Island Miles Podcast: for runners, by runners, celebrating running on Vancouver Island

James Kwinecki lost his vision 10 years ago, which meant basically re-learning many of life’s realities. For some, that might have been reason enough to stop reaching, but not for James, who has played blind baseball, rowed with the National team, and eventually, became a passionate runner. He has now run five marathons, including smashing Boston in 3:11. But he hasn’t done it alone, and on this e...

Imagine having the strength, mental toughness and sheer will to run 250 miles in the Arizona desert, with 12,000m of elevation gain over hot, dusty terrain. That’s what the Cocodona 250 from Phoenix to Flagstaff requires, and this past May, Nanaimo’s Christine Almond crossed the finish line after almost 92 hours, with the support of only her husband and dog. No pacers! Christine joined the show to...

The psychology around running has always been fascinating – what does this repetitive activity unlock in our brains. What does it do for us, and is it always positive? Dr. Rob Holloway is uniquely qualified to dig into it with us – both as a registered psychologist who treats individuals, couples and families with mental health challenges, and as a dedicated runner with some big personal accomplis...

If you’re thinking about taking on the trails for the first time, or even if you’re a seasoned vet, it’s always good to get a refresher on preparing for time in the trails and making sure you’re taking care of your own safety. Natalia Filip is an experienced trail runner that loves spending endless hours in Strathcona Park. But she’s also a volunteer with Nanaimo Search and Rescue and joined the s...

We decided to mic up for an easy-paced run in the West Shore and talk about what’s going on in the running world, both on Vancouver Island and beyond! We talk about the cooker of a day at the BMO Vancouver Marathon, a historic Cocodona 250 finish, a new Island ParkRun and lots of other cool stuff. Jamie even shared his most embarrassing running story, which involved passing out mid-stream… The May...

Yana Hempler is a Victoria runner with a lot of personal accomplishments, including completing her Abbott World Major Six Star in Tokyo this March. She’s also channeled some of her apparently endless energy into a number of fundraisers for the Victoria Hospitals Foundation, raising a crazy amount of money. She’s got a big 24-hour event planned for Duncan in September, and we got the lowdown. Race...

There are SO many great trail races on Vancouver Island, and many of them are organized by the team at Coastline Endurance. Whether it’s the brutally tough Finlayson Arm races, extremely fun Island Trail Series, or the unique and challenging Kusam Klimb, they’ve got a great race roster, which they added to with the Hornby Island Ultra last month. The person at the helm of Coastline Endurance is My...

Most people are in running retirement by the time they hit 70, but Joe ‘Crazy Legs’ Camilleri is still going strong at 76! Joe was a late bloomer with his running career, so was probably saving his legs for later life glory. Joe has completed a number of marathons with his first in Vancouver back in 2017 at the age of 67, when qualified for Boston, and he’s now closing in on completing the Abbot W...

The Comox Valley RV Half Marathon is coming up on March 22. It’s the longest race in the Vancouver Island Race Series, and clearly one of the most popular as it sold out in January! It’s one of many races put on by the Comox Valley Road Runners, and in this episode, we caught up with their club President Brad Crowe and Comox Half Race Director Rob Kelly to talk about the race and their awesome, an...

Every year, a group of eight runners and their amazing support team relay the 800 kilometres from Port Hardy to Victoria in just eight days, raising awareness for the importance of supporting trauma exposed Vancouver Island military personnel, first responders and their families. The 2026 campaign started on February 22, and the team is working their way down the island. The guys had a chance to t...

It’s time to nerd out on shoe technology! Super shoes have continued to dominate the conversation in most running circles, including the elites. Records continue to fall, qualifying times continue to get harder, and footwear is a main reason. Darren takes us to “shoe school” with a good history lesson and technical explanation of what the latest and great technology does. But are these shoes right...

Everyone has considerations in their running - from footwear, to mileage, to hydration and nutrition…but what if you have a chronic health challenge? How do you manage that additional, sometimes debilitating hurdle in your training? On this episode host Dan Deane talks about living and running with Type 1 Diabetes, and his running Coach Jim Finlayson (elite Victoria runner, coach, and former Beer...

Have you registered for a big race in 2026? Maybe it’s a new distance for you, and you’re wondering how best to attack it so you’re ready to be your best on race day and hit that goal? With a Physiotherapist and run leader as hosts, we’ve got you covered! We talk everything from load management to injury management to strength training and shoes. Plus a recap of the Pioneer 8K, Rory Linkletter and...

In the season finale, we share our thoughts on the first 10 episodes, reflecting on our favourite moments and guests. It was really hard to choose! We talked about planning out your 2026 race calendar and what kind of things to consider, and talk about some of the best holiday gifts runners can get. And just wait until you hear the way our South African host says the word “toque”! Books referenced...

If you’ve been to any races on the Vancouver Island in recent years, you’ve probably seen a really fun, energized run club called Badass Chicks Run Trails. It was founded by a group of first responders who discovered a shared love of trail running to help manage the personal strains caused by challenging work lives. From humble and almost accidental beginnings, the group has grown into a strong an...

On our third episode, we talked to Chris Sundby just before he set out in mid-September to run the length of Vancouver Island in 14 days, with his mom acting as his lone support crew. More than 700 kilometres and three pairs of shoes later, Chris completed his epic journey right on schedule, and now that he’s back from the wilderness and (mostly) recovered, he rejoined the show to tell us all abou...

Two years ago, Julia Loglisci decided to make some major lifestyle changes. Along with a new dietary approach, she started weight training, practicing yoga, and walking. Those walks started to include some light jogging, and eventually the walking intervals disappeared as she found a love of running. Julia recently completed her first half marathon and joined the show to talk about her health jour...

Helen McArthur is the owner/operator of The Crazy Cookie House in Metchosin. It’s a small shack with a roof shaped like the sorting hat from Harry Potter and surrounded by mythical creatures including a wooden dragon named “Doug H”. Her cookies have drawn local media and social media attention! Helen is also a passionate long-distance runner and decided that she wanted to run a marathon on each co...

With RVM week finally here, we know many will be experiencing some race anxiety. And if you've never strapped on a bib before, or you’re racing at a new distance, then you're swimming (running?) in unchartered waters. But fear not! The Island Miles gang is here to talk race preparation and execution to help get you race day ready. The Rundown - upcoming races and events:   October 19 – CEEVAC...

What's new for RVM's 45th anniversary? Let's find out! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris Sundby grew up on Vancouver Island and now lives and works in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, working with Jacob’s Well, an organization that provides support to the most vulnerable members of that community. Chris is back on the island, and beginning September 15, is taking on the insane challenge of running from the southern tip of the island all the way up to Cape Scott at the northern end...

A free Clover Point 5K every Saturday at 9am? Sign us up! It's called ParkRun, and it actually happens at roughly the same time, every Saturday, all over the world (including Shawnigan Lake and Courtenay). Sean Mitchell and Natalia Seal join the show from the ParkRun team to share the ins and outs of this cool event and the inclusive community of runners it has created. You only have to register o...

Welcome to the first episode of the Island Miles Podcast! Dan, Darren and Jamie discuss what the show is all about, share a little bit about themselves and talk about the type of topics they'll cover. And just how many pairs of shoes Dan owns! The Island Miles Podcast wants to hear from YOU! Got a topic idea? Know someone doing something cool that should be celebrated? A race you're hoping to get...