Canada’s best mountain runners arrived on Bowen Island on Saturday afternoon to test their mettle on the steep course to the summit of Mt. Gardner and back for the Canadian Classic Up and Down Mountain Running Championships.
Alex Ricard and Andrea Lee were crowned Canadian Champions on the 11km course which featured 750m of ascending and a matching descent.
Ricard explained after the race that he went out hard knowing the uphill was his strength. His ascending accomplishments include winning the Red Bull 400 World Championships in 2019. Ricard had some unexpected challenges on the descent when he sprained his ankle trying to avoid an aggressive off-leash dog. Despite hobbling to the finish in some pain, he hung on for the win.
“I took the race out hard knowing the long uphill section would be my strength. I went over the top of Mount Gardner with the lead and felt that I was descending well but unfortunately, I took a fall when an unleashed dog jumped at me,” said Ricard. “Despite a sore ankle, I was able to continue to on and was able to hold on to my lead and take home my first Canadian championship title. I hope that my recovery from today’s fall is quick and look forward to representing Canada at the 2021 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand.”
Lee came away with the victory thanks to a strong descent. She was in second place near the top of the climb, trailing Lindsay Carson – the eventual second place finisher – at the summit. Both Lee and Carson are experienced trail and road runners. Carson has an impressive list of credentials, including representing Canada at the World Cross Country Championships on three separate occasions.
Qualifying spots for the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships were up for grabs at the race. The top two in each race automatically qualified for the World Championships. In addition to the winners, Carson and Shaun Stephens-Whale secured their spots at the World Championships. Stephens-Whale is a training partner of Ricard’s and ran a consistent effort to ensure his qualification for the World Championships.
“Alex (Richard) and I are training partners and so I know how strong of a climber he is. As a result, I started the race a little more conservative knowing that my only chance at catching him was if I had good legs on the downhill. That said, he had a good day, despite his fall, and I couldn’t make up enough ground on the descent,” said Stephens-Whale. “Overall, I am really pleased with my effort and felt the course was very honest, bringing out the best in myself and the rest of the field. I am thrilled to have captured an auto qualifying spot for Worlds and look forward to representing Canada in Thailand.”
Local Katie Brougham used her local knowledge of the trails to her advantage and ran a strong race to round out the women’s podium. Jessie McAuley finished third to make it a sweep for Squamish in the men’s race.
