Hamilton runners to take to Bruce Trail for ultra-relay race

A group of Hamilton runners will be hitting the Bruce Trail this spring to raise funds to support marginalized women who are survivors of violence.

The run project, titled We Run the Bruce, will see around a dozen athletes from different Hamilton run clubs take to the more than 900-kilometre footpath - which stretches from Tobermory down to the Niagara Region - for a non-stop, ultra-relay race.

Their goal? To run the entirety of the trail in just five days.

Stephanie Jette, head organizer of the run, said the idea for the project came together after she and a handful of other Steeltown runners watched a screening of Escape," a film about the 2021 Escape to Chicago run, last spring.

The documentary left her and others feeling inspired to create their own ultra-relay - but instead of racing between two cities, they set their sights on the nearby trail system they all loved and many had wanted to run solo.

It was one of those aha moments," Jette said in an interview with The Spectator. We realized that we didn't have to run the entire trail alone and that we could plan it as a group and endure it together."

Runner Andre Morgan said the project will see each runner complete different segments of the trail before eventually tagging off to the next sprinter.

The participants will make their way along the footpath, which mostly hugs the edge of the Niagara Escarpment, at all hours of the day and through rain or shine.

It's going to be very technical and very challenging," said runner and biologist Patrick Rivers. It's going to be a test of our limits."

However, the runners won't be going it alone, noted Morgan.

The group will be followed by a camper van, which will offer them a place to rest their eyes, put their feet up, dry off and change clothes. There will also be a support vehicle carrying supplies such as nutrition, gear and other essentials.

Morgan said so far, the project has been sponsored by athletic companies such as Ciele, Xact Nutrition and On Running, with each brand covering different needs for the group.

We wouldn't be able to do this without the entire team," said Morgan. We're going to turn into lifelong friends and gain lifelong experiences doing this."

But the project is about more than just trail running and relationship building, added Jette.

When they began planning the run, each participant wrote down reasons why they wanted to take part and a common theme arose from the answers.

Jette said many runners brought up concerns regarding a lack of equitable access to the trail for racialized and queer folks as well as the lingering stress from the string of violent attacks on Hamilton's trails last summer.

A lot of us (women runners) that used to train solo no longer felt safe doing so, even in the daylight," said Jette, who is also the founder of We Run Club (WERC). It shouldn't be a privilege, it should be something we can all enjoy."

The project will benefit the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic in Toronto, which has been dedicated to fighting violence against women, non-binary folks and Two-Spirit individuals since 1985.

Runner Bethany Stief is also hopeful the run will encourage women to return to running and take up more space on the trails.

It's very much community focused," said Stief, who used to live in Hamilton but now resides in Collingwood.

Some funds will also be donated to the Bruce Trail Conservancy, added Morgan.

The group is slated to begin the run in Tobermory on June 7 and hopes to complete the trail in Queenston by June 11.

Jette said when the group makes its way to Hamilton, they're going to be encouraging local trail runners to join them along the route or meet them at the end to cheer them on as they finish.

For updates on the run, follow the project on Instagram at @werunthebruce.

Fallon Hewitt is a reporter at The Spectator. fhewitt@thespec.com