Kelsey Runs the Squamish 50 Today
Hi everyone,
It's Adam, writing from my parents' kitchen table, to let you know that today (Saturday), starting at 5:30am PT (8:30am ET, 9:30am AT, 10:00 NT, etc.), Kelsey is running the Squamish 50 (miler).The race doubles as the 2023 Canadian Mountain & Trail Running Championship, which means, well, a few things (I'm not sure exactly what, but it sure sounds cool!).
You may have noticed that this race is only 50 miles (80km). This means that it only lasts for one waking period (so no going to bed and waking up to find out that Kelsey is still running this time), so let me get right to explaining how to follow the race:
Live Coverage: Starting at 10am PT (1pm ET, 2pm AT, 9:30 NT, etc.) you can watch live race coverage on Youtube. Kelsey might be about halfway through when coverage comes online.
Checkpoint Timing: When an athlete passes through a checkpoint, their times will be posted. These might not be 100% live, but they'll give you the best indication of the whole leaderboard.
Live Tracker: Some of the athletes (31/500), including Kelsey, have live trackers with them, so you'll be able to see their progress in real-time. This is the first year that this race has used live trackers so you never know if they'll be perfectly accurate. Also, a quick caution that there are more runners in the field than runners with trackers, so this feature will show you Kelsey's position relative to the other runners with trackers, not her overall position in the race.
I'm not in Squamish, so I'll be following Kelsey's little dot around the map with everyone else today. If you want to talk during the race, head on over to our Telegram group and we can get deep into ultra-trail running together.
A few more storylines to think about during this race:
Once Kelsey finishes this race she'll have less than two weeks to get her body, mind, and soul ready for the legendary 100+ mile (170km) Ultra-Trail Mont-Blanc.
The winner of the Squamish 50 receives $2000 (2nd = $750, 3rd = $500).
In 2018, Courtney Dauwalter, one of the greatest ultramarathoners in the world, set the course record for the Squamish 50, in 8:22:15. A new course record earns you an extra $1000 (just saying...).
The Squamish 50 has 3500m of ascent and descent. By comparison, the Québec Mega Trail 100 miler has 6500m of ascent and 6250m of descent.
The race takes place in the midst of states of emergency in BC and the Northwest Territories. How are you experiencing and putting words to these moments of climate-crisis? How can adventure athletes challenge the dominant and hurtful climate-changing beliefs, cultures, and systems that make life difficult for many beings on earth?
Gary Robbins, Canadian ultramarathon legend and (more importantly) Newfoundlander, is a Founder and Co-Race Director of the Squamish 50.
Lastly, we are grateful to Kelsey's supporters (Erica, Fraser, Callista, Trish, Emma, Madeline, and the bear that welcomed Kelsey to Squamish this morning) out in British Columbia for giving her places to stay, making her feel welcome, and for volunteering to get out on the course to encourage her with cheers, claps, and frozen things!
-Adam (with Kelsey's input from Squamish)
PS - Thank you to Norda for supporting Kelsey with shoes and pre-race gear. Check out Norda's post about the pair of shoes that Kelsey wore to win the Québec Mega Trail 100 miler in July.
