Community Trail Running

“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...

“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 i...

“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 r...

"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...

“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 put...

“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 ra...

“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 w...

“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 tim...

“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 sh...

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 indust...

“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...

“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 Mocca...

“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 work...

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...

“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 thi...

“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...

“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 hersel...

“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 know...

“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...

“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 c...

“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 a...

“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...

“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 somet...

“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...

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 lo...