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My Virtual Servus Edmonton Marathon Story

By Gary Poignant

As I took the final step into the driveway in front of our Sherwood Park home, the Ride GPS app map on my iPhone7 hit the 26.2-mile mark. My long, quiet walk was over, and I had accomplished my goal.
After almost five years of excuses, I finally completed another marathon.
And unlike the‏ first 30, this ‘virtual’ marathon was different in every way.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, everyone entering the 2021 Servus Edmonton Marathon was required to complete the distance between August 15 and 31 and enter their time online.


There was no marathon route to follow, no aid stations and no cheering crowd.
But I was not deterred, thanks to a remarkable octogenarian whose inspiring comments provided the only motivation I needed.
I met Fort Saskatchewan’s Roger MacMillan in 2019 while writing a story for a seniors’ publication as he prepared to enter his 112th marathon in Edmonton.
I made an off-hand comment during the interview that I used to run marathons but had stopped due to damaged, arthritic knees.

Continue reading “My Virtual Servus Edmonton Marathon Story”

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A Nostalgic Celebration of In-Person Races

by Katelyn Palmer

With the one-year anniversary of “cancellations” approaching, I’m increasingly nostalgic for those far-too early in the morning race day wake-up alarms. The giddiness and anticipation that months of training may (or may not) result in personal bests (PB) or stretch goal accomplishments. The near universal experience of pricking a finger while trying to safely pin a bib to our chosen shirts. Those moments on the course when you realize the only barrier between the here and now and crossing that finish line is in fact you. Heck, I even miss complaining about the anatomical advantage of cis-gendered male racers who can avoid the unending queues to the porta potties. So, this is a celebration of our deeply beloved but not forgotten in-person races.

Continue reading “A Nostalgic Celebration of In-Person Races”

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Q & A with Photographer Kris Acker

We are fortunate to have several Running Room staff and volunteers kindly share their photos with us. We rely on these pictures to document events and to convey the joy and warmth in our running community.Kris Acker, our Area Manager for Atlantic Canada, is one of those people. She is generous with her time, taking thousands of photos, and graciously allowing us to feature them in our magazine and other publications. Thank you, Kris!

Here is a brief Q & A with her: Continue reading “Q & A with Photographer Kris Acker”

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Instructor Profile/Marie-Andrée Ulysse – Du Parc, Montreal, QC

by Harmony Marin

She is a grandmother, an excellent group leader, a great runner, and our current Half Marathon training program instructor. Marie-Andrée Ulysse is an amazing person who always makes people smile. She has a natural charisma that keeps the group united. With her, things aren’t too complicated—running looks light and easy.

Marie-Andrée has always been running for fun. She ran her first timed 10K in 2012. Her motivation to join Running Room was to complete her first half marathon and in order to do that, she needed to know more about running. She wanted to get a good training program and avoid injuries. In 2014, she joined the Half Marathon clinic at our store on avenue du Parc, in Montreal. At the end of that program, she completed her first half marathon, and has been running with us ever since. Continue reading “Instructor Profile/Marie-Andrée Ulysse – Du Parc, Montreal, QC”

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The Salvation Army Santa Shuffle

by Angela Rafuse

On December 7th, in 37 cities across Canada, more than 16,000 runners, walkers and four-legged friends came together to raise funds for local Salvation Army initiatives. 

In partnership with Running Room, the Santa Shuffle 5K Fun Run and 1K Elf Walk is a family-friendly event designed to raise awareness and much-needed support for The Salvation Army’s programs and services such as food banks, financial assistance for children’s camps, shelter services and more.  Continue reading “The Salvation Army Santa Shuffle”