Run Canada Podcast

The first episode of our August "how it started, how it's going" series brings you ultra trail runner Jenn Walton. Jenn has been a fixture of the Winnipeg running scene forever: she started her journey on the roads, found her heart on the trails, and found her challenge in the ultra. Jenn shares her journey as well as tips for those sitting on the fence with trying trails and ultras as well as saf...

For episode three of our Meet your Sheroes series, presented by the ASICS Runkeeper App, I had the opportunity to chat with the incredible Lyndsay Tessier. My co-hosts are Eugenie Steyn and Madison Kerr-Wong. Eugenie is a fellow marathon runner and teacher in the GTA who normally just gets joy from waving at Lyndsay when she catches her out for a run. Madison had the good fortune of being coached...

Kiera Verbonac started her journey as a runner, then got the biking bug and tried out a duathlon.  After success in that category, she donned a wetsuit and now she trains like a beast in the triathlon. Kiera is an amazingly dedicated athlete who also happens to be hearing impaired. We talk about some of the challenges that come with that in her training and racing, none of which hold her back at a...

It's the Pride of the Rock: Newfoundland's Kate Bazeley! Kate holds the provincial record for the marathon, but don't think she's let that slow down her drive. This former Canadian Half Marathon Champion has been setting big goals, but at the same time balances the things in life that are most important to her: her family. Kate's a firecracker and fuelled by competitive spirit – we talk about some...

This is what it looks like when passionate, driven women work together to make change. The founders of Winning Within, Delilah Topic, Teagan MacDougall, Dhana and Samantha Cruikshank and Rachel Cliff join me to talk about the foundation's mission: encouraging positive body image self-acceptance and empowering women to find self-worth outside of sport.  We discuss their personal experiences and why...

Polly Moody is a runner who takes a licking and keeps on ticking. She is a mother of two, a kindergarten teacher and one fast runner. She lives in Calgary but she has travelled all over chasing amazing race experiences and speedy courses. We talk about race day feels, and about some of her experiences chasing a sub-3 race. We dig into how she has been recovering from an ACL reconstruction the past...

People have been talking a lot about Tokyo hopeful Julie-Anne Staehli lately: she has been lighting up the track taking huge bites out of her PBs race after race, and has reached the elusive Olympic qualifying time in the 5000m. But this is no overnight success: Julie-Anne is the epitome of "rise and grind". She's been plugging the meter for years and is at that exciting moment in her career where...

Co-host of the Inspired Soles Podcast, Carolyn Coffin interviews the amazing Masters' marathoner Paula Wiltse. Paula is a coach with Mile 2 Marathon, a mom, and one of a select few Canadian women who have run a sub-3-hour marathon over the age of 50. Paula shares what it takes to set and reach big goals as a masters athlete (spoiler alert: it takes dedication and hard work) and how she has support...

It seems really fitting that my guest on Global Running Day is Olivia Levy. Olivia embodies the spirit of community in running: she may only have been focusing on running and racing for a few years, but in that time she's used her marketing savvy, desire to give back, and her bright and friendly personality to draw more awareness and inclusivity to our sport. She works with Runners of the Six, The...

Yana Hempler is a marathon machine. Last year, she decided to run ten marathons in ten days to raise money for the Victoria Hospital Foundation. Right now, she's back on the road fundraising again, working to complete an incredible 30 marathons in 30 days. Yana talked to me in between marathons and we dug into why she is so passionate about running and the Victoria Hospital Foundation. 

Olympian Hilary Stellingwerff is a jack of all running trades. Her journey began on the track then lead her to the road. She became a mom which made her into an advocate for women in sport, and now she coaches at the University of Victoria. Hilary is brilliant and driven: she and her husband Trent are always working hard while saving space for flexibility which makes her so great at everything she...

Creator of  @blackrunnersofthegta Melanie Murzeau interviews track and field legend, Valerie Jerome. From a long legacy of runners and Olympians, including brother Harry Jerome, Valerie is a huge part of the history of running in Canada. Not only does she hold multiple national and international medals, but she is also the only Canadian athlete to compete in five track and field events in the Olym...

Madeline Price lives and trains in the United States but thanks to two Canadian parents, we get the privilege of claiming her for Team Canada. Maddy is a sprinter and 4x400 relay specialist who graduated from Duke University and still continues to support the team there as an assistant coach. Maddy was raised to be brave and take on challenges head on: she is relentlessly positive and always grate...

Perdita Felicien is an Olympic hurdler and the first Canadian woman to win a gold medal at the World Championships in track and field. She is also a mom, television host, sports broadcaster, and now a national best-selling author. We talk all about "My Mother's Daughter" and about her upcoming dream gig co-hosting "Tokyo Today" with Andrew Chang. I also talk to Christine Roper, Olympic rower all a...

Meet 100-metre hurdler, mother, and coach Nikkita Holder. Nikkita is a two-time Olympian and international medalist but her achievements on the track are just a fraction of who she is as a human. After splitting with her husband just months after her son was born, Nikkita had to navigate a whole new life for herself while pursuing her running goals. She is an inspiration to anyone who is trying to...

Heather Hennigar is a native of Halifax, but she now lives in Victoria and works as an Athletics Canada staff coach at the West High-Performance Hub with both able-bodied and para-athletes. Heather is a former Canadian record holder in the 4x800m relay, has traveled the world as an athlete and as a coach, and has become a pretty incredible role model for a whole lot of aspiring Olympians. We talk...

Shana Goulbourne and Rachael Kalaba are the incredible creators of the Peg City Steppers: an inclusive crew for all levels that encourages people to keep active and find joy in movement. They created something that is truly incredible: supporting members in person but also embracing runners from across Canada by hosting online events to encourage connection and discussion. We talk about first race...

If you are looking for inspiration to help you find balance, look no further than Natalia Hawthorn. When this 1500 and 5000m specialist isn't lighting up the track, she's helping high school kids navigate the recruiting process with her work at Streamline Athletes. Natalia has invested a lot of physical and mental energy into finding the sweet spot between hard work and recovery to get her in peak...

Ever wondered if you could find an outlet for your love of the outdoors and find some independence and time for yourself outside of motherhood? Tara Matheron did too, so she created RadMums. This Calgary-based group of adventure-loving women are discovering who they are outside of the grind of everyday life and making connections and friendships that support their well-being. If you need a little...

Ever wondered if you could find an outlet for your love of the outdoors and find some independence and time for yourself outside of motherhood? Tara Matheron did too, so she created RadMums. This Calgary-based group of adventure-loving women are discovering who they are outside of the grind of everyday life and making connections and friendships that support their well-being. If you need a little...

Denise Robson experienced a rebirth as a runner when she was encouraged to take on her first marathon by two coworkers when she was in her 30s. Fast forward to 2019 and she now holds the W50 record in the marathon. Denise is an amazing human whose humility and storytelling ability will give you all the feels. 

Sarah Kwajafa and Avery Garrett-Patterson are University of Toronto Varsity Blues middle distance alumni. Not only are these two ladies tremendous runners, but Avery is also a personal trainer and Sarah is pursuing her childhood goal of a career in medicine. We talk about the part they played in the creation of the BIPOC Varsity Association which was created to hold stakeholders in the athletic pr...

Fierce and driven 400m hurdle specialist Noelle Montcalm may have her eyes firmly fixed on Tokyo this year, but she's got a lot more on her plate than just that. A working Registered Nurse and a strong advocate and ally for mental health, Noelle is working to spread the love of sport and a message of hope and optimism to people of all ages. We take a stroll through just a few of Noelle's remarkabl...

A runner and busy working mom of three girls, Melanie Murzeau is making change. She created Black Runners of the GTA on Instagram to highlight runners of colour in her community and to tell stories that create inclusivity. This month, Melanie researched and presented African Canadian runners that have influenced and shaped our sport. We talk about her experience in creating this content, how a pas...

New Balance middle-distance runner Mariah Kelly has a passion for life and running. While she didn't start out as the fastest runner on the track, her tenacity and incredible work ethic have taken her the distance: first to a scholarship at an NCAA school, and then to the Athletics Canada West High Performance Hub. Mariah doesn't do anything halfway... and that's what makes her a remarkable human...