebrates the mid and back-of-the-pack runners and showcases their stories. He wants to create a space where runners of all levels a...

“I was still in the porta potty when the gun went off.” - Jacob Puzey

Merry Christmas and happy holidays my friends. It’s an exciting day around here, and it’s time for our holiday special episode. The holiday special is when former guests share their funny trail running stories with all of us, and it’s something I greatly appreciate they take the time to do! This year is a set of fantastic stories that I know you will all enjoy and probably relate to. We have the following awesome people sharing with us:

...

“I run for a purpose now, and that purpose has continued to evolve over the years.”

Jay Tinsley wasn’t always a runner but the sport certainly stuck with him once he embraced it. The sense of community that followed is what has kept Jay around, and all he wants to do is share that with others. As a leader of Black Men Run Trail and Ultra Running Fanatics (TURF), Jay's mission is to bridge the gap between the road and trail running communities, encouraging others to embrace the joys of trails. His efforts to introd...

“Finish line. All the vibes at the finish line, whether it's tears or laughter or appreciation, you cannot replicate that feeling. Whether you're the runner or you're the race director.” - Jodi McNeill

Jodi McNeill and Norm Nadon have been running for a long time and they’ve had the sport be an even bigger part of their lives than most, having run a retail shop for a while. The one constant love in the sport they both share is the love of community. The opportunity to share that with others and grow their own is one...

“Recovery is a huge part of my life today. Without that, I would be completely fucked, for the lack of better words. Running is just an extension of my recovery. It keeps me mentally sane. It keeps me physically healthy. It keeps me goal-oriented and motivated. It's just another one of those tools that I use to stay healthy, stay fit, be a better person, and live a good life.”

Lee Murphy may use running as a tool like many others do, but he may push it a little further than the average person. Lee is t...

"We're definitely trying to remove barriers to get more people to the start line. At the essence, that's it. Whatever those barriers happen to be, we're doing our best to try to remove those." - Matt Geofroy

Crossing Lines is an initiative focused on increasing representation and breaking down barriers for people of colour in the ultra-trail running community. Two of the co-founders, Matt Geofroy and Kortnee Borden, joined us to chat about the group and how they were inspired. They spoke about how much Parkdale Roadrunners meant to them and wanted to bring that...

“I really enjoy the act of creating. I mean, running, I love running. I like the physical exertion part of it, but then I really value the creation that I can do with writing. So I find that's just a really helpful way to process the race for me and then to be able to share something of my experience with others.”

Jade Belzberg has been journalling since she was 5 years old so when it comes to putting her thoughts onto paper (or the screen), she’s a seasoned veteran. She’s also a seasoned champion...

“I kind of always thought if you hear yourself say someone should do that, it's a good sign, that you should be doing that. If you'd read that or listen to that or want that, someone else probably would as well.”

Bradley Houghton realized there was a need that could be filled in the New Zealand trail running scene. As someone who loves the sport, he wanted to shine more light on all the amazing races across the country. So he started Trail Running NZ and it’s been growing ever since. The growth is a happ...

“There's a lot of peace in the backcountry. So you find yourself completely by yourself. You may come across lots of animal tracks. Those are some of my favorite things. It's just peaceful and it's wild.”

Sarah Nurcombe coaches trail running and Nordic skiing athletes in my new neck of the woods, Crowsnest Pass. The opportunity to interview someone in person was one I could not pass up and so it was an honour to chat with Sarah at our “Bushtown” kitchen table. She’s been in The Pass for 20 years and it was great to hear a...

“I knew that I was going to die and that was made very clear to me by people in the hospital and by a doctor that I had seen. And I knew I had very limited time. I was having a lot of seizures. Whenever alcohol got out of my system, I would have a seizure. So I was having to drink, even though I didn't want to.”

Keeley Milne has faced difficult challenges in life. She’s persevered through dark times to lead the life she does today. She’s incredibly grateful for the support...

“I loved the medium of podcasting. I'd been a writer for my whole professional career. I loved radio and I loved this whole podcasting thing that was going on. I just didn't have an idea for a podcast.”

Cherie Louise Turner has always enjoyed writing and telling stories, and she hosts a narrative-style podcast that perfectly suits her style. The Women’s Running Stories Podcast has evolved since she started it (including the name) and she’s enjoyed collaborating with others along the way. Collaboration is something that she’s embraced recently and is looking...

Matt Trappe has worked with many running brands over the years. The experience has led to a base of knowledge and the writing process is something that he enjoys and excites him. So the chance to take his experience and share it with the world is something that intrigued him and “A Matter of Brand” is the result! Matt writes about his observations in the industry and hopes to push the whole industry forward. It’s an exciting time in trail running and Matt is loving sharing his thoughts.

“I have a lot of ideas. I have a lot to...

“When looking for stuff to wear that didn't always look like I was on a workout, I found that the material wasn't quite right, or it looked too sporty, or a lot of men's clothing is just sort of ugly or bland or banal, and I wanted to add some life to it. So I came up with a concept that is the opposite of athleisure wear. It's something that I call leisletic. And so basically, it is a way for you to go out into the wilderness, to hide in plain sight in society, and to look li...

“I would run all through there when I was younger and my grandfather knew I'd love to run, he would get me to round up the horses. So I'd have to go spend some time out there in the buttes rounding up the horses and bringing them into the corral. So it was actually out there where he really realized I loved running.”

Tarrant Cross Child grew up running and credits his grandfather, Dan Weasel Moccasin, for encouraging him to take it more seriously. It was his grandfather who bought him his first pair of shoe...

“The long run is all about uncovering the runner behind the run.”

Chantelle Erickson is a Lethbridge, AB-based marathoner, ultrarunner, and coach with Personal Peak. She’s also a certified personal trainer, pre-and postnatal fitness specialist, and freelance group fitness instructor with her own company, Be Well Chantelle. She’s also my new co-host on “The Long Run”! We are very excited to be working together and it’s nearly time to share episode 1 with you all. Before we do that, we thought we’d preview the show this week and give you all an idea of what to...

It’s a special episode, so we’re doing things a little different here on a Thursday. We’ve got the winner of the Divide 200 Allison Powell on the podcast! Allison is also a fellow substack author and I’m so excited she was able to chat about her experience in Southern Alberta. She was a lot of fun to chat with, and it was very insightful to hear her talk about the race.

“Then the rain came in. And it just became a real mental battle. I don't think I've ever felt so low in a race. I've...

“I finish something and then I get to a next level and I'm like ”Oh, well, what else could I do?” I can get a master's degree. Like, oh, I got that. I guess I could get a PhD and I got that. And you know running, it goes like that too. I think I can do a 50k. Oh I did it I wonder what else I could do? I don't start out looking for something big, it's just kind of like okay let's go to the next thing let's do a little more.”

Michelle...

“Lots of women contacting us through Instagram messaging asking “how do they join our group”, which we hadn't really considered or thought about. So we came up with a plan and decided that we just wanted to be this motivational group who had a safe space for people to go out and enjoy the trails, no matter what your ability and support each other. So we created the badass chicks race team.”

Tanya Seal-Jones loves doing hard things. She also loves supporting and encouraging other women to do hard things. This helped lead to the Bad Ass...

“It was just eyeopening and being out there and meeting the community within running is also what got me hooked. So I was in from there.”

Liz Myers was into the sport the moment she was introduced to it. It was challenging and the people were inviting. This quickly became a full-blown love of the sport as she ran more and was introduced to trails. Fast forward only a few years and she finds herself coaching athletes and hosting a running podcast. She wants to be around the sport as much as possible and introduce othe...

“I have to sing this from the rooftops that this is a safe place, come here, be with us. You're welcome all the time.”

Ally Gregory loves running. It’s something that has resonated with her for a long time and the opportunity to share the sport and expose others to it is something she also loves. This is why she started CUSS running (Curious Ultrarunners Secret Society). She knew she had the knowledge and skills to pull off hosting events and so she went forward with CUSS and the rest is history! Now she’s making...

“The U.S. team was full, and Ryan Kerrigan and I were really good buddies, and we'd always talked about maybe creating a Canada team because I'm a dual citizen. Because there wasn't a Canada team. And I knew that the International Skyrunning Federation, they wanted to keep growing. So I was like, “Hey, let's make a team. Let's make a Canada team.”

Naia Tower Pierce loves Skyrunning. The sport and the competition are a big part of it, but the fact the 21-year-old is pushed physically in beautiful mountain landscapes is also a huge part o...

“As a slow pitch player, I really like to sucker the guys into running on me because I have a small arm but I have a cannon. So I'd be in the outfield and I'd be like “yeah, go go” and then I'd gun him down at second base and I'd be like “sorry you tried.”

Kate Olson organizes 150 run clubs around L.A. on her website and IG page, into a handy list for folks to know what’s happening all over the city, which is amazing. Because she is so thorough with it all, it enab...

“When I got out here (British Columbia), I met so many athletes and I was like, you know what? I got to go 100% into the sports nutrition world. I'm just too passionate about it. So yeah, what's changed from when I started to now is I just take on athletes.”

Carol-Ann Rolle loves to trail run and is a passionate Dietitian. As a competitive athlete, she was fascinated by learning more about diets and knew the field was something she wanted to be involved with. She is always learning, meeting new clients, and growing as a ru...

“I think I could put on something that's really what I'm looking for. You know, it's like if you don't see something out in the world, you go and create it, right? So that's kind of what it was about.”

Kirk Cherep started Trailblazer Running because he wanted to create events that he would love. He wanted to bring runners together to participate in the kind of event that he would be interested in participating in himself. He’s created these events and they are even giving back to the community through the Trail Mix Fund a...

“It was 2016 when I was showing up at races and no one looked like me”

Verna NezBegay Volker started Native Women Running because she wanted to make the sport more inclusive and see more people who looked like herself at race events. She didn't know what to expect when she started the group and it's been so successful that it's now her full-time job. Creating a safe space for native women is something Verna takes pride in as she wants to share stories and ensure opportunities for people.

“We went from 50 runners to, what 3...

“Running's my first and always has been my main love. So let's just go all in with it and do it where I love the most, which is on the trails. And so far it's been working out pretty well.”

Heidi Frehlich loves the trails and she loves to compete. This passion for the sport has her working behind the scenes for Sinister Sports and trail running as a pro for Brooks. She recently won Slay the Dragon 50k and she’s training for Squamish 50 mile, as well as working behind the scenes getting the Sinist...

Dawna Jodoin of Bush Babes and Bros loves trail running. She coaches, she organizes clinics, and she’s a race director. Even though it involves a ton of computer time, she still loves being the one to get people onto trails and help them discover Vernon, BC and the surrounding area. This passion for the sport is what has kept her going for so long and why she’s excited for the future. She just loves the sport and supporting athletes so much, it’s part of who she is.

Dawna was a pleasure to chat with and I...

“100 mile races definitely feel like a lifetime already, 200 miles at some point, you've just been there your whole life. Like, this is what you do, this is my job. I live in Tahoe and I hike these trails. I will preface by saying that I normally have very standard hallucinations, but this time I did see a moving stegosaurus.”

Aum Gandhi recently completed the Jurassic Park version of the Tahoe 200. Aum is no stranger to the 200 mile distance, but he’s still learning and experiencing new things each time he’s out there. He’s working to...

Jason Bahamundi and I are officially doing “Food Fight Friday at the Aid Station” twice a month now, and I’m going to post these segments properly on my side as well. This episode I get to bring the food choices to Jason, and as I did last time, I’ve stayed north of the border for my inspiration

For those who haven’t caught it yet, Jason and I have to decide whether we will carry, toss, or eat three food choices.

Today, Adam presented three choices to Jason. The three options are all based out...

“Our vision is that sports nutrition should taste amazing. Not that it should taste good. It should taste amazing. There's no reason why it shouldn't. And so we're on this quest to bring functional sports nutrition to folks and we're doing that in the realm of chocolate.”

Kristyn Carriere has spent her life working in chocolate. So when 7 Summits Snacks was launched, she knew what she was doing when it came to creating the product but selling the product was a whole new endeavor. How hard can it be to sell chocolate right?

Hard...

Jason Bahamundi and I are officially doing “Food Fight Friday at the Aid Station” twice a month now, and I’m going to post these segments properly on my side as well. The latest episode brings us together after Jason crewed 50 miles of Aum Gandhi’s Tahoe 200 and I just finished 9 laps of the Grouse Grind Challenge. So we were both a little punchy and probably in the perfect headspace for this conversation!

For those who haven’t caught it yet, Jason and I have to decide whether we will carry, toss, or eat three food choices.In today’s...

“We go for the run and then I see them enjoying themselves and then they come back for another run and that's when I know like, okay, this was a good thing. And then I'm glad they stuck with us and I'm glad that we had this event to help draw new people. It's a great sport and everybody should give it a try sometime in a non-pressure situation.”

Jeannine and I have been friends since we worked together at CTV and if you asked us both about trail running when we first met at the...

Words still to come as the Alberta tour has put us a bit behind. In the meantime, I wanted to share this great with Desirèe Houle and at least give you her website and IG links!

“It's going to be a challenge and yes, it's scary, but I know it's going to be a lot easier than being a race director. And I think it's important that runners know that and really appreciate race directors because it's a lot of hard work. And we're so lucky that there are so many races that we can now pick from.” - Susan Lowe-Wylde on running the Minotaur after directing it for many years

Susan and Ian Lowe-Wylde own spry in Blairmore, Alberta, which is in the Crowsnest Pass region of Alberta. With Rocky Moun...

“So Fitzy, of course, sleeps in. He's like, “hey, where's my ride, Houda?” I'm like, “it's already gone, Fitzy.” He's like, “how am I going to get there?” So long story short, Fitzy made his way from the bottom of the mountain, hiked to the very top. It's 12,500 feet, so it's cold, right? He didn't bring nothing but a onesie, right? A onesie. That's all he brought. Cowboy boots and cowboy hat.” - Houda

Kevin “Houda” McDonald and Michael “Fitzy” Fitzpatrick call Canmore, Alberta, home and have become great friends. A big part of that friendship is their mutu...

I've always kind of taken charge and tried to get everybody involved. I think it was an opportunity to be the first face that someone sees when they showed up in those early days and, reminding them that, you're welcome here. You don't have to be super fast. You don't have to be an accomplished runner. It's a privilege to give someone that opportunity and welcome them into a space because you'll see all the time people show up for the first time. And a year from then, they're starting their own running groups. They're hosting community events...

“There's a window of tolerance. All changes, whether they actually are physical changes to our muscles, or to the cells of our brain, all these changes kind of find that window of tolerance between mild and moderate levels of stress. That's the sweet spot for change. And so what I want to create for my clients is some distress, but mild to moderate levels of stress. Where they're going to have the greatest chance for change. Now I'm going to give them tools and support them in those things, so usually by the time we're ready to bridge th...

“It's a beautiful setting, great sense of pride in the local community. And we're in a time where people are more inclined to get outside test their boundaries and enjoy themselves. Sports and entertainment is a great way to attract a visitor who has a similar ethics to the one that the community already possesses there and that's why we feel it's a great fit for this region and this place.” - Nick Lade

The entire group putting together the Black Lung Ultra in Nordegg, Alberta, are excited about bringing people to the community through spor...

“The part that I enjoy the most about it is seeing athletes through from goal creation to looking at a year plan and then getting into the nitty gritty of individual workouts. What systems they're working on to develop aerobic and develop your muscular that you need for the demands of whatever your goal is. I love that whole process of it.”

Joedy Dalke and coaching have gone together quite naturally over the years. He’s coached various activities to different crowds and once he gained the knowledge and experience on the trails, coaching trail runner...

“The more that society in general has sort of moved away from your traditional ties. Sometimes people don't attend the church their parents did, or they don't have a community association, or like Joel moved across the country or myself moving from Winnipeg. You don't have those gathering places that you once did. So I think there's work, there's home, and that third place is where you can find belonging.” - Gavin Harmacy

Gavin Harmacy and Joel Desgreniers own two shops, one in Squamish, BC, and the other in Canmore, AB. Both are mountain towns and...

“I couldn't do it without my wife and a whole host of volunteers, of course, dedicated volunteers that have been with me from the start. It is really a labour of love.”

Bryan Wallace started running later in life but enjoyed it thoroughly. We loved the challenge and the community. So as he got older and his body wasn’t able to keep trail running, he started hosting runners and putting them through tough challenges with Rivers Edge Running Series. It’s something he is enjoying and that’s led him to organize three different races. Eac...

"It's good for the series. It's good for the sport. It's good to give athletes a shot in other places, to actually expand the series a bit. We made an effort to expand in Asia. North America in particular is somewhere we're really focused on. Really happy that we have Andrew's Meet the Minotaur race.” - Etienne Rodriguez

The Skyrunner World Series has 21 races in 14 countries, including Meet the Minotaur in Alberta, Canada. The series works in a few different ways with local races to expand, as partnerships generally form through mutual interest. It was in...

“It's really unique to this area, Western Canada, because you're surrounded by boreal forest. You have a huge river called the Athabasca River that flows beside this park. You have sand everywhere and it's pretty compacted for the most part, but there's parts on the hills that have eroded a bit and it's like sand dunes. It's old ancient sand dunes underneath that boreal forest. I brought a friend up there and we were running on the weekend. It was a long run. I said, wouldn't it be neat to have a race up here?”

Mont...

“Vancouver, I'm so excited to hang with you!”

Mathias Eichler is the Executive Director of the Trail Running Film Festival and he will be here in Vancouver, BC for our Thursday April 4 screening! It was fantastic to catch up with him about how the festival is going. We touched on the quality of the films, what it means to have Brooks as a title sponsor, where he sees the festival going, and what he's looking forward to about seeing a screening here in Vancouver. He mentioned how exciting it is for him to see the fest...

“We're (Lethbridge, AB) a huge arts community and a huge sports community and so it's a really cool mix to be able to mix the arts and sport. So just excited to see some returning faces and hopefully some new ones too. What stands out to me from the event last year was all the socializing that happened before and after the film started. I just loved seeing that. I love seeing people out in the foyer, all the sort of chit-chatter and people, you know, getting excited.”

Chantelle Erickson is always growing her community. When...

“I just decided this is going to be kind of part of my life mission, to try to just be an open book and share my struggles and share the triumph over them, and help people realize that there is life outside of that. That's kind of how we got to be where we are now. I work a lot with people in recovery still to this day. And, just want to keep spreading the word that recovery is possible and we do recover.” - Yassine Diboun

Yassine Diboun was addicted to drinking in his earl...

“Through our program, “Running on Native Lands Initiative” to bring land blessings and land acknowledgments to life at these events, at races, but also go beyond that and really bring communities together, bring awareness to Indigenous peoples, bring awareness to Indigenous stewardship, the lands, the history, the people connected to them, even if they were displaced or not there presently. But also just an access point to continue those conversations of what does justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, accessibility, affordability, and safety look like when we are trying to create these safe spaces, inclusive spaces within the running and ou...

“We were kind of in the thick of her going to her first couple trips to Mexico. We were alongside her when she first went there and everything, so yeah, it was really interesting. I think it would have been pretty easy to lean into some cliches about loss and grieving and going to find out about people in your family, and I think I think we avoided those pretty well.” - Stephen Kersh

Rabbitwolf Creative’s Ryan Sterner and Stephen Kersh were thrilled about the opportunity to work with Laura Cortez on a Nort...

“There's a lot of people that talk about running being their therapy, and the the line that I like to use now is running can be complementary to therapy. But I think, you know, seek it out. Seek out support in any way, shape or form. If you feel as though you're alone in this, you're not. It's shared experience. We're not meant to do this alone. We're not meant to do it in isolation. Mental health (issues), all these things that people experience, it wants us alone. So don't let it get you alone.”

Evan...

“I grew up in Montreal and maybe we prioritized culture and arts and music and late nights. But from an early age, I really felt the alure towards the mountains. Now I'm living in North Vancouver and with endless trails in the backyard, I'm able to pursue my love for exploring the trails and wilderness. But in between those two things, I've had a few key experiences in my life that are guiding what I'm working on and also RunGo's mission which is to encourage people to explore their world and prioritize their well-being.”

No...

“Sarah's story was really surprising to me. We all make judgments about people, it's a very natural human thing to do. We go and we look at people and we create a story in our mind about who they are and what they do and where they come from and blah blah blah. Part of this process for me of filmmaking is to challenge that in me and there were things that I thought I knew about Sarah, I assumed maybe, and I was totally wrong, and I just I just love that process.”

Dom Bush...

“In 2015, I think the first the first group that came, we had maybe six people showed up. We ran some intervals at Quarry Lake and it was kind of fun, we had a beer afterward and really from there it just it it it's grown and grown. I mean it's become a real fixture here in Canmore.”

Dr. Andy Reed started Dirt Bag Runners Bow Valley because he wanted some help to stay motivated while training. He didn’t realize that his group would be a weekly fixture for so many in the running community of Can...