iRUN BIG LOVE DIGITAL ISSUE
QUINTON JACOBS
Quinton Jacobs wants you to rethink the sport
Lacing up for the youth in Mitchell Plains, South Africa, community organizer enters his season of giving—encouraging us all to use running for more than PBs and selfies
Photographs by Laura Proctor, Words by Ben Kaplan
Quinton Jacobs is arguably Canada’s most well-known runner and he’s never gone to the Olympics and he doesn’t post his times. He’s not out to set records nor is he an influencer, though he’s probably influenced more lives than anyone selling watches or shoes. Jacobs, 47, is an organizer and producer; a behind the scenes volunteer and cheerleader for our sport that spends time with kids and international race crews and has, perhaps more than anyone else in this country, embodied the spirit of where our sport needs to go in order to survive: Jacobs uses running to elevate people and places who might need a hand. As the co-founder of Ubuntu, Escape and a Start2Finish program director, Kickback mentor and long-time runner with Parkdale Roadrunners, Jacobs believes running is about more than destination races and Strava. It’s about confidence and opportunity, not for himself, but for someone he doesn’t know—someone he loves.
“The most fulfilling part of running for me is cheering for other people and I find solace and reprieve not from chasing Boston or completing the Abbott World Majors but from taking a kid who’s never had anything, and showing him—through running—that he too is entitled to dream,” says Jacobs, who had to be convinced to sit for this cover story because he doesn’t want the light shined on him. “There’s so much ego in running, this sense of, ‘look at me, look where I went,’ but the aspect of running that’s hyper-privileged I find less interesting than using running to lift up someone up: not what I can get from running, but how I can use running to give. That’s when the sport became impactful to me.”
“There’s so much ego in running, this sense of, ‘look at me, look where I went,’ but the aspect of running that’s hyper-privileged I find less interesting than using running to lift up someone up: not what I can get from running, but how I can use running to give. That’s when the sport became impactful to me.”
Staying power
Quinton’s impact wasn’t always felt in service of other people and he lived the running life of chasing Boston, which he did in 2016. But life has a way of resetting priorities, and it often doesn’t do that gently, when we’re ready for change. Sometimes change comes quickly, violently, and sets us off on a different, more difficult, path. Q, as he’s known in the community, learned this after divorce. He lost his compass, and had to decide who he was.
“Runners have seasons, and this crystalized for me later in life. My first season was physical, chasing PBs, but divorce ushered in this new season and running helped me move through space on my legs, whether crying or processing, but my reason for running changed,” Jacobs says, adding that, newly single, he found himself at a crossroads: would he head out into the world as a bachelor and explore nightclubs and boozing or was there something else out there?
“I became curious about this other season, running through someone else’s experience, and became obsessed with using the sport to offer someone else mental and emotional support,” Jacobs says. “Running became bigger to me and, ironically, more important, when it was no longer about me. It was a life changing, powerful, perspective change.”
If not the first major run crew in the country, Parkdale Roadrunners in downtown Toronto certainly changed the demographics from the Running Room clinics that had defined the sport throughout the 1990s. Younger, multicultural, fashionable and free, Parkdale—celebrating its fifteenth anniversary this year—removed barriers for throngs of new runners and helped the face of the sport change with the times. Q was there from the beginning and while he helped new runners find their first shoes, he also made international connections, meeting people like Charlie Dark in London with Run Dem Crew, 7onSundays in Chicago and the 504th crew in New Orleans. Bridge the Gap, which will be returning to Canada this fall at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, uses music and art alongside running to bring together worldwide running crews. It’s about community in this corner of running; style, fashion, travel—Jacobs and his cronies use the sport to celebrate our universal connection.
“Quinton grew up in subsidized housing and it wasn’t until he was older that he experienced unconditional love and he has that for other people, this deep appreciation, and has become someone kids know is looking out for them,” says Britt Jacobs, Q’s partner and an experienced run coach and trainer, who mentions that Abdul Hussein, 18, a Kickback kid Q helped cross the finish line in Chicago, has been coached by Q since fifth grade. “Everyone has good intentions, but Q embodies the ideal mentor that he didn’t have growing up—he doesn’t just ask for your shoe size, he articulates what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes.”
The shoes he’s now working on filling are part of his most ambitious project to date. Since 2019, Jacobs has been organizing ‘Escape’ runs, in which he brings a group of people on journeys from Toronto to New York or Toronto to Boston, and it's not surprising his wanderlust has seen his canvas expand. Born to a South African mother, last year Q and Britt ran the Comrades Marathon between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, the world’s largest and oldest ultramarathon race. In South Africa, he felt a connection he’d been missing and vowed to do something more than taking a photograph with his medal this time around.
“I want to lean into the communities we run through—not run away from the people, but run for them, and make giving back our focus and South Africa, the homeland, has my heart,” says Jacobs, speaking effusively about the people he’s met in Mitchells Plain, especially the children, an area tourists are specifically told to avoid. Raising $140,000 to build a track for disadvantaged youth, Jacobs hopes to recreate what he’s done with Start2Finish Canada, breaking kids out of the child poverty cycle, using sport to help kids rise out of their situations. At the end of March, Jacobs and Britt leave for South Africa with 80 of their closest international friends; they hope to screen a documentary of their odyssey at the TCS Waterfront Marathon at Bridge the Gap in Toronto and throw a huge celebration with loved ones back on their home streets.
“Building a track that we can leave in South Africa feels almost preordained, imagine how many legs we can inspire after we’re gone,” Jacobs says. “It’s within reach and the right thing at the right moment. It’s not what we take from our running, it’s what we leave behind.”
To find out more about Escape to South Africa and help Q build a track, follow him on Instagram @Quinton_Jacobs.
A Snapshot of Everything Shoes
BY THE NUMBERS
$250,000,000,000
Cost of the LA Wildfires, in US Dollars
3.16.25
Date of the LA Marathon
supportlafd.kindful.com
Website set up by the Los Angeles Fire Department to Accept Donations
17%
Percentage of runners who qualify for Boston at the Houston Marathon, the Largest Boston Qualifier in the World
Numbers of runners that don’t qualify for the Boston Marathon at the race with the most Boston qualifiers in the world
63%
Georgina Marathon's Rank Amongst all North American Races in Terms of Most Number of Boston Qualifiers
7
Number of runners racing in BC on the first weekend of May
80,000
3
BMO Vancouver Marathon, The Vancouver Sun Run and TC10K producing the combined 80,000 runners
Age of Eliud Kipchoge when he competes at the TCS London Marathon this spring
40
300
Runners who ran everyday in January in Manitoba through Big Sky Run Co.
Cam Levins’ half marathon time, the fastest in Canadian history
1:00:18
2:52
Levins’ average pace per 21.1 kilometres in hitting that time
88
Age of Ploutarchos Pourliakas, oldest person to run a marathon in 2024
2,500
Years ago, since Pourliakas ran his marathon in Athens, Phiedippides ran the 42.2K distance in Greece (to Marathon), establishing the marathon distance
Hours, time limit of the Comrades Marathon, the longest running ultra in the world
12
Price of the most expensive shoe sale, eight pairs of shoes worn by Michael Jordan sold by Sotheby’s last year
$8,000,000
42%
Runners under 30 at the Great Trek in Vancouver
“I don’t want to cast shade on anyone, but Winnipeggers are a hardy bunch.”
Caroline Fisher explains how she got 300 runners in Manitoba to run throughout January every day
Caroline Fisher, alongside her husband and a partner, owner of Big Sky Run Company, is the kind of runner people follow. “When I woke up this morning it was -26, but what’s more offputting is the treadmill,” says Fisher, in her second year of organizing a Manitoba Run Streak that’s doubled this year in size. “People feel encouraged by the run streak madness and find changes in mood and fitness and that’s rare for the darkest time of the year in the coldest province in Canada.”
300 runners have followed Fisher out into the January cold for at least 20 minutes a day, every day, and Fisher’s act of brilliance was making participants pay $40 to compete for a toque. On February 1, successful run streakers got their $40 returned; putting money down, however, raised the stakes enough to make runners commit.
“We’re thrifty people,” Fisher says with a laugh, but becomes more serious when talking about what she does. As an owner of an independent run shop in a cold weather environment, economics don’t run in her favour, but a desire to uplift and rally her community has ushered Big Sky into the spotlight. “I love running and the kinship that we feel as a store here in Winnipeg, and I love the running community,” Fisher says.
“We’re about building community and spreading the love of running and having strong environmental values, connecting with the trail running community and being a place where people of different ages, backgrounds and socioeconomic status can feel like they have a place that’s inclusive and diverse.”
Running in the wintertime isn’t for everyone. It’s dark and cold, traction is slippery and sometimes, running into the wind, the sport can feel like punishment, not something a sane person would choose for fun. Caroline Fisher and 300 of her running buddies have inverted the winter running value proposition and made Big Sky, in January, in Winnipeg, a place of warmth and joy.
“This month, we launched our half marathon and marathon clinics for June’s Manitoba Marathon and we want folks to keep up with their running,” Fisher says. “Winnipeg right now is beautiful and I think it’s easier for me and many others to motivate ourselves, get dressed and run outside than stare down alone at some treadmill screen.”
To follow the Run Streak Madness at Big Sky Running, see @BigSkyRunCo or BigSkyRun.com.
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Thomas Fafard ran the 5000m at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The 26-year-old from Quebec won last year’s Vancouver Sun Run and he competes in Brooks shoes. Here, he reviews Brooks’ new Hyperion Elite 4 PB.
I’ve logged plenty of miles in the Hyperion Elite 4 PB since the fall, and I can confidently say it maintains its responsiveness brilliantly over time. Brook’s decision to use PEBA foam (DNA Gold) in the PB version instead of DNA Flash has made a huge difference—it’s significantly more responsive and offers exceptional energy return. The new foam not only enhances performance but also helps me recover faster after tough training sessions and races.
Visually, the shoe is a standout. There’s something about lacing up a fresh, sleek-looking pair that just adds to the experience—and the Hyperion Elite 4 PB delivers on that front.
Performance-wise, it’s an excellent choice for distances ranging from 5K to marathons. As someone with wide feet, I also appreciate the secure yet comfortable fit, making this shoe a versatile option for runners of all kinds.
Looks That Thrill
Lighting up the end of winter with running gear—and people—with panache
Coach's Corner
with Lauren Roberts, the Running Physio
Lauren Roberts, founder of the Real Running Course, trains the physio team at all Athlete’s Care locations for running injury solutions. Each month, she writes the Coach’s Corner column for iRun magazine.
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Slides, from Oofos
Recovery sandals with impact technology, from $85.
A: Nearly all well-done training plans will have a peak long run for the race three weekends out from race day. This allows the body three weeks to recover, rebuild, and prep for the big event. If this is your first half marathon, you will want to plan your mileage appropriately to hit 19-21 km at this time. If you have a time or performance goal, you’ll likely want to overshoot race distance by a few kilometers and aim for closer to 25km for peak week. You’ll want to work backwards from race day to be sure you don’t wait too long to start your build.
Pixel Watch 3, from Google
Timing is everything, style is too, from $480.
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Micha Powell, Olympian
Host of iRun podcast “On Track with Micha” has her sites set on the Outdoor World Championships this fall in Tokyo. She trains with purpose and joy.
Q
Do runners really need more than one pair of shoes? If so, what are the different kinds of shoes for?
Q
How far do I have to run in practice if my half marathon is in spring?
A: Research has pointed to rotating through three slightly different pairs of shoes. The reason for this is that running is essentially a repetitive motion that uses the same muscle groups on repeat for a long period of time. Anything that we can do to introduce some form of micro-variability is going to decrease the repeated strain that muscles, tendons, and ligaments are withstanding simply by changing it up. Take trail running for example - trail runners tend to experience less injuries than road runners because the terrain is quite a bit different with each step. (They may roll their ankles more, though!)
John Shep on why and how to run your first ultra marathon
“Going faster never interested me; going longer did.”
Q
What are three quick stretches you could recommend? And, do you stretch before a run, after, or both?
Q
I feel like I always have tight calves. What is that a sign of and what can be done?
A: First of all, research still tends to point towards avoiding long slow stretching before a run, although it consistently does remain a point of contention among running scientists. After is likely better and there is some evidence it can decrease muscle soreness, but this has not been shown consistently.
Secondly, stretching is likely best prescribed in light of a specific finding. For example, if you have seen a Running PT and they have determined you have plantar fasciitis with tight calves, you’d be best to do a calf stretch with knee bent and knee straight for 30-45 seconds after your run. Unfortunately, stretching does not seem to have an injury-prevention effect, and may in fact have the opposite effect as people with hypermobility tend to experience more injuries. Sorry, yogis!
Anecdotally, I would say most people would benefit from calf stretching like mentioned above, as well as hamstring and hip flexor stretching as these muscles tend to become hypertonic (“tight”) with sitting. But if you’re a “don’t have time to stretch” person, don’t stress!
A: There are two things to understand regarding muscle tightness. First, what most people call “tightness” is actually what we call hypertonicity. Hyper = extra and tone = tension level of a muscle. A muscle will become hypertonic when the brain sends a message to it saying, “Hey! Something doesn’t feel right here…we’ve got to work a little harder.” The muscle says, “OK!” and increases its level of tone. So then the actual question is, what does the brain feel the reason is for sending this message? The answer is usually that the muscle itself and/or muscles related to the goal movement are weak. Your best starting point would be to strengthen up the tight muscle!
Q
Is there anything we can do to ward off plantar fasciitis, and how do you know if you have it?
A: Oh plantar fasciitis - such a pain.Your best bet is strong calves. You can never do too many calf raises, especially with weight. If you don’t have access to a gym, we recommend putting something heavy in a backpack (wine bottles work, just sayin’...) and aiming to complete 10 full calf raises (all the way up, all the way down with one leg off a step. Getting to ten should be challenging). Repeat for two days, take one day off. You’ll see your plantar improve. And keep making that backpack heavier for prevention because this bugger takes forever to go away.
Q
What pain is OK to run through and what kind should make you take the day off?
A: Let me answer this by saying one of the things we hear the most in the clinic is “I wish I’d come sooner.” The sooner we can see you, the easier and more simple the fix is. Sometimes it’s just adjusting your next couple weeks of runs. When we continue to run through pain, we end up developing compensations which is like adding extra layers to the onion that we have to unwrap and figure out. This is how people end up derailed for full seasons.
A: Anytime pain is new, sharp, has a specific spot that hurts with pushing on it, or worsening, you should stop immediately. More running isn’t going to fix the problem that was caused by running. You’ll want to take 7-14 days right off to avoid things becoming a chronic issue! During this time you can cross-train or do anything that is completely pain-free. Then you’ll want to gradually get back to running.
Q
When do you know you need outside help?
I used to play the “never gonna” game while running with my friend, Stew:
“Never gonna run a half marathon” – then I ran a half.
“Never gonna run a full marathon” – then I ran a full.
“Never gonna run an ultramarathon” – then I ran a 50k.”
At some point, Stew and I stopped playing the game, as he understood that there would always be something cool in the running space that would peak my interest. This year, as many runners are venturing into their own running unknowns, I am to (ad)venture beyond what we believed I was never gonna do: attempt my first 200-mile ultramarathon, Sinister Sports’ SOO 200.
It was a decade ago that I explored the beyond 42.2km distance in my first ultramarathon—the Niagara Ultra 50k—having previously run a variety of 5k and 10k races, half marathons and three full marathons. Going faster never interested me; going longer did. As much as I loved the shorter distances, I found something special in the ultramarathon community. I haven’t been able to connect with a running club (with a young family, I have had to be flexible with my running times), but I understand the bonds that runners make there. That sense of belonging, that sense of being seen, that sense of being in a place and a space where they matter: this is the feeling I get in the ultramarathon scene.
It’s the ultramarathon community that has given me the strength to shatter the “never gonna” game. It’s taken me outside Ontario to other provinces and countries, to completing seven 100-milers and countless other ultramarathons, to competing in the Ontario Triple Crown of 100 Milers in 2024 (Sulphur Springs Trail Race, Happy Trails Racing’s Tally in the Valley, and the Haliburton Forest 100). And it is this community—and Sinister Sports who are one of the best in the country at fostering and embracing community—that brings me to this new challenge in 2025.
For more information on the Running Physio, see AthletesCare.com. To ask Lauren a question, email iRun editor Ben Kaplan at ben@iRun.ca.
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Find what excites you about a race and reframe anxiety as excitement.
At the beginning of every training cycle, smarter runners than I am know that it is important to reflect on the lessons of the past. So I have dug into my multi-page (I've made a whole host of mistakes over the years, which are the best kinds of learning experiences!) Google Doc titled, "What We've Learned about Running" (and yes, WE is the right pronoun, but more about that later). Anyone venturing into their first ultramarathon (or runners who are ultra-curious or who are entering into any new distance this year) can learn something from the lessons that I have garnered from a decade of ultrarunning leading into the 2025 SOO 200:
New distances will scare you. A great thing about ultramarathons is there is such diversity in the distances: 50 km to 200 miles; terrain: roads, trails and rail trails; timed events, looped events, backyard ultramarathons (where you run until you can’t anymore). Find what excites you about a race and reframe anxiety as excitement. Utter the refrain: “we get to do cool s***”!
Chafing is enemy #1. You will have different locations that chafe. The back of my neck chafes when I wear corded headphones, my underarms chafe when I wear my race vest, my lower back chafes when I wear my other race vest (maybe I should look at getting a different vest…), and my nipples and nether regions really chafe whenever it rains. Lube thoroughly and lube after relieving yourself and there is a chance that you will get through the race chafe-free. Otherwise, that first shower will definitely remind you what body parts you need to lube up before the next run! Bonus lesson: TMI does not exist for runners, ESPECIALLY ultrarunners.
Others may think that your brain stopped working the day that you registered to take on this ultramarathon challenge, but your brain WILL in fact stop working at some point during the race. Get ahead of this by making certain things routine. For example, going into aid stations, I remember North-South-East-West, which reminds me to check on my Nutrition, Squirrel’s Nut Butter (there is that lube situation again!), Electrolytes and Water.
Clothing makes the man (or in any case, runner). A brimmed cap will keep out the rain or snow better than anything. Have thin gloves to wear as a base layer when wearing big running gloves, as it makes it easier to put the big gloves back on as opposed to trying to finagle sweaty hands into thick gloves.
Both in your racing and your training, do things before you actually need to. As you are enjoying the ultramarathon event or any longer training run, make sure that you eat, drink, lube (see above for my lube manifesto) and sleep (not something that you will necessarily need to do in a shorter ultramarathon, but what I am learning is especially important in running a 200-miler). This means having a plan for how much you consume at regular intervals. Similarly, just as you would eat, drink, lube and sleep before you are hungry, thirsty, chafed or tired, ensure in your training that you strengthen—with strides, hill work, and strength training.
Bad mood is a sign, not a dead end. Bad mood can be cured by a large bolus of food, by (as I learn more about the 200-mile distance) a quick nap, by Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs), by caffeine, or by smiling to another runner or race volunteer.
Let others in and lean on them. Humans are meant to connect, to love and to belong to something greater than the individual. So in addition to this nugget of learning, this is an opportunity for me to be grateful for all the family and friends (and complete strangers that became friends) who have supported my run training and ultramarathon racing: my wife, my dad, Happy Trails Racing volunteer coordinator Byron Guptill (complete stranger that became good friend), Jason and my grandparents, who have crewed me at races; my mom and dad, my mother-in-law and and oodles of encouragement from my kids and my wife (who’s incredible).
Evan McKenzie Penny passed away from pneumonia compounded by his pre-existing mitochondrial disease on October 22, 2024, at the age of 20 in Calgary. It was a devastating loss felt by running communities across the country.
So many people are familiar with Evan and father Blaine, mother Sarah and younger sister Julia Penny, having cheered on the family at many a race as they pushed young Evan in a running stroller because he was unable to walk. The ripple of bright green Mito T-shirts became a constant, defining image at races over the years at home and abroad.
It seemed like every year the charitable TeamMito running crew would dream up an even more creative and logistically complex Guinness World Record challenge to take on at the Calgary Marathon — the most runners (112) linked together to run a marathon, Dave Proctor running 260.4 kilometres on a treadmill for 24 hours, Megan and Rich MacDonald running the fastest marathon handcuffed together…
But no matter how complicated or physically demanding the feats were, the Calgary runners embraced them wholeheartedly — for Evan, for the MitoCanada families. Because there is not yet a cure for mitochondrial disease.
Running has always played a profound part in Blaine’s life and a way to relieve stress after Evan’s 2009 diagnosis of mitochondrial disease causing spastic quadriplegia. Says Blaine: “If there’s one gift through all of this it’s been the running community. Since 2008 when Evan got sick, every Sunday morning I’d get together with a few guys for a run, through all the ups and downs. Every Sunday morning was like our running church, our sanctuary. I’m sure those guys will never know how much that meant to me.”
If there’s one gift through all of this it’s been the running community
Thank You for Reading iRun!
We sincerely appreciate each and every one of you and love making this magazine for you.
Cheering you on towards your big goals in 2025 is our pleasure, and working together to highlight the best shoes, stories and training techniques to create a supportive and healthy environment for all runners is our joy. As always, iRun is free, and if there’s anyone you think would value this content, please add them to our subscriber list.
Always be learning, and follow my training journey online at iRun and the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast leading into July’s SOO 200 by Sinister Sports! Subscribe to John Shep's Athletics Ontario Running Podcast here.
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Time to go green again for the Toronto St. Patrick’s Day Run!
By Sam Laskaris
One of Toronto’s most popular races is just around the corner. The 26th annual Toronto St. Patrick’s Day Run is scheduled for Mar. 16. This marks the second year the event will be staged at the picturesque Evergreen Brick Works. The race, organized by Achilles Canada, will include a 1K Kids’ Run. There will also be 5K and 10K options for participants to choose from.
“It’s flat, spacious, and fast,” race director Brian McLean, who is the volunteer founding president of Achilles Canada, said of the course. The scenic course begins and ends on the Bayview Avenue Extension and includes portions on Rosedale Valley Road. McLean said it was a no-brainer to return to the same venue in 2025.
“People loved the new route and the new venue in the post-race survey,” he said. McLean added the race is a much-admired one on the Toronto calendar. “It’s one of the first races of the year,” he said. “For a lot of participants, this is their New Year’s resolution goal run.”
McLean also said the race is popular because entrants have a fun time with community spirit supporting Achilles Canada, the event’s predominant charity. “We have the race to raise much-needed funds for our Achilles athletes,” he said. “Most of our athletes experience physical disabilities and/or mental health challenges.”
The 2024 race raised more than $100,000 to support Achilles Canada and its charitable partners Easter Seals Canada, Holland Bloorview, CNIB Foundation and Good Foot Delivery. While many of the race participants return year after year, McLean said many first-time competitors are also among those who register.
“It’s a celebration of St. Patrick’s Day,” McLean said, adding many competitors come dressed for the festivities. “We are trying to build upon the best run experience for all run participants. Come out with your friends and family. And please come out in your best green outfit.” The celebration does not conclude when participants cross the finish line. There will be live Irish music at the venue site as well as free food for all and a free pint of beer for participating adults.
Boxes of Lucky Charms Magic Clovers cereal will also be provided to all competitors.
The day will begin at 10 am with the Kids’ Run. Youngsters will be welcomed by our famous mascots, Larkin The Leprechaun and Lucky Charm! The 5K Run will follow starting at 10:15 a.m. And then the 10K Run (two loops of the 5K course) will begin at 10:25 a.m.
Additional race information and registration details are available here!
Matt Galloway on The Current, and His Winter Running Joy
Canada’s most venerable radio personality is also a resolute runner. Here, he tells iRun editor Ben Kaplan why he runs, and doesn’t plan on stopping.
Ben Kaplan: You're running in -17 degree weather. How does that make you feel?
Matt Galloway: Cold. But only for a few minutes. Then alive. I would much rather run in the cold than the heat. Weird, I know.
BK: How long have you been running for?
MG: 15 years or so. I was a terrible athlete as a kid but wish I discovered the sport sooner.
BK: Do you think the sport has changed your life?
MG: Absolutely. It forces me outside and out of my head. It’s the first thing I do when I arrive in a new place and I think it’s shown me things about my surroundings, and myself, I wouldn’t have found otherwise. It’s fun to be fit! My family would also tell you that it puts me in a better mood.
BK: You don't run with music, though you love music so much. How come?
MG: There’s a quotation that I love from the writer Marilynne Robinson: “This is an interesting planet. It deserves all the attention you can give it.” This is one of the few times in the day that I don’t have to be listening to anything, that I don't have to be dialed into something. There’s a lot to see and hear out on a run and my little indulgence for an hour or so is to tune out and pay attention to it.
BK: Your work hours are demanding and your job forces you to be on top of the news and current cultural events. How do you make time to run?
MG: I wake up early. Whether I want to or not...
BK: Did something happen to make the sport click? I know you had your run streak. What took you from jogging to running—how did it stick?
MG: I love the range of people I see out running. All sizes, shapes, ages, abilities, paces … and I love the idea of pushing myself as I get older. I'll be reading on the couch in lousy weather and someone will run by and I think: "If they can do it, I can do it."
BK: Take us out of this issue, my friend. I know you don't do races and aren't running for distance or times. Why do you love to run?
MG: It's one of those things I do just for me. A selfish but super rewarding way to step out of the noise around us. Mobile meditation. I can't imagine my life now without it.
The Current with Matt Galloway is on every weekday at 8:30am on CBC. To hear Galloway online, please click here.
A TRIBUTE TO EVAN PENNY
We Run Together, We Grieve Together
By Danyael Halprin
May we all find new finish lines.
“Running will always be a place that I go to to think about Evan because it was such a big part of processing what happened to him.”
And what an incredibly talented and hardworking runner Blaine is. He’s travelled all over the world to compete in more than 75 ultramarathons and marathons. His fastest marathon time is 2:27 in London in 2022, finishing 2nd in the Abbott World Age Group Championships. Blaine is also a 3x Canadian Ultramarathon Champion and 6x Guinness World Record holder — all focused on raising awareness and funds for mitochondrial disease.
“Running will always be a place that I go to to think about Evan because it was such a big part of processing what happened to him,” he says. “And here we are on the other side.”
Six days after Evan’s passing, the Calgary running community, myself included, showed up for the Penny family. At Blaine’s invitation, we gathered on their street to join him on a run to the crematorium. In attendance were We Run The World Coaching founder and elite runner Melissa Pauuwe and members, the Bow Valley Harriers runners, close friend and Strides Running Store owner Jeremy Deere, close friend and Olympian Trevor Hofbauer, and many others who’ve become an integral part of Blaine and Sarah’s lives through the running community.
One runner who came to support the family was initially hesitant, not being familiar with funeral rites in Canada since moving here from India. People don’t typically run to funerals, I told him. But given the power of running to bring people together, to help heal while processing emotions, and to nurture love and friendship, it just made sense.
Extending the invitation to our We Run the World running group, Blaine wrote: “I often run through the cemetery (near the crematorium) as part of my Confederation Park runs. Running there reminds me of gratitude for the life I’ve been given, the ability to run, and I think about the incredible lives lived by those who are buried there.”
On that chilly fall morning, Blaine led us through his neighbourhood and along the undulating pathway through the park. For a few minutes it seemed like any other run; everyone started their watches to log the run, a few darted into the trees for an inconspicuous wee, and there was the usual chatter about workouts, paces and upcoming races. Until we arrived five kilometres later at the crematorium and the why of our run hit us.
Once inside the funeral home, we were invited five at a time to enter the crematorium and write a message on Evan’s wooden coffin. With indelible markers, we inked our enduring love for this wonderful boy with the biggest smile, who loved being outside and who loved having books read to him. Evan touched so many people in so many ways.
While each person had their moment with Evan, we sat in the pews holding each others’ hands and blinking away our tears. When 87-year-old Calgary running legend Gerry Miller emerged from the room he was overcome with emotion. It was Blaine who consoled him.
For the most part, we runners had only seen each other with smiles on our faces on runs, perhaps struggling through a workout, or shedding tears of joy or disappointment after a race. But we’d never seen each other in this situation. We sat paralyzed by our grief, paralyzed at seeing our fellow running champion in grief. We were all in this together.
When Blaine came out of the room by himself after saying his goodbyes, we were all a bit shell shocked. “We gotta keep running,” said our fearless leader, emboldening us to rise. And so we did.
As the Philadelphia Marathon approached a month after Evan’s passing, Sarah and Blaine questioned whether they should still run it. “Evan would have wanted us to and so I thought, ‘I’m going to take that time and think about Evan. It will be a really concentrated period of processing everything,’” says Blaine. “I like to push myself but in that race I just wanted to go with the flow.”
Sarah and Blaine (for his sixth star) will both run the Tokyo Marathon in March. Also on Blaine’s horizon are the Comrades Ultra in South Africa in June and the NYC World Age Group Champs in November.
On May 10, 2025, the Penny family invites you to join them for a special gathering to honour and celebrate Evan. This will be a fun and casual celebration of his life, filled with laughter, stories, good food, and drinks. For more information, click here.
To donate to MitoCanada, www.mitocanada.org
For the most part, we runners had only seen each other with smiles on our faces on runs, perhaps struggling through a workout, or shedding tears of joy or disappointment after a race. But we’d never seen each other in this situation.
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