Athletics Ontario Running Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with Erin McDougall of Dirty Soles Trail Running, to talk about the evolution and heart behind one of Ontario's most community-focused race organizations. Erin shares his journey from taking over the legendary Fat Ass Trail Run in 2018 to teaming up with Naomi Coker to build a series of races that prioritize people over profit, keeping trail running accessible, affordable, and...

Fresh out of high school in Port Colborne, Adam is gearing up for LO550—an astonishing 550-mile journey entirely around Lake Ontario to raise funds for Canadian Tire Jumpstart, helping kids overcome financial barriers to sports. Inspired by Canadian running icons like Terry Fox, he is averaging a marathon a day for 21 days starting this August.

In this episode of the Athletics Ontario Runni...

In this deeply moving episode of the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast, we sit down with physician and competitive runner Danny Grossi to hear a story of unimaginable resilience and innovation.

After a stellar collegiate career at Princeton, a sudden medical condition sidelined Danny for decades. His triumphant return to the sport in his 50s was abruptly halted by a life-threatening blood clot an...

Two years ago, SarahRose Black was violently assaulted in broad daylight while training for the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Instead of letting fear rewrite her story, she teamed up with her run crew, ChixRunthe6ix, to reclaim her safety and joy - we explore that story on this week's episode of the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast

She founded Finish the Run, an annual community movement rais...

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Tarrant Cross Child, the visionary founder of Prairie Run Crew, to explore the vibrant and rapidly growing running culture across Saskatchewan.

Tarrant opens up about his powerful personal journey of recovery from addiction, sharing how the simple act of running became a vital lifeline for his mental and spiritual well-being. He takes us inside Prairie ...

Going from a self-proclaimed high school "gym rat" to crushing five marathons in a single year is no small feat! In this episode of the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast, we sit down with hybrid athlete and entrepreneur Trey Etseyatse to chart his incredible fitness evolution.

After picking up running during the COVID-19 pandemic, Trey faced the classic beginner's trap of early injuries. Instead ...

In this episode of the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast, we travel to Tillsonburg to meet Tamara Bull, the force behind one of the best-named races in the province: the Tillsonburg Run with the Bulls.

Tamara shares her late-blooming journey into athletics, having started running at age 51 to connect with her husband and combat "empty nest syndrome," despite managing asthma, which requires her to run with a "Batman utility belt" fo...

In this powerful episode of the AO Running Podcast, we sit down with York Regional Police Constable Adam McEachern fresh off his grueling, Autism Heroes Road Trip 2026 - an endurance journey that took him all the way from Windsor Police Headquarters to the Terry Fox statue in Ottawa. Covering 50 to 70 kilometres a day by running and biking, Adam was testing his physical limits and helpnig build a more inc...

Meet Selene Mallone, the record-breaking ultra runner taking the Canadian scene by storm. Fresh off a course record at the Arizona Monster 300 and a win at the 2025 Divide 200, Selene discusses her ambitious "Project Double Double": tackling the Ribbon 200 and SOO 200 on this episode of the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast.
She opens up about her evolution from powerlifting to elite trail running, detailing how she overcame di...

In this high-energy episode of the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast, we dive into Ontario's best-named crew: The River Rats Run Club! Founder Sarah Hubbell joins us to reveal how Cambridge flipped a cheeky reputation into a thriving, unstoppable community.

Inside the Episode:
- The "Cheeky" Origin: How the Grand and Speed Rivers birthed a legendary name.
- Motherhood & Mileage: Strol...

Step into the shoes of Ryan Garcia, a North Bay chiropractor who turned a childhood battle with leukemia into a relentless drive for the marathon finish line. This is a deep dive into the raw grit required to overcome the ultimate stakes and the community spirit fueling the Northern Ontario running scene.

Ryan provides insights into the North Bay Movement, his leadership in the North Bay Running ...

Ever wonder what happens when a runner decides to make fitness fun for the whole family? Meet Lily Wu, the visionary behind Dino Run, an Ontario racing series where kids trade boring laps for immersive dinosaur chases and interactive medals.

In this high-energy episode, Lily reveals how she scaled a simple family idea into a province-wide movement while sharing her in-the-trenches secrets for bal...

Running is often pictured as a solitary pursuit—just one person, their shoes, and the open road. But Steven Bierbrier is here to flip that narrative on its head. In this episode of the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast, we explore Steven's evolution from a solo athlete to a central figure in the Ottawa fitness scene as the founder of the Arboretum Hill Club. Since 2018, Steven has been rallying a co...

Fifteen years ago, Brian Beckstead and his co-founders ignited a footwear revolution by proving that standard shoes were working against the human body. By engineering the game-changing zero-drop platform and signature wide toe box, they returned running to its natural roots and launched the global powerhouse known as Altra.

In this episode of the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast, host John Shep...

In this episode of the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast, we're joined by Sasha Wolff, the powerhouse founder of the non-profit Still I Run. Sasha's journey didn't start at a starting line; it started in a hospital bed in 2011 during a battle with clinical depression. It was there she discovered that while therapy and medication were vital, movement was the missing piece of her recovery puzzle. This reali...

What fuels the miles when the finish line is only half the story? This week on the AO Running Podcast, we're joined by Jessica Halsall - mom of two, Badass Lady Gang lead, and member of Otto's Ottawa Power Crew - to discuss her Tamarack Homes Ottawa International Marathon journey. A runner and fitness instructor, she is turning her strides at Ottawa Race Weekend into support for the CHEO Neonatal Intensiv...

In this episode, we dive into Andrew Tsang's massive undertaking: a 260+ KM relay journey from Toronto to Muskoka in support of Campfire Circle. This incredible organization provides life-changing camp experiences for children impacted by cancer, offering them a chance to heal through play and joy—even while receiving treatment on-site.

As someone who has personally felt the impact of cance...

In this episode of the Athletics Ontario Running Podcast, we sit down with Julian Compton, endurance athlete and founder of Move for Change. Julian explains how he uses physical fitness as a powerful vehicle for social advocacy and youth empowerment.

We hear how Julian launched Move for Change in 2020 to support BIPOC youth and dismantle systemic barriers in the GTA. Through his organization, Julian has raised significant funds for...

What happens when you trade a tennis racket in Peru for the grueling Canadian ultramarathon circuit? In this episode, we sit down with Sergio Raez Villanueva, an elite long-distance runner whose "gutsy" racing style recently took him all the way to India to represent Canada at the 50K World Championships. Sergio opens up about his profound transition from a Peruvian immigrant to a national-level athlete, ...