Kat Stone

Canmore 5 Peaks Race

          It was the perfect day for a running race. I woke up to an absolute downpour. Hopefully the trails will be VERY muddy by race start. Unfortunately, as I headed up to the Nordic trails, the rain trickled to a stop. I was entered in the 7ish kilometer “Sport” category. Despite having lived in Canmore for the past 4 months, I was amazed on my pre-race walk with just how little of the trails I recognized. I was also mildly disappointed with the lack of mud; there will be no free rides down the hills like I had in Sundre’s race. There I landed awkwardly at the top of a muddy hill and slid all the way to the bottom!

            Once I started racing, I was once again amazed at the camaraderie in running. When we hit the single-track, the fellow running behind me saw me use the trees to slingshot myself around corners. He then let others in on the secret to “use the trees!” And when I wandered off course near the end, he called me back to the course.

Overall, it was a strong race; I was happy with how strong my running felt. I won the women’s Sport category and was 4^th overall. This was the series finale; I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that I was ranked 2^nd in the overall women’s sport 20-29 category. A nice finish to the running season!