18 Sep 2010 - 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM
100 km Loop Canmore – Kanaskis – Canmore, , Canmore, Alberta
When MitoCanada achieved its official charitable status in April of this year, Blaine Penny’s good friend, Duncan Marsdon (whose law firm BLG provided pro bono support to get the charity registered), said “So what are we going to do now to fundraise? How about we run from Jasper to Banff through the backcountry trails in one go!”. After pouring over the maps and with limited time for planning, the run was eventually whittled down to a 100 km mountain trail run through Kananaskis Country that started and ended in Canmore.
As we all know, there are a lot of logistics involved in organizing a running event. Mother Nature decided to throw one last hurdle at the run the day before the event, by dumping a foot of snow on the high points of the route. However, Mother Nature was kind enough to give the runners a twenty-hour window of glorious weather to get the work done.
Tony Smith of SMITHEVENTS put his hand up to take on the role of Run Headquarters and provided support throughout the event as well as a great start/finish set-up. Cinematographer, Neil Webb, was also on route capturing footage throughout the day as part of a documentary that will be made from the run.
The storms of the previous week broke just in time to reveal stunning snow capped peaks as the runners gathered in Beamer’s Coffee shop, with less than 3 hours to go before the start, to decide if the route was still doable with the added snow. The verdict – it was a go!
As the sun set, giving way to moonrise, the runners contemplated the daunting task ahead. 
The group of 14 split into 3 separate ‘pods’ with the first 2 groups leaving Canmore at midnight and Blaine’s elite sweeper pod leaving 3 hours later.
Route finding in the darkness would prove difficult once the runners left the gravel road after completing the first 37 km and as the lead group gained elevation and the snow depth increased to over a foot. Breaking trail added significant difficulty for Pod 1. Duly noted by large lettering left in the snow for Pods 2 & 3 to follow… “YOU OWE US BEER”
Nearing the summit, runners were rewarded with an incredible panoramic view as the rising sun revealed neighboring peaks shrouded in low-lying cloud.
After about 17 to 18 hours of running the runners finally crossed the finish line completely exhausted, but still smiling of their great accomplishment. The event was successful in raising awareness through several articles in print and a couple of TV interviews and raised close to $35K.
Here are a few quotes from participants on the day.
• “Knowing that I was doing this run for a cause like MitoCanada really infused me with extra energy. I realize that I’m so lucky I have a body that is healthy and strong enough to be pushed to the max, and being able to use that gift to bring awareness to a disease that challenges others’ bodies on a daily basis really seems like a great fit. I had some lows, felt physical pain, but reveled in the support and motivation I received from the other runners, our supporting crew, and knowing that people like Evan were out there benefiting from every single step. What an awesome day!!” – Liza Pye
• “Through this event, MitoCanada and Mitochondrial Disease has gotten a lot of awareness and many more people now know what the disease is who previously didn’t. We far exceeded my fundraising expectations and will have raised over $30K on this run alone! I am still blown away by how enthused everyone was to help out with organizing and fundraising, many I had never met before. I was so happy to have my family out there and for them to be part of this. I think it is really important for Evan to see what we are doing and I always tell him why we are doing things and that I hope it is going to eventually help make him better. Each and every one of you give Evan inspiration and hope for him to keep his ultra marathon going. ” – Blaine Penny
• “I felt extremely honored to have been able to play a small role in the HUGE success of this event. I can’t wait to do it again next year. Together we can help find a cure for Mitochondrial Disease.” – Tony Smith
• “Running this 100km Ultra over and through the mountains was a small sacrifice on my part when compared to the lives of those living with Mitochondrial Disease. Yes, I was “Running on Empty” towards the end of the event, but by doing it we have contributed to raise awareness and funds for MitoCanada, certainly a worthwhile endeavor!” – Andrew Fairhurst
