Innholdsfortegnelse for Trail Special 2025 i Canadian Running

Do you want to know trail running’s dirty little secret? We walk the hills and call it “power hiking.” Ascending and descending hills are possibly the biggest challenges, especially for those transitioning from roads to trails—and unless you are finishing close to (or on) the podium, you’ll likely spend twice as much time climbing as you will descending in races. Hill training is therefore even more essential on trails than on the road, and conservation of energy and muscle endurance are vital. A spiking heart rate, internal temperature and metabolism will make it all more difficult than necessary. This workout works the muscles used in climbing, without the impact forces of running on the flats. After using this workout with my trail and ultra athletes, they were able to walk…

You’ve almost certainly done hill repeats during your training. But when was the last time you did downhill repeats? Many of us opt to run downhill easy after working hard on the way up, but improving your technical descending skills can save you huge amounts of time and energy over the course of a long trail race. To learn how to improve your downhill running, we chatted with two experts: B.C.-based run coach and ultrarunner Jenny Quilty and Leadville Trail 100 record holder and well-known running coach David Roche of Colorado. Practice, practice, practice Quilty suggests trading a few of your uphill repeats for some downhill reps. “During a technical trail run, look for a spot on the trail that has a tricky descent and do repeats of it,” she…

In the small town of El Chaltén in Argentina, massive granite towers rise from the landscape, not far from town. Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy have inspired climbers for ages, and backpackers come from all over the world to experience the rugged beauty of the Patagonia wilderness. Trail running offers a compelling way to explore the area’s majestic beauty, unburdened by heavy packs. You can run up the local town hill for some of the most beautiful views you can imagine, or choose from numerous 30-km options, or something in between. El Chaltén is also very walkable. Once you arrive, there is no need for a car, and most of the trailheads are in town. Must-do runs Cerro Paredon Cerro Paredon is a minor summit just east of town, with…

On Nov. 15, 2024, less than a week after her victory at the Sagalassos Sky Ultra in Turkey’s Taurus Mountains, Emma Cook-Clarke was steeling herself for what was to come. She was in Eslida, Spain, for another race, the Marato dels Dements SkyMasters. It was the grand finale of the Skyrunner World Series—a high-adrenaline circuit of mountain races that emphasizes lung-busting quantities of vertical gain on exposed alpine ridges and slopes, where trails are unmaintained or, more often, entirely non-existent. Despite an incredible run of results in the Series, Cook-Clarke was getting in her head on the eve of the most competitive skyrace of her career. She was doubting her abilities and her body’s readiness to go at it again, feeling uncertain of why she was pouring so much of…

When Jamis Hall had the idea to start a trail running group in Thunder Bay in 2019, she wasn’t in it for the money, the competition or even the training. She was strictly there to make friends. And with hundreds of trail runners showing up to the now-twice-weekly runs that happen regardless of the weather, she has created a community that somehow manages to exist whether she’s running or not. As a mom with very young children—we talked while she drove around town so they would nap—she doesn’t get out to run as often as she’d like, but the group has never missed a night, despite their leader taking a sabbatical. “After I had my first son, I was lonely and I wanted to meet new people,” she says. “I…

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When Katie Schide crossed the finish line at Canyons 100K in April 2024, she not only took the women’s title, but placed sixth overall, battling it out with a high-calibre men’s race that was neck-and-neck from the start. While Schide received praise, much of the media attention went to the men’s race—which is all too common, if you ask ultrarunners Corrine Malcolm and Hilary Yang (née Matheson, formerly of Vancouver), who decided enough was enough. As well as being pro runners, Malcolm and Yang also have longstanding careers on the media side of the ultra-trail world, and they were tired of the men’s races dominating the coverage. With the Western States Endurance Run—one of the sport’s most anticipated races—just two months away, Malcolm, Yang and a group of pro female…

Nutrition plays a key role in recovery for endurance athletes. Recovery nutrition has two goals: » Restoring and preparing the body for the next bout of exercise. For instance, if you have a hard evening training session, what you eat afterward helps prepare the body for the next day’s adventures by restoring glycogen and fluid balance » Promoting adaptations from the training session, such as the muscle development that, over time, leads to improved performance Different training sessions have different goals and will put different physiological stress on the body; there is no one-size-fits all. Additionally, not all training sessions will need a special recovery plan. For instance, recovery nutrition may not be necessary after an easy 5 km run, but is important after a hard training session. It also…

ALEX HUTCHINSON ROUNDS UP THE LATEST IN ENDURANCE RESEARCH There are a lot of things that can go wrong in an ultramarathon, from mundane blisters to—as for ultra legend Jim Walmsley at the 2016 Western States hundred-miler—getting swept downstream while trying to cross a river. But if you can dodge these sorts of logistical bullets, it’s surprisingly hard to put your finger on what ultimately limits ultra performance. For marathons and shorter races, it’s all about oxygen: the fastest finishers tend to have high VO2 max and running economy. But researchers have repeatedly found that these oxygen-related measurements are poor predictors of how you’ll fare in an ultra. In a recent issue of the journal Sports Medicine, physiologists Nick Tiller and Guillaume Millet—both devoted ultrarunners and longtime ultra researchers—make the…

If you’re a trail runner in southern Ontario, you’ve almost certainly encountered the white and blue blazes that signify you’re on a part of the Bruce Trail, the 900-km trail that begins at the Niagara River and runs along the Niagara Escarpment all the way to Tobermory, at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula. Along the way, an additional 450 km of side trail—with more added almost every year—makes it the perfect bucket-list challenge. Because the trail is broken into nine distinct sections, setting a goal to run one section every year (or even doing some of the shorter sections in a single day, or a weekend) is reasonable. And if you’re looking for a section to put on the calendar for 2025, I highly recommend planning a weekend or…

Over the heads of Chamonix’s unique mix of trail-running fans and bar patrons, I lock onto the bouncing headlamp and shadow-cast face of my partner, Kelsey Hogan, as she approaches the finish line of the 2024 Hoka UTMB Mont-Blanc. Without moving my eyes, I click the side of my radio, calling the crew at the finish line: “Eyes on Kelsey.” I break into a running-commercial jog toward the finish line, where the rest of our crew members are handing out phones for photos, preparing Kelsey’s post-race kit and squinting into the distance, as if being the first to see her was the sport itself. Then, after 29 hours in the mountains, Kelsey careens around a corner and into view. Someone grabs my shoulder and someone else cheers as Kelsey almost…

Excitement builds for new Canadian ultra-trail races Trail running continues to explode in popularity, and this year, trail runners from across North America will get to participate in some highly anticipated new ultras. They include a 200-miler in Ontario put on by the Sinister Sports team (the SOO 200, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., from July 20–26), a new 100-miler in Alberta (the Bow Valley Ultra, on Sept. 27 in Canmore, Alta., put on by Lewiston Ultra Events) and the Alpenglow 100, Coast Mountain Trail Running’s new 100K race in east-central B.C., to be held July 4–6. Along with the 200-miler, Sinister is also mounting a fun, new, slightly more “democratic” three-day stage race on Ontario’s Blue Mountain called the Blue Bully Ultra, from Oct. 3–5. it will feature a…

Deep in western Ontario, the Maitland River cuts through the grid of roads, farms and townships and feeds into the open maw of Lake Huron. A trail follows the watery vein through the Maitland River Valley, stretching 50 km from Goderich, on Lake Huron, to inland Auburn, with more than 1,468 metres of elevation change. At the end of October, pink flags mark the trail and runners flock to the region to compete from point to point in The Bad Thing race. Runners travel from as far away as Alabama to compete in this boutique 300-person event. Each year, both the 25K and 50K routes sell out, often within 24 hours; I’ve had to wait for my chance to race. Navigating the trail on your own, without the pink flags…

Trail runners typically experience different types of injuries than road runners, especially if they’re new to the discipline. Understanding what causes these injuries and learning about evidence-based prevention and treatment strategies can help you stay healthy, recover faster (if you do become injured) and able to keep exploring the trails you love. Iliotibial (IT) band syndrome IT band syndrome typically presents as pain on the outside of the knee, often noticeable as the knee bends midway through its range of motion or during descents. This injury commonly arises from repetitive stress, whether that’s excessive hill work, running at the same pace all the time or sticking to one surface type. It’s typically recommended that runners with IT band syndrome temporarily reduce their volume and downhill running, and gradually build back…

Like the Pink Floyd song that inspired its name, the Comfortably Numb Trail in Whistler, B.C., was a certified instant classic upon its completion in 2003. The trail was such a hit that, within a year, it had inspired the creation of Run Comfy Numb, a 25K trail race that traverses Comfortably Numb in its entirety. “It’s a bit of a legendary trail,” says Charlotte Paul, who has directed Run Comfy Numb since 2018 alongside her husband, Kristian Manietta. The race began in 2004, when a group of local runners realized the newly minted black diamond-rated mountain bike trail also made for some of the best technical trail running the town had to offer. “It’s classic Whistler,” says Paul.” It’s got rocks, roots, bridgework, views of the Whistler Valley. It’s…

ARE you ready for a challenge that pushes you and leaves you feeling like a champ after crossing multiple finish lines in one race? Stage races are the perfect next adventure—and the ideal excuse for a runcation. Whether you’re new to trail running or just looking for a change from the ultra grind, stage races offer a mix of distances, terrains and multiple days of running, so you can explore exciting new destinations while getting a lot of miles in. It’s the ultimate combo of fun, breathtaking landscapes and back-to-back runs, all while bonding with fellow runners who are probably wondering if their legs will ever forgive them. What makes stage races even better than your average ultra is that you don’t have to tackle one massive, exhausting distance. Instead,…

NEW AND INNOVATIVE Merrell // MTL Adapt Matryx MEN’S 288 g (10.2 oz.) WOMEN’S 231 g (8.2 oz.) OFFSET/DROP 6 mm STACK HEIGHT 36 mm/30 mm LUG DEPTH 4 mm $260 This new max-cushioned trail shoe from Merrell definitely stands out on the trail for its unusual upper and midsole designs, and firmly establishes the brand in the trail-running space. It’s intended for long days (or races) on the trail, for runners who want a high-quality shoe with premium cushioning, a high stack and an upper that won’t let them down. The shoe’s breathable Matryx upper contains Kevlar, along with 3D-printed and TPU overlays, for top-of-the-line abrasion resistance. The EVA-based FloatPro midsole feels very plush and comfortable; the fit is very snug through the midfoot, with a roomy toe box.…