When we published our list of best fall road races, the comments from our readers came, like a racer, fast: what about trails? It’s a good question and an important one that needs addressing. More and more road runners are turning to trails to get into nature, appreciate the ground’s natural softness and leave the city behind for a more idyllic, interesting setting. So what did our trail running readers come up with? Here are some of the best trail races, to Run Like a Wolf and Feed Your Wild, to borrow a line from the Ultra Trail Harricana of Canada outside La Malbaie, Quebec, both in Canada and abroad.
Old School trail race in the beautiful Haliburton Highlands. Super fun vibe with the camping area being right at the start/finish line. September 9-11, the race offers distances from twelve kilometres to 100 miles, and—celebrating its twenty-ninth birthday—remains as sprightly, joyful and invigorating as ever.
Multiple distances through the remote mountains of the Charlevoix region in Quebec. Amazing views over the mountains and St Lawrence River. Funds raised help fight MS and the race’s slogan tells you everything: Run like a wolf to free your wild. September 9-12.
One of the classic Quebec trail races—the province’s first 100-miler—encourages social involvement through philanthropy, and, at its core, this non-profit raises money for the ULTRAGIVING Foundation. Test your limits of your endurance, and soul. October 7- 9.
Sanctioned by Athletics Canada and sponsored by Merrell, this wildly popular, snow-flecked race at Hilton Falls Conservation Area is organized by the great Happy Trails. The Beav 50K race raises money for Movember, and kicks off November 5.
Distances from 5K to 50K held on the trails in Batawa, Ontario, often raced on top of snow-covered trails. This event started with 24 runners in 2004 and hosted more than 700 rugged souls last year. It’s run on Sunday, November 20 and, as you can tell from the name, is meant to be thoroughly enjoyed.
Maureen Buckley is an inspiration who runs with BlackToe and wrote this classic story for iRun. Here are her favourite trail races. “All of these races—except for the Canada Death Race—have multiple distance options. Most of these I have done, the rest are on my bucket list.”
6-day stage race over 120 miles that’s happening RIGHT NOW. There is also a shorter three-day option (when the shorter options is three days, you know you’re at a serious event). All you have to do is run every day—they do everything else for you. It’s an amazing experience.
23K, 50K or 50K/50m options (you run 50 miles on Saturday and 50km on Sunday). This is a Gary Robbins race and it’s fantastic. Squamish is a magical place. It’s held this weekend and sold-out, but something to think about for next year. Hint: start training now.
You run around Mt. St. Helen’s: 200 mile, 40 mile and 20 mile options. It’s’a seriously tough and seriously remote course. (These are good things!) You have to be pretty self sufficient, but it’s so cool to run around a volcano that once erupted.
Featuring 40 miles, 70 miles, 120 miles (solo!) and 120-mile relay events. This is the one that I was supposed to be doing, but had to pull out because of COVID. The 120-mile distance is considered one of the toughest ultras in the world. Very, very technical terrain (as you can see in the photo above).
Evan Dunfee is a 31-year-old race walker from Richmond, B.C. and his magnetic personality and fun social media feed has made him something of a phenomenon in our sport. Over the weekend, competing at the Commonwealth Games, Dunfee earned a gold medal and set a Canadian record in the 10,000 metre race walk, an event he competed in because his preferred distance—fifty kilometres—was eliminated, despite his protests. With an amazing kick in his last lap, Dunfee wowed spectators and family and friends watching back home. iRun editor Ben Kaplan caught up with Dunfee, who was still on something of a race walker’s high, deservedly, after his race.
iRun: Explain your kick at the end. Was it a concerted attempt to speed up, was it something you planned, and did something trigger in your mind?
Evan Dunfee: Going into the race I knew the pace had to be fast to give me the best chance of getting a medal. I wasn’t sure how fast I was able to go. I didn’t really think a PB was possible because when I walked 38:39 last year I was just in phenomenal shape and the conditions were perfect. But I wanted to go for sub 39 at least, hold on and hope that that was enough. But I was also fine letting others do the work so long as the pace stayed quick. So off the gun the Kenyan went straight to the front and I thought, “sweet, tuck in.” The Kenyan and the Indian exchanged the lead a couple times early on and we went through 1km in 3:50 and I thought that was a little too quick, but whatever we were all together and willing to take it on.
iRun: Were you nervous?
ED: At one point the pace started to slow a bit so I moved to the front, but quickly got passed again and the pace stayed hot. We came through 2k in 7:41 and it was warm (27 degrees) and we didn’t (to our knowledge) have water on the track. So I think it started to slow a little bit after that: 3, 4, 5 were all 3:54 (39 min pace) and it felt pretty comfortable, but I lost a bit of confidence on pushing the pace on so was okay sitting back.
iRun: And what’s going through your mind?
ED: This was the part of the race where I found myself counting athletes in the pack and saying, “Well, I only have to beat x to win a medal.” We came through half way in 19:24 and we had discovered there was a woman standing in lane 5 with water bottles (not making it obvious at all), so being able to keep my mouth wet definitely helped me calm my breathing and brought back some confidence that I could solider on. At that moment Declan kicked off the front. I thought it was a decisive move and had a lap where I thought it was his.
iRun: Wow.
ED: I was at the back of our group in fifth just hoping two guys would crack. By 7km the first guy had cracked and we had started to pick it up going 3:52. I felt great, but the two in front were clearly slowing. I moved around one and, 200m later, I moved around the other and was in second place—chasing, 40m or so back. I felt great and put in a small surge and saw the gap shorten quite a bit so I settled in with lots of laps left too reel him in.
iRun: You were rolling!
ED: By 8km I had gotten on Declan’s shoulder, but was gassed. We had dropped the other racer by a decent gap, but I wasn’t confident that he wouldn’t charge back. The pace slowed again to 3:54 on the 9th km and I was just tucked in trying to hang on. With two laps to go it became clear that Declan might not have a kick in him. I spent the penultimate lap telling myself this was my race, that I could do this, I’ve kicked like this in training I can do it here. We hit the bell and the pace increased—but I found it easy to accelerate. So coming off the bend I kept going, put my head down and said: ‘just get to 200m to go and then you’re clear.’ Coming around the final bend I just tried to keep my feet low and with twenty metres to go started to celebrate.
iRun: What did that last lap feel like?
ED: Honestly, the last lap there wasn’t much feeling. The race had all gone by in what felt like a blink of an eye. 38 minutes—long for some, but incredibly short for me. I had my blinders on. 25,000 people in the stands was crazy and I didn’t want to let it psych me out so I was so zoned in that I never really got the moment of “holy crap you’ve won this thing” until after crossing the line. Tokyo had this hugely raw and guttural reaction that was incredibly overwhelming… this was more subdued. I smiled to myself because everyone else was right: “I just have to believe in myself.” I always write myself off on the shorter stuff. Partly because I love the longer stuff and I think it is a safety mechanism as my body has never tolerated anaerobic training as well as it has threshold work. But I went into this race telling myself I was just going to believe as much as all my supporters believe.
iRun: You’ve been vocal about the 50k, about it being scrapped, and had a tough season all around. When racing, is everything else outside of your mind?
ED: This race everything else was outside of my mind—for sure. I was so turned off. But I’m not the kind of person who shuts off days before to zone in. I was happily scrolling Twitter 90 minutes before the race looking at random Vancouver political and housing news. Usually in the longer stuff I keep my mind free to wander to those sorts of thoughts for the first half of the race, just treat it like a training walk and then in the second half narrow that focus towards the task at hand. But 10km is much too short to do that! I was happy to be locked in.
iRun: Do you still feel as strongly about the 50K now that you’re a gold medallist in the 10,000 metres, or are the two topics not-related? Now that you’re a gold medallist, do you think you’ll have a stronger platform?
ED: I’ll always speak to the value and place the 50km had. On the podium, when I got my medal from one of the WA Council members, I politely told him that he should have done more for the athletes to fight for our event. So in a sense, standing on the podium gives me that bigger platform. I did the same thing in Tokyo last summer as the two handing out the awards were IOC executive board members and I told them that they got rid of an amazing event, and that I hope they feel bad about it and have to carry that with them. They then, in a moment supremely devoid of any sense of irony, complained to the COC for being disrespected. But these are people who would never look me in the eye if not for that moment, so you take your opportunities when they come, because I know I’ll never find myself in the 5-star luxury hotel they’re staying at.
iRun: You’ve been vocal about the support you’ve received from family and friends and how they help you erase your own self-doubt. Can you talk about what that means to you?
ED: The support I have, from both those closest to me to people across the country and around the world, is phenomenal. It takes that support, that team, to succeed. And when we are all on the same page it’s magic. I’m my own worst enemy so I have to lean on them a lot to build me up. Having the more broad support I think is a testament to crafting out a career built on being my authentic self 100% of the time—for better or worse. I think people have appreciated that and while it won’t build me the 400,000 Instagram followers and sponsorship that comes with that, it’s given me a really tight knit group of people who make sharing my journey so much fun.
iRun: It’s interesting hearing you say that you’re your own worst enemy. Can you talk about how, even for all of us middle or back-of-the-pack athletes, how important is it to get a network behind you, to receive community support?
ED: Everyone needs cheerleaders. All our goals are equally important and we need people in our lives who can remind us of our goals and help us stay on track. That’s really what that network is there for. And they’ll share in the ups and the downs and they’ll be there when you need them just as you’ll be there when they need you. It’s community in the purest sense of the word.
iRun: Love that, man. I’ve always found you such a credit to our sport.
ED: My job is amazing, and my passions that fall outside of “job,” but are closely aligned, are ever shifting and evolving. Anyone who has followed me on Twitter will be acutely aware of this shift these days as sport content gets mixed in with urbanism content and municipal politics. I love it, and I don’t use social media in a traditionally productive way (I’m also terrible with Instagram and the like because I find I communicate best with words) and I struggle to be okay with how I choose to use social media and I often find myself getting anxious over not doing it “right.” Especially these days when there is next to no sponsorship coming in it makes it tough. But I think I’d lose a lot of the fun if I started forcing myself to use social media differently. And hopefully sponsors are out there, I just need to find them.
iRun: You will, for sure. And at least you make the whole thing look fun.
ED: The thing that brings me the most joy is my school talks. Getting to put my Olympic medal in every single kid’s hand and tell them my dream to win that started when I was just like them, sitting on the gym floor at an assembly and if I could go on to win it then what is stopping them from going on to achieve their own dreams? And at the same time doing that as a fundraiser for KidSport so that the students can directly help get more kids playing sport and maybe sparking athletic dreams, or if nothing else life long friendships that wouldn’t have otherwise been possible.
iRun: So you win the gold medal; what happened next?
ED: I celebrated the best way I know how, at the track cheering on my teammates, taking pictures with kids wearing my medal, and eating a 4-pack of doughnuts. Honestly, this is the first time I’m thinking about it, but it was 100% on brand.
As a longtime ASICS runner, the KAYANO have been my go to shoe when it comes to distance training. I’m hopeful for a fall marathon, and when the latest iteration of the KAYANO became available I had to give them a try. Admittedly, I also wondered how it was that such a tried-tested-and-true shoe could be improved upon. Turns out, there are more than a few ways to do this. Leave it to the good tech and science crew at ASICS to re-imagine a shoe that was already at its peak performance in my humble option.
Stability is top priority for me. Sometimes finding my footing is not so easy. Admittedly I’m a bit of a clumsy runner, someone who is definitely prone to taking a fair number of missteps now and again. Nevertheless, in the KAYANO, I’ve always trusted that I would be surefooted, and these 29s are no exception. In fact, ASICS has upped its stability game by incorporating LiteTruss construction. Most days, I’m running just before dawn which can make obstructions in my path—breaks and shifts in the sidewalk—a little tough to negotiate. Having the added stability means, even when I’m not noticing the changes in the running surface until my foot hits the ground, I’m able to continue on, rather than other parts of me hitting the pavement that shouldn’t be.
With each foot strike, I’m feeling a little more secure in the knowledge that the LiteTruss material is guiding my foot through my gait. This shoe also gives a more efficient toe-off, which means I’ll have added energy to pick up the pace or keep running the extra kilometres when I need to.
Along with this added stability construction, FF Blast PLUS cushioning in the shoe’s mid-sole also adds energy at the toe-off. From the beginning of my warm up, and throughout my run, the added bounce and comfort on landing made a significant difference in my ability to increase my pace and kept me move forward, a little more energized. As a runner in her late 40s, I’ll take all the extra comfort and energy I can get in a running shoe which not only protects my feet but also decreases the impact on my joints.
Often times shoes that are higher in stability can be heavy, but that’s not the case with this shoe. At 9.5 oz, the KAYANO 29s are the lightest iteration of the shoe, and while the reduced weight may not appear to make a significant difference in your first few kilometres, long distance runners will appreciate the lightness (especially in the final kilometres of longer training runs).
The shoe’s engineered stretch-knit upper maximizes breathability and is made from recycled fibres—one more reason to feel good about choosing this shoe. And while the deep plum and burnt orange colour way may not have your running faster, it definitely offers a sleek look and feel that will put a bit more energy in your step.
How could it not? As far as I’m concerned, when you look good, you feel good and the KAYANO 29s are no exception to this rule. Whether you’re planning to go the marathon distance this fall or adding more mileage underfoot with longer, weekend runs with your crew, the KAYANO 29s will take you the distance—in stability, comfort and style.
Anna Lee Boschetto is a writer, runner and iRun contributor. She lives north of Toronto with her two daughters.
There have now been two significant times that my running, and life, has been drastically improved by Hotel X Toronto. The spot, which is located inside Exhibition Place and just north of the MGT, one of the most popular running routes in the country, is not only luxurious and absurdly conveniently located for a runner in the GTA, but the people go out of their way to ensure your time in their hotel is extraordinary.
I run with BlackToe Running, and we had a 10K during the pandemic. At the time, I hadn’t raced in months and our group—of which there were nearly seventy—was ecstatic to be back racing, and to be back together. It just so happened, and our run was along the MGT, of course, that I was staying at the Hotel X that very weekend to finish my book. Can you imagine my delight at the convenience and the treatment I received from an attendant concierge who helped stock my room with bananas and waters and, in a delightful detail designed to surprise and delight, two craft beers for after my race was finished?
With a menu prepared by celebrity chef Adrian Niman, a runner who heads up the food program for the entire hotel—including the tasty, stylish new dining destination ROSES Cocina—I ate smartly before my race and then gluttonously after my race was through. Options mean everything for a runner, and Hotel X makes you feel home away from home (if your home was a palace where you were catered to day and night).
I knew I liked the place. And then I went once again.
The second time I visited the hotel, I was starting my training for the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, and noticing how out of shape and lazy I’d become. Like all eager runners, I began my training too swiftly—it’s hard to go from zero to one hundred if you’re not an Italian sport’s car—and immediately felt cramping from my toes to my shoulder blades. I didn’t want to get discouraged, training was just starting, and so, after a 30K long run (brutal), I reserved a spot at the rooftop patio at Hotel X Toronto. Matt Black, the hotel’s director of marketing and revenue, is also runner, and he knows how important our sport is to his guests.
Over the city and after my run, sipping a craft beer and munching on sliders, I looked out over Toronto and could see the exact spot where the finish line would be in October. Suddenly, the impossible didn’t seem so daunting and, taking a sip, I remembered to enjoy the ride.
The Hotel X Toronto is a perfect destination for Canadians venturing to the city for the marathon this fall, and also a great place for locals to go to remember that life doesn’t always have to be a struggle. Sometimes, like I’ve now had the good fortune to enjoy two times, we can stop and enjoy the view—even when we’re working as hard as we can to achieve all our dreams. In fact, I might argue, that’s when a place like Hotel X becomes even sweeter.
Stephanie Kay, nutritionist, believes diets are stupid. She says she believes in self-care, and quality over quantity. She’s written two cookbooks and had her heart set on playing in the WNBA growing up. Kay knows about sports and food and that’s why, when she says, “eating for your health means both your mental health and your physical health,” we listen.
“Focus on the quality of the food you’re eating,” Kay says, and mentions that ‘real food,’ anything that’s not processed, will often be more satiating than ‘fast food’ or ‘junk food,’ and thus make portion control much simpler. There’s a reason you can knock off a large popcorn by yourself at the movies, but when was the last time you polished off a bushel of apples? “People can eat multiple bowls of Fruit Loops, but it’s rare to see someone go through a dozen eggs. If you eat just a little bit smarter, portion control—the number one thing behind weight loss—becomes much more natural when you’re eating peaches or carrots as opposed to Kraft dinners or pop.”
Most of us are creatures of habit when it comes to the grocery store and Kay makes the excellent point that if you tweak your grocery list once, the new foods will become part of your routine. And you don’t have to change what you eat. Just, as the fall race season approaches, make tweaks. “You can still buy yogurt, but try the plain kind and add your own fruit (or maple syrup or honey) as opposed to buying the yogurt with the lemon cheesecake flavour,” she says, and reiterates the same idea around cheese: a slice of real cheddar cheese isn’t unhealthy; a dozen slices of processed American Kraft singles might not be the best choice before a run. “The easiest way to ensure balanced meals is to have a template with your food groups—protein, fiber, carbohydrates and fat.”
A typical breakfast for Stephanie, pictured above, might include oatmeal with milk, Greek yogurt and fruit. She also says an omelette with veggies, toast, avocado, chia seed and a protein powder shake is a healthy, nutritious way to start each day (and a can of tuna with crackers and salad might make a good lunch). “If you can make a template for your meals with different food groups, it will help you feel energized and satiated and keep your blood sugar regulated so you’re not running on fumes,” she says. “The easiest thing to do is look at the ingredients on the foods you’re buying—keep your food as whole as possible, which means: the less ingredients in what you eat, the better off it probably is.”
Runners are notorious for putting in the miles and then not doing anything else with regards to their training. And this isn’t only us middle of the pack athletes, but even Cam Levins, who recently broke the Canadian marathon record, said that changing his diet helped him improve his time. Stephanie Kay says not to take a punitive approach to your eating. It’s not the end of the world if you have ice cream or a Big Mac. The point is a gradual shift to your approach to eating. If fifty percent of your calories are less than ideal—pizza and chips—aim to bring the ratio down over time. One bad meal won’t derail your diet, just like one missed run won’t blow up your half marathon. It’s about consistency over time. And, if you can tweak your nutrition in August, by late September you’ll have your new routine ready for fall.
“It’s unrealistic to think anyone would ever not eat ice cream, but the goal is to make it so that when you do eat the ice cream, you’ve balanced it out with the real food—the veggies, the proteins and good fats—you’ve had through your day,” she says. “Stick to simple things and remember that nothing is better than real foods.”
A few other quick notes from Stephanie: there’s nothing wrong with frozen vegetables, exotic doesn’t necessarily mean better (imported berries aren’t better for you than local apples), and you don’t have to spend loads of money to eat well. Shop, in general, along the perimeter of your grocery store, and remember to have fun with food. Life is (hopefully) long and you can tweak your diet all the time.
“Think of your diet like you’d think about money. You might say that you want to save money, but that doesn’t mean that you’ll never spend,” she says. “The point is that you’re paying attention to what you’re buying and if you want something, save up for it. That’s the way to be rich, or in our case, be healthy, over time. It’s about consistency, not about perfection.”
Tata Consultancy Services, according to Michelle Taylor, Head of Global Sports Sponsorships, is a B2B IT company using sports sponsorships to drive purpose and innovation. With offices all over the world, the multi-billion dollar tech brand has also become a global powerhouse in the world of running.
Already the title sponsor of the London, New York, Mumbai and Amsterdam marathons, TCS enters Canada this fall as the title sponsor of Canada Running Series’ Waterfront Marathon.
According to Taylor, “TCS started investing in sponsorships of marquee endurance running events in 2008 as a way of giving back to our communities and building on our belief in healthy bodies and healthy minds. TCS has a global emphasis on fitness to combat the health problems that arise from a sedentary lifestyle and stress. With over 600,000 employees who spend their days largely in front of computers—we want to inspire our employees to move.”
What the company does is partner with the worlds largest organizations transform their business through technology innovations. It’s complicated, finicky work and usually handled behind the scenes. However, after the running bug started to spread across TCS, the brand began to move in the spotlight. Not because, particularly, they wanted the attention. But because they noticed a void in the running community and knew how important running races were all over the world for overall health.
Sparked 15 years ago as an idea from former CEO and now Tata Sons Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran, TCS created an internal platform called Fit4life to gamify movement for their employees. It was such a success that TCS started to look for ways to engage clients and communities leading to their journey into marathons sponsorships. TCS’ investments not only helped drive engagement with their employees and local communities, but their technology advancements and contributions help elevate the sport to help build a better future.
In Toronto, Charlotte Brookes, national event director for the Canada Running Series, says TCS provided energy and ideas to their world-famous race. “When we were first introduced to TCS, we thought they were the ideal partner to take the Toronto Waterfront Marathon and the sport in Canada to the next level,” said Brookes. “With an innovative new focus on technology and sustainability, we’re buzzing to work with TCS and our new family members in London, New York, Mumbai and Amsterdam to bring the latest and greatest to our country.”
TCS is heavily working in Canada and their projects this year include the Pace Port Toronto Research and Co-innovation Centre. During a recent tour of the facility, we saw their approach to electric cars, digital farming and carbon banking, alongside Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development. On the day of our arrival, the company had made a million-dollar donation to the University of Toronto’s Data Centre at the School of Cities.
Taken together, TCS—through its green projects and commitment to running through its sponsorship of endurance sports—is a leading light company that promotes health & wellness both internally for their employees and externally, benefiting communities around the world. Mr. Chandrasekaran, no doubt, would be proud.
“I’ve been a lifelong runner since middle school and I know how important it is to be part of and support this community,” Taylor says. “We couldn’t be more excited to host athletes with all abilities to this year’s fantastic Toronto event.”
For more information on Tata Consultancy Services, please see TCS.com. For registration information for the fall marathon in Toronto, see TorontoWaterfrontMarathon.com.
The Montréal Marathon was begun by a runner and a cyclist and between 1979 and 1990, it became a symbol of pride for Montreal. Started by athletes for athletes—the marathon was the only distance offered—it was a beacon of racing and competition and a sign of the health of marathon running in this country. For a young kid watching his father put on the event, it was mind blowing: there was nothing in the world better than witnessing his father’s dream.
“For my dad to tell everyone he was going to put 12,000 people on the bridge in its first year and actually deliver, it never felt like a race to me, but always felt like a massive event,” says Sébastien Arsenault, president and CEO, taking over the event’s reigns in 2019, just in time for the pandemic. Recalling his childhood and race preparation, Sebastien makes it clear how much the Montréal Marathon always meant to his family. “I remember as a kid helping in the living room with the medals and when you’re small, everything’s bigger, but seeing all the Africans competing and the whole world opening up and the spectators cheering, I couldn’t get over the energy,” Arsenault says. “40 years later, all I want to do is create something that’s just as special for a new generation of runners and spectators in Montreal. I know what it’s like to live out a dream.”
Montréal as a Canadian destination really needs no explanation as a bucket list city to tour between the food and the culture, the art and the people. Arsenault, influenced by races in Paris, Munich and Barcelona, says he’s excited this year to finally invite participants across Canada to his city. He says he’s waited three years for the gun to go off at his starting line on September 25. There’s a marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K, 1K and event combinations ready for runners and Arsenault says he’s not trying to create the event from his youth—not entirely—but rejig the sport for the new runner around the world.
“We’re into the organization of sporting events not for profit, but for passion, passion, passion, and I know it’s a feeling I share with the other race organizers across the country,” said Arsenault, who also hosts the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal on September ninth and eleventh. “A top notch sporting event says a lot about a city, and I feel like for me it’s a big, important opportunity to represent the very best to the world of Montreal.”
Certainly, the very best of his city will be on display during the Marathon Beneva de Montréal and between their Run With Heart Charity Program, events for kids, and competitive elite racing circuit, the event has something for everyone against the backdrop of one of the coolest cities in the world. Sebastien Arsenault says he’s committed to making his event world-class over the long term. In a sense, he’s spent his whole life getting ready for his event this fall.
“I wanted to create something stimulating for the eyes where runners push themselves across a beautiful course and discover the great city of Montreal,” Arsenault said. “It’s like a big family gathering and there’s nothing I love more than seeing all of these people having fun, putting on their running shoes and doing something we love. For me, putting on these races must be in my genes.”
The Marathon Beneva de Montréal begins September 24 and will be covered at length by iRun. For more information, please see mtlmarathon.com.
There’s nothing better than a perfectly made neutral shoe. The Glycerin, one of the world’s most popular running shoes and a sneaker now in its twentieth iteration, is that shoe with as much perfected details that you almost forget what you’re wearing when you’re on your run. When the shoe works, that’s how it should be: it shouldn’t call attention to itself, it should just do its job.
The Glycerin 20 does its job really, really well.
Retailing for $200, the Glycerin 20 is touted as the softest line of cushioning of any Brooks shoe and you really feel that in the ride. Great support from the toe to the heel, the shoe is carefully calibrated—heel height, 81mm—to be responsive and light, but mostly super comfortable. On my long run, I truly felt capable of going forever because the springiness matched the level of comfort to create the sensation of an effortless ride. It was pillowy, even deep into my training.
Some of the additions to the Glycerin 20 include nitrogen-infused DNA Loft v3, which is the secret sauce behind the Brooks’ cushioning. The shoe feels like landing on a sponge, however, it also reacts quickly with the ground leaving the runner back in the air quickly after landing, thus not wasting any valuable time or effort. It’s plush and breathable and the air-mesh upper fits snugly and stays in place: there’s no need to tie your Brooks Glycerin 20 shoes extra tight because the fit feels good. The laces stay tied and the shoe fits well: straight out of the box I was able to wear the 9.5 for 35K and felt terrific.
You do not need to break in the Brooks Glycerin 20, and I always appreciate that with a new shoe. It should fit correctly right away and the Glycerin 20 nails that, as it nails all the other details. I always think, when reviewing new shoes, would I recommend these to my cousin? To my mother? To someone I care about, and whose money I care about, and who I want to love the sport? By that metric, the Brooks Glycerin 20, at $200, is almost a perfect shoe: good for training, good for long runs, and durable enough to get you through your summer and into your races this fall.
It’s a smart update to an iconic line and a shoe I unequivocally endorse.
“I think to run well you have to maintain your confidence at all times,” says Cam Levins, who recently broke his own marathon record with a time of 2:07:09 at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon on Sunday. “No matter what’s going on—whether things go well or go poorly—you can’t lose your belief in yourself, and you can’t lose it in races: You need to believe in yourself at all times.”
Believing in himself is something the 33-year-old from Black Creek, British Columbia has done all his life, and something he doubled down on after setting the Canadian marathon record at the 2018 Toronto Waterfront Marathon and then suffering a string of lacklustre results, including coming in seventy-second at the Tokyo Olympics. Levins says after his Olympic performance that he wanted to rebuild everything about how he trained, how he ate, and how he lived, and the humble pie that he ate helped fuel Sunday’s historic run.
“The really low performance at the Olympics was a turning point for me because I realized I was so far behind the best in the world,” says Levins, who not only increased mileage after that marathon race (240-kilometres-per-week!), but also added strength training to his program and changed his diet. Once worried about caloric intake and body image, Levins decided post-Olympics to eat as much as he wanted to, and to eat clean.
“I concerned myself far less on how much I was eating which is a big change because there were points in my career where I’d try to get to race weight and cut how much I ate and that’s not a healthy way to think about things,” he says, and mentions how seeing high-profile athletes discuss their own weight problems helped the longtime track star think differently about his approach to fuel. “There are some athletes in the world built so completely differently than you are, athletes that you’ll never look like, that it’s important to remember that you don’t need to look like them to be strong, and that your own strength comes just from being yourself.”
Levins is one of the country’s all-time most decorated runners and he lit up the track before turning to the marathon in 2018. He competed in the 5,000-metres at the 2014 Olympics and came in eleventh place in the 10,000-metres at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Earlier this summer, he took first place at the Canadian Half Marathon Championships in Winnipeg and the humble, hulking racer—currently running in Nike Alpha Flys and racing without a sponsor—says that breaking his own record in the marathon is only the start of what’s to come.
He felt strong in Sunday’s race and, though he pushed back a strong urge to puke during the final kilometre, he says the weight training helped him battle as the race went long. All marathoners know that the race doesn’t really begin until 30K and Levins says he was ready to respond to his opponent’s moves—opponents who count as some of the fastest men in the world. “I kept feeling like I had more and more to give and as there were less and less competitors in the race I really felt good in the battle and looked to beat every person I could,” says Levins, adding that the late-race individual competitions are his favourite part of the sport.
“I think it’s very fair to say I could go a lot faster in my next race.”
Levins next race, of course, or next big goal, is the 2024 Paris Olympics. On Sunday, he battled with some of the fastest marathon runners in the world, and Levins says he’s not going to France to show up and wear Lululemon clothes for his pictures on Instagram. He wants to run in the Olympics to win.
“The Olympics will be tougher than Sunday was, but I was right there and I’m prepared to run faster,” he says. “Absolutely I can go faster, and after Sunday’s run, there’s weight behind those words.”
Preparation and tapper were OK going in. We arrived late at the event, and I was only able to bike the run course the night before so I knew the run course was going to be difficult. The goals for the race were 30-32 minute swim, 2:30 bike and 1:50 run on that course. I was ready.
On race day, I woke up at 4:15 am, took in 500 calories: Holos Breakfast with banana and maple syrup. Then things got started. The swim was a wave start so I got started at 7:25 am in wave six. I got away clean and tried to keep up with a few fast swimmers, after making the first left turn, however, is where the chaos began. I must have passed 200 swimmers in the next 15 minutes. The swim in the channel on the return was clean—31 flat, right on pace—eighth in my age group. But the run from swim-out is long, about 300m, so T1 was slow (and big thanks for the wetsuit strippers at the exit—I would probably still be stuck in that wetsuit without them).
Started the bike and felt good, but my heart rate was high at 145. I caught my breath and settled down to 130 and 220w for the first half off the bike. It felt very easy and smooth the entire way. I got passed by two participants during the entire bike ride and got to pass one back before the end. It was a little windy on the return, but I concentrated on head down, and my nutrition plan. At 88K, I got a small cramp, but knew I could coast down to the bike end.
The race was going pretty much according to plan: about 600 calories on the bike, five gels, Gatorade, 1000mg of LMT salt. My bike time was 2:28:44: third fastest in age group, and now sitting in fourth! But the IRONMAN is long and at T2, I put some socks on, and drank half a bottle of pickle juice (pickle juice, no lie, is great). I started the run, and my Garmin screwed up so I had to restart it while running and could feel the same cramp coming. I stopped to pee at 700m into the run and first aid station, and walked up the first hill. At 1 kilometre, I settled in 5:15/km. I wanted to go out at 4:45, but was hesitating because of the cramp. Pickle juice worked (I told you!) and I had no cramps for the rest of the run.
But the IRONMAN is hard. This run course is difficult, so I tried keeping some energy in the tank and walked every aid station: getting water on my head, drinking, and running between each station. My run time was 2:03:00 flat, and I had tons of energy left. Finally, upon finishing: overall 5:09:35, seventeenth in my age group and I’m happy with the overall execution. Plus, a good indicator of what I need to work on.
Thanks, Coach Lance Watson for your continued input and for helping me dial it in, and a big thanks to the Subaru Triathlon Series for putting on a great race and all the volunteers. Also thanks to the Sportstats team for executing what they do best. Now, as for me, it’s on to the next one. Thanks to FinisherPix for the great pics and please, if you have any questions or comments, let us know. We’re expanding our IRONMAN community at iRun and want to know what you’d like for support. How about a live Instagram chat with coach Watson? Let us know!!!
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