The SlipSpeed is, like a lot of Under Armour shoes, one of one in my collection. Under Armour, being a massive company active in lots of areas outside of running, does things with sneakers that more traditional running brands wouldn’t dare try. Take the SlipSpeed, which is a convertible training shoe that transforms into a slipper. How often have you finished a race and had to walk home barefoot, because your foot swelled during your run and now your feet are killing you? I feel like that happens to me almost every time. After all the pounding of a marathon, there’s nothing I want to do more ..read more

The tastiest new dinner my family has been enjoying is Catelli Smart spaghetti, which has two-times the amount of fibre as traditional white pasta, but tastes the exact same as the stuff we usually buy. That the spaghetti, also available in penne and fettuccini formats, is healthy and affordable—especially as my grocery bills continue to rise—makes it an easy choice for my family. As a runner, I eat spaghetti more often than most; and as a parent, I need quick, healthy dinner alternatives that I can make during the week. Catelli, which has been making pasta for 150 years, uses Canadian wheat ..read more

On Sunday, March 26 I had the pleasure of joining hundreds of spectators at the 2023 Around the Bay 30K. It’s well known as the oldest road race in North America—a fact we take great pride in stating as Canadians. It’s also one of my favourite races, having completed it eleven times with six of those as podium finishes. Having just raced the Tokyo Marathon, I knew I wouldn’t be racing this year, but I couldn’t resist not the pull of run.  I had nine of my own athletes racing whom I wanted to support so made the short trip down the 403 to Hamilton to cheer for them and the hundreds of oth ..read more

“Running has been one of the most important parts of my postpartum and motherhood experience—I get outdoors, clear my head, get some fresh air and my children are outside, not cooped up inside and on screens,” says Brittany Arora, whose two children are six and 22-months-old. Arora, who recently moved to Calgary from outside Edmonton, plans to take advantage of the Servus Calgary Marathon’s recently announced on-course Infant Feeding Stations, and says that initiatives like the Calgary Marathon’s on-site kids camp are exactly what running needs to make our sport safer and more inclusive. “Bre ..read more

Mountain Equipment Co-op is a venerable iconic Canadian brand that’s now called Mountain Equipment Company. Started in 1971 in Vancouver by university friends who would sell hiking gear they purchased in Washington, the co-operative became the country’s largest retailer of outdoor gear. Long a home for runners, MEC famously put on inexpensive races in 2012, but the company received flack when it was announced they were purchased by an American holding company in 2020. Still headquartered in Vancouver and gearing up for a huge summer camping season, Adam Ketcheson, trail runner and MEC’s Chief ..read more

I’ve been wrestling with some big questions lately: Why do we put our kids in sports? Why do we as adults continue to—or not to—play sports, including running? What does it mean to have fun?  Linda Flanagan addresses these questions in her book, Take Back The Game: How Money and Mania are Ruining Kid’s Sports—and Why it Matters. Flanagan, a runner herself and former cross-country coach, started asking herself the same big questions about sports and fun. It all started with her kids and the demands on the family to participate in sport, which caused her to first pause to abstract out and ..read more

Geneviève Cantin had a terrible accident and last year, with a new titanium hip, she had to cheer at the Gestev Marathon Beneva Quebec. Now, thanks to rigorous training, grit and determination, Cantin is excited about participating in the half marathon event at her hometown. Here she talks to iRun editor Ben Kaplan about her hometown running scene, tasty Asian food and why Calgary and Toronto both have their charms, but Quebec City is the best place to race. Why are you running the Gestev Marathon Beneva Quebec? It’s simple, because it’s my city—it’s the city where I’ve been living for m ..read more

Ready-to-heat meals are a $200-billion industry and it’s no secret why they work: to get healthy prepared food minus the cleanup and cost of delivery is a boon for any business professional, let alone someone who runs. Time is money and everyone’s stressed, but we don’t want to skimp on nutrition. Factor, a brand launched this month in Canada from the HelloFresh mega-umbrella, promises chef-prepared, dietitian-approved meals, complete with calorie smart, and vegetarian and keto options. Between meals of Factor dishes like vegetable ratatouille and ground beef and thyme cottage pie, iRun edito ..read more

I’ve raced Boston, New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, Erie, Pennsylvania, London—two times—Berlin, and I’ve just completed the marathon in Tokyo. I like racing abroad, though it changes a few things on race day. The following, assuming you might have a race abroad this spring or else one on a bucket list horizon, are tips to help make your run more smooth. Pack your race gear in carry on!  You don’t want to chance it not making it to your race destination. Think of your “pre race gear” or “flat runner/flat me” picture for social media. If it’s going in that pic, it should go in your carry on ..read more

All throughout the Chilly Half Marathon last Sunday in Burlington, the talk amongst runners was about Cam Levins. Levins, a skinny 33-year-old from Black Creek, British Columbia, had just broken the North American marathon record in Tokyo and, while none of us will ever run like him, we all intrinsically understood the significance of somebody working hard, and achieving big things. Setting records. Cam, pictured above in Tokyo after his race with Krista DuChene, had done something many of us intend to do—run the marathon—faster than any other Canadian, 2:05:36, of all-time.  Levins now ..read more