Squamish 50K Race Recap
Running the Squamish 50K, home of the Canadian Trail Running Championships!
Three weeks ago, we finagled 22 animals into the back of our Subaru Outback and drove the 17 hours north to my dad’s farm in Langley, British Columbia. We had been planning on flying up to Vancouver so I could run Squamish 50K, home of the 2024 Canadian National Trail Running Championships. Instead, we spent two and a half weeks settling back into the farm (we spent two months here last year) and enjoying some beautiful BC trails before the race.
Squamish 50K has been one of the only races I’ve had on the calendar long-term this year as I wanted to qualify for the World Trail Running Championships, held in Spain next year. Finishing first or second at Squamish 50K would give me that slot, and it was so meaningful to represent Canada at World’s in Austria last year that I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to try again. Plus, I’ve long since wanted to run one of Gary Robbins’ Coast Mountain Races. Squamish 50K is one of North America’s biggest 50Ks, with 500+ participants, but Gary and his team still manage to retain the feel of a local race thanks to the care, detail, and all of the volunteers that make the event what it is.
I set my alarm for 4:30 to have time for my typical matcha (I like the taste and mild caffeine, and try to stick to a regular routine on race days) then put on my BC Athletics kit. I was honored to be selected to represent British Columbia at this race, and was given a top to wear. The forecast was showing rain showers, and I was initially concerned about the top, essentially a sports bra, not being enough given the weather. Luckily temperature highs were looking like 20°C/70°F, so I took the risk and didn’t bring a rain jacket.
My gear was also simple. I wore Janji shorts with pockets so I could hold two 90g Precision Hydration gels, and carried a 20 oz handheld in one hand. This set-up has worked well for me at all of my races this year, so I figured, why mess with what’s been working?
After taking one of the shuttle buses to the start of the race, I dropped off my finishing gear and lined up. It was nice to see several familiar faces from the 2023 Team Canada—simultaneously, I knew that these people were all very fast, and the women I’d be racing against were tough competition. I’d spoken briefly with my coach, Megan, about a very loose goal of the course record but avoided talking about placement as I can only control my own race. I thought that Ellie Greenwood’s 2014 course record of 5 hours, 20 minutes was a stretch, but a reachable one for me on a very good day, but where that would place me among the other women I didn’t know.
At 6:15 the race started and immediately everyone was pushing. The first mile or so runs up a gradual fire road, which allowed for the field to spread out a little. I clocked my first mile in 6:57 (5:56 GAP pace, since we were going uphill), which reminded me of the hard start of Broken Arrow or Wy’east. These women weren't messing around!
As the pink flags marked our turn onto singletrack, I found myself in second place behind a woman who was charging hard. It was difficult to make out the roots and rocks in the early morning light, and I hoped I was finding good lines to avoid an early fall.
In these early miles, I heard a runner behind me say my name.
“Jade?” He asked.
He introduced himself as Rhys, which was nice to put a name to the face as we’d spend most of the next 20 miles running near each other. Around this same time, I passed the first place female just as another woman ran up behind me. I’d learn her name was Elisa. She considered herself an underdog, she explained, because she was French and living in Quebec and had only recently started running trails. No one knew her name yet, she said. Once I learned that she’d placed 4th at the most recent Canyons 50K, I knew I’d have my work cut out for me.
I followed closely behind Elisa and Rhys for the first several miles and found myself pushing comfortably hard. I could take in my nutrition and hydration when I needed and felt like I could hold the effort for the full duration of the race.
The trails were beautiful and lush, and felt a lot like a greener, more vibrant Chuckanut. More technical, too. Even in these early miles, I would be practicing all of what I’d learned at Broken Arrow and Wy’east about running techy trails quickly.
After running through the first aid station at mile 5, the longest sustained climb of the race begins: Galactic Scheisse, a 2500 foot climb in a punchy 2.5 miles. I chose to follow behind Elisa here, even though I’m comfortable in my climbing ability. This was for two reasons:
I wanted to alleviate myself from the pressure of leading the race early on
I wanted to learn Elisa’s strengths, so I passed her on a section that suited my strengths best
Immediately I could tell Elisa was a strong, controlled climber, and though several sections of the climb were very steep, both of us ran every step. I was particularly impressed in her turnover ability—when the trail goes from a steep climb to a flatter section—and how quickly she opened up her stride. I made a mental note to myself to remember that no matter how the race turned out, I would have some great takeaways, like working on improving my own turn over ability. Thinking about the race in broader terms (in this case, admiring another runner’s strength and learning to apply that to my own running in the future) kept me in a positive headspace throughout the race.
When we topped out at 3,300 feet and began the steep descent down the trails Powersmart, IMBA Smart, Fred and Word of Mouth, Elisa and Rhys took off. I approached this section more cautiously, as when I say these trails were steep, they were STEEP—some sections approached a 40% grade with sharp drop-offs between roots. I made up time on the flatter sections, and while Rhys and Elisa had gotten away from me for a mile or two, I caught up faster than I expected and settled back into following the pair.
At the second aid station at mile 11, I refilled my water and hurried up to catch Elisa who had ran straight through. I continued to run just behind her into the third aid station at mile 15, and the first time I could see Nick.
Coming into the aid station at Cap U.
Nick waved me over and I swapped the two gels I had consumed for two more 90g Precisions and a new handheld with a few electrolyte capsules tucked inside. Then I was off and running with Elisa again.
We stormed out of the aid station and onto the fire road quickly, but as we followed the pink flags back onto singletrack, I found myself breathing more easily. I wasn’t sure if Elisa was slowing down because she was hurting or if I was starting to find my groove, but the pace felt easier here.
Elisa and I running up one of the many climbs on course (this one gentler than most!) Video by Neasa Coll.
This was also where the mental tactics started. I was feeling good and knew I still had energy to spare in an attempt to take the win—but how long that energy would last I didn’t know. I also wasn’t sure if Elisa would fight me on a pass. Would she let me go? Would she surge ahead and try to re-pass me? Would it be a sprint finish at the very end?
I also had to face the possibility that while I felt I had the physical ability to lead the race, I wasn’t certain I could handle the pressure of leading it for several more hours mentally. The last few weeks had been challenging from an emotional perspective and I had been feeling pretty burnt out coming into the race. Honestly, this has been the hardest year of my life in about twenty years from the mental side of things (despite the fact that my physical fitness seems to say otherwise) and I didn’t know how much of a toll this would have on me at the end of the race.
So, I hung right on Elisa’s heels and bided my time until I felt the instinct to pass come naturally.
That happened at mile 19. As we approached the fourth aid station, Elisa stopped while I carried straight through. Now at the front, I suddenly felt like moving fast and I charged downhill faster than I had in the last three hours. This next section was flowy and fun, and the green of the moss and the trees and the salal bushes almost felt like too much, too vibrant, for my eyes.
This next section went by fast. My legs felt strong, and I was still running all of the hills, now at a faster clip than the men around me. I passed two coming into the final aid station at mile 24, where I had the chance to see Nick once more. Again, I swapped out for a new handheld and grabbed two caffeinated 30g Precision gels for the final section. Within fifteen seconds I was back out and running.
I hadn’t seen Elisa or Rhys, but knew that either of them (or any of the women behind) had the potential ability to have a late surge in the race and challenge me for the win. So, I knew I had to charge and charge hard. It helped that I was also attempting to focus more on the time than my position. At roughly mile 25, I was 4 hours and 2 minutes into the race and had covered about 7,000 feet of climbing. I was doing rough math in my head, but thought that I had enough time to cover the remaining 7 miles in the next 75 minutes. I had a chance at nabbing the course record, if I kept running at this effort.
As the course collided with the same final miles of the 23K course, I started having to weave in and out of the 23K runners. Apparently the previous night’s windstorm had blown down several trees so there was a fair bit of stopping to clamber over said fallen trees and branches (I thought this just a part of the course, but I was later told that volunteers had to remark the course very early that morning because of the storm damage!). This slowed down the section a little, but I just kept pushing, trying to save as much time as I could anywhere that I could. This meant running every single climb and running faster than I was comfortable on every single descent.
There were a few disheartening moments, like when I popped out on a lookout and was told I still had 7 kilometers to go. That was 4 miles! I couldn’t keep this up for another 4 miles! Where my mind doubted this, my body just kept going and as soon as the trail gave way to the final road miles, I was running in the low 7 minute miles once more.
I ran past the sign marking 3 kilometers to go, then 2, then finally I was in the final kilometer and Neasa Coll, a fellow 2023 Team Canada teammate was yelling my name and telling me that the course record was in reach!
As I came into the finishing chute, a Team Canada member handed me a Canadian flag and I wrapped it around myself as I ran straight into Gary Robbins at the finish! I had come in about four minutes under Ellie Greenwood’s record in a time of 5:16.
This was a meaningful race. I’ve lived in the US since the start of my running journey, but Canada will always be home. Having the chance to represent British Columbia and win the Canadian National Trail Running Championships was so special, and I’m proud to have finished the race with the maple leaf wrapped around my shoulders.
After celebrating with Nick, I watched Elisa and Rhys come running in together, just seconds apart. As second place finisher, Elisa will be joining me as we represent Team Canada at the 2025 World Trail Running Championships in Spain next year!
The awards ceremony at the finish.
Thank you to the Gary Robbins and the team at Coast Mountain Trail Running along with the hundreds of volunteers who make this event what it is. And big thanks as always to Nick for all of the love before, during, and after the race.
Thank you to BC Athletics for letting me represent my home province and Topo Athletic for the support! I wore the MT-5s again and they performed extremely well in the wet conditions.
For more information about the race, check out Rhys’ terrific race recap here. And do yourself a favor and sign up for one of Coast Mountain Trail Running’s events here!
As a final bonus, enjoy this video of me uncorking my first ever champagne bottle. I had heard that first place finishers are supposed to celebrate by opening a bottle of champagne, and I comforted myself with the thought that if I didn’t win the race, at least I wouldn’t have to do this. I can’t tell you how terrifying this was for me. Video for context below!
The very anticlimactic opening of the champagne bottle.
Congratulations! Great recap of an awesome race :)
Congrats!
And I‘m still smiling about „Galactic Scheisse“ :)