10 Vancouver ultra runners to catch up with on Instagram

Aug 4 2017, 1:59 am

Ultra runners are beyond a doubt some of the most dedicated athletes out there.

It takes a special breed of crazy to wake up at 4 am, go for a 30 km run and then live a regular life on every other front.

Outside of the extreme carb loading, the average human couldn’t do what these guys do. If you want a peek inside of the lifestyle, check out these 10 Vancouverites crushing quads daily on the gram.

Garyrobbins


After narrowly missing the race cutoff for the Berkley Marathon earlier this year Gary has let nothing deter him from ultra running. If you’re looking for a sports hero, Gary is beyond a doubt the most qualified guy around.

I know I just posted about the 3rd anniversary of Ridgeline Athletics, but this past weekend was an even bigger celebration as we made it to year five for the Coast Mountain Trail Series! I guess March is a good month to launch a business 🙂 The CMTS is one of my proudest accomplishments, because​ nothing about this journey was ever “safe” and most it was even foolhardy, yet here we are, five years later, still kickin it. This race series was a labour of love for far too long, and quite honestly after two years my business partner Geoff Langford and I just didn’t think we’d survive to see it through to a fifth year. Unlike my claim that I often forget coaching is a job, I’ve never once forgotten that race directing is a job, because it’s far harder than I ever envisioned it could be. Race directing is a high stress environment, and as long as you get all 657 things right in advance of, and on race day, then everyone is happy and the good times roll. Miss just one of those 657 critical items and things can go south in a hurry. If I’ve learned one thing over the years it is this, find good people, keep good people, and then empower and entrust those good people. There were a lot of emotions deep down inside as I sang Happy Birthday with over 200 of my closest trail friends on Sunday. We encouraged people to dress up for the day and my outfit is an actual 1980s Norwegian Alpine Ski Team outfit, which I proudly complimented with some golden locks. Mr. Mark Fearman found this beauty at the Whistler Reuse It Centre over a decade ago and when he moved to Australia I inherited it. It’s a little known fact that I’m always looking for an excuse to dress up in costume and the 5th birthday of the Coast Mountain Trail Series was all I’d hoped it would be and more. Thanks to each and every runner who has believed in us and trusted us with their race experience(s) over the first five years. Here’s to five more!

A post shared by Gary Robbins (@garyrobbins) on


Thehilaryann

Hills on hills for hil😝. While my body didn’t love the fact that team @inov_8 spent the day before our race last weekend practicing hill climbing techniques and insanely steep descents with the incredible @ben_mounsey (hello quads😳), it did remind me that there’s a lot of value in working on these techniques (oh and consistently strength training😬). • • • Case in point: at the race on Sunday, I struggled to find my groove on the 5 mile climb, and decided to just conserve energy and try to catch everyone passing me on the descent. Because of this, at the turnaround I felt pretty fresh, and ended up flying past a ton of racers and more than making up the time I lost. I went from far outside the top 10 to 6th, simply because I moved over the downhill terrain faster. I’ve spent a lot of time in the last few years working on my downhill abilities because it used to be my biggest weakness, and becoming more confident on technical downhill terrain has 100% made me a better racer. It’s well worth the time spent, especially when you realize that you aren’t working any harder, just moving more efficiently. So go find a hill you hate and get hammering! 📸: @jamescarnegiephotography

A post shared by Hilary (@thehilaryann) on


Even outside of ultra running Hilary can stand her ground as one of Vancouver’s best Instagrammers. Her feed is full of epic views, heart felt captions, and hilarious wipe outs caught on camera.


Haileyvandyk


As the co-founder of the Run Like a Girl movement, Hailey is committed to inspiring female runners around the world. Be sure to check out her running journey on Instagram.


Tara.trails


Just a girl and her pooch, hitting the trails and staying there till the sun goes down.


Adameloso


Mountain runner and hill chaser. Making the uphill grind look easy one day at a time.


Joshbarringeris


Short-short lover and distance runner. Josh gets up to some interesting adventures, always dressed to the nines in Arc’teryx.


Jpelletier


Team Salomon Canada, Suunto & Clif Bar ultra runner & filmmaker. Just your average Vancouverite Demi God in the making.


Briceferre

Snowboarder Vs Trail Runner? Challenge accepted!! Making friends on the mountain. :🏃🏻🏂 📷: @haileyvandyk

A post shared by Brice Ferré Studio (@briceferre) on


Adventure photographer and trail running goofball. Follow along for epic mountain views and photos of fellow ultra runners soaking in the alpine sun.


Katie_s_mills


If you’ve hiked it, Katie’s ran it. Don’t feel bad if she sprints by you on the trails; she is an ultra runner after all.


Vancouverrunner


Always chasing that next running high, hitting the trails and wearing Lulu’s is what gives this ultra runner joy. A real inspiration to anyone looking to up their game.

Sam SchonewilleSam Schonewille

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