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Old Tom Backyard
Last year we went in unawares, most of us having never running a Backyard Ultra before (as my race plan might have suggested). This year, we’re smarter, though possibly not wiser. Old Tom Backyard enters its second year, and we look forward to nearly endless loops around the barns and through the woods, followed by…
No time to spare in Beaudry
“You’re late.” In 2019 I signed up to run loops of this beautiful little trail along the Assiniboine River west of Winnipeg during the annual Beaudry Fall Classic. This particular year, the race was preceded by a couple weeks of heavy rain, and as I drove out on a dark fall morning, the windshield wipers…
Actif Epica
I’d been curious about the Actif Epica, an annual race along the Crow Wing Trail, for several years, and 2025 was my year to finally be part of it. As the day approached, the forecast continued to promise “classic Manitoba winter” temperatures below -20° C. The race bills itself as a “celebration of human resilience,”…
Reasons to Run in Deep Winter
Deep winter divides runners into two camps – those who turn to the treadmill, and those who layer up and brave the cold. Then there’s a third camp, those who hang up the shoes till more reasonable temperatures return… Which are you? For myself, I started in the third camp, avoiding winter running. Then I…
Manitoba Running Posters
The odd time I shared a doodle over the past year, I’d get a note from my friends over at Big Sky Run Co saying, “Would love to have this one for the shop!” Now, to celebrate the end of a big year of adventures for so many of of you, I’ve printed a few…
Pole Dancing
This time of year, between seasons, I pull out the ol’ Nordic ski poles and do some of what’s known as dryland training. In other words, running up and down Abe’s Hill with ski poles but without skis. (For the record, this kind of workout is out way more fun now while anticipating the arrival…
Mountains of Manitoba
Legend has it, after attempting to answer the call of Manitoba mountains but being defeated by swamps, mosquitoes, and a biting north wind, John Muir headed south. In fact, he is often misquoted. His actual quote is, “The mountains are calling, BUT I must go.”
Race the North Face
A few short miles south of the city, the Brandon Hills tower above the surrounding farmland. Equally beautiful and cruel (to the unacclimatized flatlander) singletrack trails weave throughout this impressive landscape, and play host to the annual Race the North Face. I raced the course in 2022, and both thoroughly enjoyed the race and was…
Tunnel Island
Tucked away off the main road as you weave through Kenora is a little gem known as Tunnel Island. After many years of driving past an inconspicuous sign marking the parking lot on our way somewhere else, and at the recommendation of several friends, locals and otherwise, I finally had the opportunity to explore this…
Spirit Sands & Devil’s Punchbowl
In spring we finally hiked the iconic Spirit Sands and Devil’s Punchbowl in the Spruce Woods Provincial Park with the whole family. Recommended as a unique landscape in the area, revealing our province’s glacial past, and the ever-changing nature of the land. In his book, “Lake Agassiz”, Bill Redekop explains the origins of the Spirit…