Athletics Ontario Running Podcast

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Tarrant Cross Child, the visionary founder of Prairie Run Crew, to explore the vibrant and rapidly growing running culture across Saskatchewan. Tarrant opens up about his powerful personal journey of recovery from addiction, sharing how the simple act of running became a vital lifeline for his mental and spiritual well-being. He takes us inside Prairie R...

Going from a self-proclaimed high school "gym rat" to crushing five marathons in a single year is no small feat! In this episode of the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast, we sit down with hybrid athlete and entrepreneur Trey Etseyatse to chart his incredible fitness evolution. After picking up running during the COVID-19 pandemic, Trey faced the classic beginner's trap of early injuries. Instead o...

In this episode of the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast, we travel to Tillsonburg to meet Tamara Bull, the force behind one of the best-named races in the province: the Tillsonburg Run with the Bulls. Tamara shares her late-blooming journey into athletics, having started running at age 51 to connect with her husband and combat "empty nest syndrome," despite managing asthma, which requires her to...

In this powerful episode of the AO Running Podcast, we sit down with York Regional Police Constable Adam McEachern fresh off his grueling, Autism Heroes Road Trip 2026 - an endurance journey that took him all the way from Windsor Police Headquarters to the Terry Fox statue in Ottawa. Covering 50 to 70 kilometres a day by running and biking, Adam was testing his physical limits and helpnig build a...

Meet Selene Mallone, the record-breaking ultra runner taking the Canadian scene by storm. Fresh off a course record at the Arizona Monster 300 and a win at the 2025 Divide 200, Selene discusses her ambitious "Project Double Double": tackling the Ribbon 200 and SOO 200 on this episode of the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast. She opens up about her evolution from powerlifting to elite trail running...

In this high-energy episode of the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast, we dive into Ontario's best-named crew: The River Rats Run Club! Founder Sarah Hubbell joins us to reveal how Cambridge flipped a cheeky reputation into a thriving, unstoppable community. Inside the Episode: - The "Cheeky" Origin: How the Grand and Speed Rivers birthed a legendary name. - Motherhood & Mileage: Stroller-running h...

Step into the shoes of Ryan Garcia, a North Bay chiropractor who turned a childhood battle with leukemia into a relentless drive for the marathon finish line. This is a deep dive into the raw grit required to overcome the ultimate stakes and the community spirit fueling the Northern Ontario running scene. Ryan provides insights into the North Bay Movement, his leadership in the North Bay Running C...

Ever wonder what happens when a runner decides to make fitness fun for the whole family? Meet Lily Wu, the visionary behind Dino Run, an Ontario racing series where kids trade boring laps for immersive dinosaur chases and interactive medals. In this high-energy episode, Lily reveals how she scaled a simple family idea into a province-wide movement while sharing her in-the-trenches secrets for bala...

Running is often pictured as a solitary pursuit—just one person, their shoes, and the open road. But Steven Bierbrier is here to flip that narrative on its head. In this episode of the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast, we explore Steven's evolution from a solo athlete to a central figure in the Ottawa fitness scene as the founder of the Arboretum Hill Club. Since 2018, Steven has been rallying a...

Fifteen years ago, Brian Beckstead and his co-founders ignited a footwear revolution by proving that standard shoes were working against the human body. By engineering the game-changing zero-drop platform and signature wide toe box, they returned running to its natural roots and launched the global powerhouse known as Altra. In this episode of the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast, host John Shep...

In this episode of the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast, we're joined by Sasha Wolff, the powerhouse founder of the non-profit Still I Run. Sasha's journey didn't start at a starting line; it started in a hospital bed in 2011 during a battle with clinical depression. It was there she discovered that while therapy and medication were vital, movement was the missing piece of her recovery puzzle. Th...

What fuels the miles when the finish line is only half the story? This week on the AO Running Podcast, we're joined by Jessica Halsall - mom of two, Badass Lady Gang lead, and member of Otto's Ottawa Power Crew - to discuss her Tamarack Homes Ottawa International Marathon journey. A runner and fitness instructor, she is turning her strides at Ottawa Race Weekend into support for the CHEO Neonatal...

In this episode, we dive into Andrew Tsang's massive undertaking: a 260+ KM relay journey from Toronto to Muskoka in support of Campfire Circle. This incredible organization provides life-changing camp experiences for children impacted by cancer, offering them a chance to heal through play and joy—even while receiving treatment on-site. As someone who has personally felt the impact of cancer withi...

In this episode of the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast, we sit down with Julian Compton, endurance athlete and founder of Move for Change. Julian explains how he uses physical fitness as a powerful vehicle for social advocacy and youth empowerment. We hear how Julian launched Move for Change in 2020 to support BIPOC youth and dismantle systemic barriers in the GTA. Through his organization, Juli...

What happens when you trade a tennis racket in Peru for the grueling Canadian ultramarathon circuit? In this episode, we sit down with Sergio Raez Villanueva, an elite long-distance runner whose "gutsy" racing style recently took him all the way to India to represent Canada at the 50K World Championships. Sergio opens up about his profound transition from a Peruvian immigrant to a national-level a...

How do you turn grief into a movement? This episode of the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast features Neil McKay, founder of Persistence Racing, marking five years of resilience in London, Ontario. We explore the launch of Fox Stride, a unique "double dash" track event, and the deeply personal motivation behind Neil's mission. After navigating family tragedy and recovery, Neil's experiences with t...

Find out about one of Canada's most promising distance runners! This week on the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast, we're joined by Jadyn Keeler, the University of North Dakota standout and Canadian Track and Field League (CTFL) athlete currently shattering records in the 5,000m and 10,000m. Jadyn joins us to discuss her unconventional path to the NCAA, her independent recruitment hustle, and the...

What is the future of Canadian athletics? The Canadian Track and Field League (CTFL) is rewriting the script. In this episode, we're joined by Erin Teschuk, Sam Kenahan, Matthew Lozano, and Saed Griffith to discuss how a unique team-based structure is building a sustainable home for track and field talent in Canada. Episode Highlights: - From Roots to Results: The guys share stories of early inspi...

For International Women's Day, we're burning the "shrink it and pink it" playbook. This week on the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast, Lindsay Housman, Founder and CEO of Hettas, joins us to explain why your running shoes have a gender problem. A woman's foot isn't just a smaller version of a man's—so why is the industry still treating it like one? We're diving deep into the biological grit: how h...

"We didn't just want a run club; we wanted a support system for Scarborough." What happens when two runners realize their neighborhood is missing a heartbeat? They build one themselves. In this episode of the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast, we sit down with Selina and Helga, the visionary co-founders of Scarbororuns, to celebrate a major milestone: their second anniversary. What started as a ch...

In this episode of the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast, we sit down with Judith Kasiama, the visionary founder of Colour the Trails. Based in British Columbia, Judith uses her background in gender studies to bridge the representation gap for BIPOC individuals in adventure media, becoming one of the most influential voices in the outdoor industry. Highlights: - Building Community: How Colour the...

What happens when you trade a destructive chase for a 100-mile journey? This week on the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast, we sit down with Kofi Ayinde to discuss the transformative power of the trail. Kofi opens up about his journey to sobriety and how the grueling demands of ultra-running provided a healthy outlet for the dopamine hits he once sought elsewhere. Highlights: - The Dopamine Shift:...

What does it take to run across the second-largest country on earth? This week on the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast, we're joined by Ryan Keeping, the former construction worker who completed a staggering 98-day journey across Canada. Ryan opens up about the reality of averaging 75km daily and why he's dedicated his life to a mission much bigger than himself. Inside the episode: - The "Stubbor...

How do you transition from a casual runner to a professional powerhouse? This week, we sit down with elite Canadian ultrarunner Jazmine Lowther to discuss her rapid ascent in the trail world and the philosophy that keeps her moving. Jazmine dives into the "art" of training, explaining why structured data must coexist with creative exploration to prevent burnout. She also speaks candidly about her...

What happens when the universe rewards a leap of faith? In this episode, we sit down with Scott Devenport, whose journey from quitting smoking to conquering 200-mile peaks is a testament to the transformative power of the trails. Scott doesn't just run; he lives it—maintaining a legendary "run streak" of at least 5km every single day. Episode Highlights: - The Evolution: How Scott traded cigarette...