Whistler UTMB 100 km - Third Time's a Charm

This was my third time taking on this race, and it has become a meaningful part of my running journey. The first two years, the race fell on my birthday weekend, making Whistler a particularly memorable place to celebrate another year.

This year was different. My birthday wasn’t tied to race weekend, but I had another motivation: collecting Running Stones toward an entry into the UTMB Mont-Blanc lottery ( the Super Bowl of trail running ) . I arrived in Whistler with seven stones already collected, and this race added three more, bringing my total to 10 stones. Every stone brings me a little closer to the possibility of one day standing on that start line.

After everything that went into getting to Whistler this year, I wasn’t sure exactly what race day would bring. I had dealt with an injury, adjusted my training and race plans, and spent plenty of time wondering whether I was ready.

But I made it to the start.

And this time, the race would be 103 km according to my Garmin, with a brutally difficult final section, a running vest malfunction, and a thunderstorm waiting for us over the last 20 km.

I finished in 21:27.

I was 165th of 228 overall, 30th of 37 women, and 3rd in the 55–59 age group.

Most importantly, I finished—and after the day I had, I was incredibly happy to cross that finish line.

The reasons I enter this event? I love Whistler’s alpine environment, and the Scandinave Spa is always a recovery reward.

Training and Getting Ready

My training leading up to the race included early-morning Peak Endurance Wednesday workouts, longer trail runs on the weekends, strength training, swimming and biking for additional low-impact training, and yoga.

Sadly, Fat Dog was cancelled due to wildfires. I was supposed to pace Patrick Wheatley for the last 40 km—from Blackwall Peak to the finish—of his 120-miler. Instead, that weekend I did three days of backcountry camping at Forbidden Plateau with David Marlor, which included a hike to the summit of Mount Albert Edward.

I never enjoy tapering, but I know it’s important before a long race. I figured I had enough “hay in the barn” to complete the distance.

Dealing with peroneal longus tendinopathy and a 7 mm tear, I had weekly physiotherapy maintenance treatments, specific physio exercises and K-taping prescribed by Physiotherapist Patricia Rooney, a talented ultra-runner herself, who was also competing and winning the Whistler 25 km on Sunday

Left to right : Fei, Bing, Yan , Sara and me .

Friday, August 21 — Day Before the Race

Friday I travelled by car with Sara Li, who was also racing the 100 km, along with her friends who were doing the 50 km and 25 km. The Tesla was fully loaded, and we booked the 10:45 a.m. ferry from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay.

We arrived in Whistler around 2 p.m. I checked into my accommodation at the Whistler Athletes’ Centre, then ran to Function Junction to get a scone from Pure Bread for the morning. I took a bus to Spruce Grove to get registered and attend the pre-race meeting.

After the meeting, I took the bus back, made my Marathon Bolognese sauce from the Run Fast, Cook Fast, Eat Slow cookbook by Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky, and had it with gluten-free pasta for my pre-race dinner.

I made my dinner in the kitchen alongside the Winter Paralympic athletes who were staying there for training camp. Then it was time to get my gear organized for the morning, shower, tape my foot, stretch and try to sleep by 9 p.m.

I never sleep great the night before a race, knowing I needed to get up at 3:15 a.m. for the 5 a.m. start. A 50 km runner, Joomin Yeom, who was also staying next door, offered me a ride to the start line. Both the 100 km and 50 km started at 5 a.m.

It was a restless sleep, with many trips to the bathroom in the hallway.

Saturday, August 22 — Race Morning

Up at 3:15 a.m.—no alarm. One hour before we leave.

I made my French press coffee and ate my scone, then got dressed for the big day.

A friend of Joomin’s drove us to the start line in Creekside Village, about 10 minutes away. Getting out of her vehicle, I noticed my Salomon 12 running pack was missing one of the two hooks that attaches to the QuickLINK bungees on the front to secure it.

Oh shoot. How did I not notice that?

More stress to add to my pre-race anxiety.

I had all the mandatory gear, plus 1.5 litres of water and two 500 ml flasks of Tailwind nutrition. My pack was full to the brim.

I asked a volunteer if he had a zip tie to hold it together in case it fell apart out on the course. Thankfully, he did. If I secured it, though, it would mean I’d be locked in and couldn’t take my pack off.

Pre- race nerves with Allister McRae and Katie Quast race morning .

I saw Katie Quast and explained my dilemma 15 minutes before the race start. She assured me she had run with the pack with one hook before.

“It will be fine.”

While loading the GPX map onto my Garmin Fenix 7, Alister McRae appeared—cool as a cucumber.

He was originally registered for the Fat Dog 100 km race that had been cancelled. I kept reminding him there was still room in the Whistler UTMB race.

“Don’t let your training go to waste.”

I guess he succumbed to FOMO!

It’s comforting to be in a mob of strangers in a race with people you know. In the mix was Greg Carson, also doing the 100 km, and Sara Li was somewhere in the crowd.

The pro men and women went first, and we slowly shuffled up to the start line to take off at 5:05 a.m.

The Start

It was a conga line up Whistler Mountain to the summit. It was slow and steady, with no place to pass people.

A bit frustrating, for sure, that we had the 50 km runners in the mix. I passed Fei, who was doing the 50 km, early on and wished her well.

I was trying to stay relaxed, knowing we had 5,100 metres of elevation to climb on the day. It was getting light, and the sunrise was amazing over the mountaintop views.

Steadily climbing, I sipped my Tailwind and water, aiming for 200 calories per hour. I know if I start to feel grumpy, I need to fuel.

Some guy pipes up, “Did any of us get dropped on our heads when we were a baby?”

Everyone laughed.

Ha ha—meaning we are all a little crazy!

I passed through the Middle of Nowhere aid station around 9 km without stopping. People were stopping already?

Once I got up to Roundhouse aid station around 21 km, I refilled my two flasks with my pre-packaged Tailwind and water. I always carry my own nutrition; I never rely on aid stations. I stick with what I know works for my stomach.

I was surprised to see Sara Li here. I thought she’d be way ahead, and we got a quick photo op. She said she was so hungry.

The aid station was very congested, and I felt bad for the volunteers scrambling to help people. I gave the volunteer who helped me refill my water my bracelet—she was awesome!

I saw Katie Quast getting in and out of the aid station like a bat out of hell.

One of my goals was to be more efficient in the aid stations, but this was a slow start. I did the best I could here.

The familiar Alpine Loop I remembered was rocky, technical and hard to get into a rhythm. I just did my best: let people pass when safe and keep moving.

One woman said from behind, “Excuse me, miss, can I get by?” in a rather harsh tone.

“Of course,” I replied.

I later passed her and didn’t say a word.

Most people are nice, but seriously—it is a race, not life or death here.

As I’m running along, I overheard some chatter from people who had done the race last year and were talking about how they had no views and it was cold and rainy.

A man with a strong accent and a camera started running alongside me and interviewing me.

“I overheard you did the race last year. How does it compare to this year?”

I’m trying to focus on the trail while responding to his questions, mentioning my Salomon pack malfunction, but it seemed to be hanging on.

Arriving into Big Burn One, I stopped for a quick Tailwind refuel and water. I was scared to take off my pack in case the last hook broke off, but the volunteers were great. They just pulled the bladder out of its pocket, filled it up and I went on my way.

The weather felt hot, and I was drinking constantly.

Starting up the long, arduous climb I remembered from last year, I went slow and steady. I was feeling good here, almost giddy.

Isn’t this fun?

Some of the pros were already on their return down the stairs. That really puts things into perspective.

Inspirational Quotes to keep us climbing !

Body felt good. Foot felt good. I just kept chugging along.

I passed a few guys who seemed to be struggling. Sorry, I don’t think some of them liked being passed by a woman, but we were encouraging each other and they commented on my compression socks.

I was sweating like crazy and glad I chose to wear sun sleeves and gloves for better grip on my poles. Any cool breeze felt refreshing!

I was starting to feel a bit low and reached for a NAAK gel I had taken at the aid station. It reminded me of tapioca pudding consistency. I forced myself to eat it—I didn’t want to bonk before the next aid station at Rendezvous, around 34 km.

Unfortunately, I learned that a lot of runners didn’t make the cutoff here.

I did see a couple of Sara Li’s friends who were volunteering at this aid station. They helped me get in and out as quickly as possible, refilling my Tailwind and water bladder.

One of them assured me, “You’ve got lots of time. Relax.”

I think I was 40 minutes from the cutoff here—too close for comfort, but I made it.

The food selection wasn’t great, but I grabbed some orange slices and headed out.

I was leapfrogging with a woman named Steph. She had an Ironman tattoo on her calf, so I asked which Ironman she did. I’ve done a few Ironmans in my day, so it was nice to have a trip down memory lane.

I couldn’t keep up with her on the downhill single track, but I’d catch her on the climbs.

Arriving into Big Burn 2, around 50 km, the crowds were cheering loudly. It was crazy!

I told Steph I was going to change my shirt and sports bra, but not to wait for me.

I decided not to change my runners as planned. Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke!

After refilling Tailwind and water again, Steph grabbed a bottle of Coke and we headed out of the aid station together.

Oh, now this stupid section was hardly marked, and I remembered where to go from last year. There was one speck of an orange flag on the ground, hanging onto a wire.

Really?

At this point in the race, your brain gets tired and you need a neon sign saying, “Go this way,” with a big arrow pointing in the direction.

We crossed this parking lot and then went straight downhill towards Whistler Village.

Steph and I running through Whistler Village

This was my favourite part of the race!

Steph and I ran through the village with people cheering us on. It took me back to the Ironman Canada Whistler race running through town. It was so exhilarating!

I joked, “We should stop for a beer!”

LOL.

We continued running until we came to the Valley Trail. It was nice to run on paved trail and turn the brain off for a while.

Steph said she wasn’t feeling great, so I went on ahead. I’m sure she would catch me.

I kept looking back, but I didn’t see her. I learned sadly she did not finish .

I kept running along and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a big black bear!

I yelled, “Bear!”

There were some people on bikes who didn’t seem concerned. It was far enough away and disappeared into the trees. I’d hoped I’d see one, and now I did.

I didn’t feel scared.

Running back now into the trails, it was starting to get dark. Adam MCConnellwas running/hiking behind me and we chatted a bit. I kept saying, “Let me know when you want to pass. I’ll pull over.”

Hike the hills, run the flats and the downhills.

Keep it slow and steady, in a trance.

Later I was chatting with another runner named Adam, a local Whistler ski patrol coordinator with four kids. His family met him at certain points along the course. I thought that was so special!

A woman in her 60s I leapfrogged with for a bit was hiking the course at a fierce speed—so impressive! She mentioned she wasn’t great in the technical sections, but she was moving extremely well.

The Night

Weather Check aid station, around 69 km.

I refilled Tailwind and water here and grabbed a handful of chips, leaving as quickly as possible, thinking Adam was ahead.

I didn’t see any runners ahead and wondered if I had missed a turn or was even on course.

I had my AirPods listening to my playlist, “10 Stones to UTMB Chamonix.”

I turned back and saw two headlights coming towards me.

Oh, thank goodness.

It was Adam and another young guy. They passed me on a mission. There was another woman with them.

It was getting dark, and I didn’t want to run alone, so I had to work hard to catch them.

Eventually I did, and we were back on the Valley Trail when the rain, thunder and lightning started.

I had my Gore-Tex Arc’teryx lifesaving shell with hood. We stopped under a tree to put our jackets on.

At least it was warm.

The lightning lit up the sky. It was pretty cool, but at the same time I was worried they could call the race.

The rain showers were so heavy I wanted to take a video, but my iPhone 16 Pro was too wet and my music stopped working.

This was getting real.

I was happy to have company.

Adam was having a tight hamstring. Tanner, the young guy, took off running and I couldn’t keep up. I walked/ran, later getting passed by Trula Timpane.

She was flying as if she were running a 10 km race!

The hydration station and the volunteers were awesome !

I was feeling demoralized.

I stopped to take off my jacket and kept going to the Spruce Grove aid station, around 87 km.

We were warned by volunteers at this aid station that the course was marked poorly in the next section and people were getting lost.

Great!

Adam, Trula and I agreed to stick together in this section. Adam was leading the way.

Trula Timpane climbing some steep technical terrain in road Hokas !

Tula was wearing road Hokas and was struggling on the rocky, technical, steep climbs.

I was thinking, “Holy cow , are you serious? What masochist came up with this section so late in the race?”

We had one rock face with a rope to rappel down, too!

I’m glad I wore gloves.

I was coasting on fumes and out of my Tailwind at this point. We were moving so slowly, and I wanted it to be over.

Tula graciously offered me a gel that tasted like mango. It was light and refreshing.

Adam went ahead. Trula’s headlamp was dying, and she didn’t have a backup.

I was lighting the way with my UltraSpire waist belt and Petzl headlight.

The last 3 km we came out onto some road section. I lent Trula my headlight so she could go on her own to finish line.

I couldn’t keep up with her. So close to the finish, I could hear cheering.

I passed a male and female where we almost made a wrong turn, and I coasted into the finish line.

We made it!

I was greeted by Sara Thornber, who won her age group in the 50 km in just under 8 hours , and Trula and saw Sara Li and her two running buddies. We came in together, literally seconds apart.

So crazy!

Post-Race Recovery

103 km, 21:27, 5,100 metres of elevation, third in my 55–59 age group, and three more Running Stones toward my dream of getting into UTMB Mont-Blanc.

Ten stones now.

It’s still a long shot, but you never know!

One of my favourite reasons for coming back to Whistler is the Scandinave Spa—and after this race, I definitely earned it!

After everything we’d just put our bodies through, it was the perfect way to spend the day.

I also treated myself to a post-race massage with Pavol, an RMT at the Scandinave Spa. As an RMT myself, I always appreciate a good massage, and it was pretty perfect to be on the other side of the treatment table for once!

Then came eight hours of the Thermal Journey—hot pools, cold plunges, relaxation rooms and plenty of time to simply soak it all in.

I spent Monday with Katie Quast, who absolutely crushed the 100 km race. We started with some much-needed retail therapy, followed by coffee, reminiscing about the race and eventually a cocktail.

Hanging out with Katie Quast in Whistler Village .

It was time to say goodbye to Whistler and fly home via Harbour Air . A pretty spectacular way to end the trip, with one last bird -eye view of the mountains .

After the training, the nerves, the malfunctioning vest, the heat, the bear, the rain, thunder and lightning, the technical trails and that absolutely brutal final section, it felt pretty incredible to simply relax.

My new yoga wallet in my favorite colour .

This was my third time taking on this race. The first two years, it fell on my birthday weekend, and this year Whistler gave me a different kind of birthday adventure—one filled with 103 km of mountain trails, 5,100 metres of elevation, three more Running Stones and memories I’ll be talking about for a long time.

There were plenty of moments when I wondered what I was doing out there, but that’s exactly what I love about ultra running.

You never know what’s around the next corner.

Sometimes it’s a bear.

Sometimes it’s a thunderstorm.

Sometimes it’s a rock face with a rope.

And sometimes, after 103 km, it’s a finish line.

Three more stones in the bank.

Ten total.

Maybe one day I’ll be standing on that start line in Chamonix.

Thank You’s

A huge thank you to all the volunteers and everyone who makes this race possible. From the aid stations to the course, start and finish line, and all the countless jobs that go into putting on an event like this, these races simply wouldn’t happen without you. Thank you for being out there supporting us for so many hours!

There has been plenty of discussion and controversy surrounding this year’s event . I know runners had different experiences, and I can only speak to my own. For me , there were definitely challenging moments , but I’m choosing to remember the race for the people, the adventure , the beautiful mountains and the fact I made it to the finish line .

Thank you to my coach, Matt Cecil, for guiding my training, keeping me moving forward and helping me navigate the ups and downs of getting to the start line this year.

A special thank you to my physiotherapist, Patricia Rooney, for helping me manage my peroneal longus injury with weekly treatments, specific exercises and K-taping. It definitely took a team effort to get that foot to the start line!

Thank you to Nicole Ballard at Field Day Salon , my hairdresser and the person responsible for my fabulous purple hair! Because if you’re going to run 103 km through the mountains, you might as well have purple hair doing it.

And of course, thank you to the Peak Endurance Wednesday crew. Those early-morning workouts aren’t always easy to get myself to, but the people, the suffering and the laughs make it worth it. So grateful for this crew and all those Wednesday mornings!

Harbour Air views you don’t see from a car !

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the race, whether you made it across the finish line or not. Getting to that start line and taking on a challenge like this is an accomplishment itself. And for those who didn’t quite make it this time—maybe next year!