8am marathon, 3pm flight. Today this back-of-pack finisher [would be] running against the clock. Only ONE Air Canada flight daily, Yellowknife to Vancouver. Work day Monday. Tight timing. Yikes!
Short walk to Somba Ke Civic Plaza. Sleeves, jacket & running shorts – fall season attire. Drip, drop rain. Better than summer HEAT. Tent-greeted by the folks @ Overlander Sports. Perfect running weather 🙂
Clover-leaf course; 2 separate out-n-backs, twice. I’d stay close first loop & alert. Signage but – if there’s a turn to miss, I generally do. After the Halfers finish, it’s often you & you alone for long spans of distance.
50 of us grouped & ready. Last minute RD announcements. Into the rain.
First loop, near repeat of yesterday’s Yellowknife self-tour. City Hall, Parliament Bldg, Northern Heritage Centre, Old Town. Missed my first turn there. Local runner gave a shout. Turnabout & tagged along first Half remainder. Igloo Building Supply, Frame Lake, Airbnb, Somba Ke return. 7 miles.
Shorter clover along the highway. Not as scenic, less tree cover & sideways rain – but great conversation with my Old Town lead. Not a myth, Canadians ARE super friendly. And Yellowknife? My new #2 – just behind Newfoundland. Hard to beat the Newfy accent & unique menu (cod tongue & scrunchions).
Loop 2 complete. Guide runner gone. Ear buds readied. Focus. Repeat.
Tune stream struggled much of the course (close 250 miles outside the Arctic Circle) so old-schooled a saved playlist from the past. My first Canadian territory. Dropped pace & enjoyed the ride. #luckyinlife
Mile 20 (Garmin buzz). Last loop, more of…the highway shuffle. More rain too – but my last lap & I’m Colorado home. Another Yellowknife runner kept company 3 miles. Trail angel. Paced up, appreciated the conversation. I HEART Canadians ❤️
Somba Ke finish, FIRST AMERICAN — ok, only American. LOL>
HOT post-race food, quick pic & territory gone. 7th medal in the Great White North.
Next month: Saskatchewan 🇨🇦
Yellowknife Overlander Sports Marathon
Keenan Haga, Racer: 56
1:06:57.5 0:56:50.2 1:21:25.9 1:10:25.7 4:35:39.4
-
- sole American
-
- Great White North
-
- my first TERRITORY
-
- next up: Saskatchewan 🇨🇦
-
- marathon travel season
Overlander Sports Marathon
Saturday, play day.
And exploration day. Movie day, pizza day. Museum day too.
Whole lotta, whole lotta going on in NWT’s capital city.
Woke to sunshine. 5-mile run on McMahon Frame Trail. Quick shower. 2-mile trek to Old Town. Watched sea planes take off/land on Great Slave Lake after securing my first territorial meal.
Short summer season ‘north of 60’, no arguments here – digged Yellowknife’s cool August temps. Marathon bib pick-up at Overlander Sports – all to dos, ta done – finally, MUSEUM day.
History of the land, its native peoples & NWT’s Arctic mammals – musk ox, moose & polar bear!
Easy place to get lost 2-3 hours. Taiga vs tundra. Tree-line a factor of North Pole wind vs our high peak elevation in Colorado. Walked the row of township flags. Greek pizza & a late movie finish.
Yellowknife. Hip little town, lots to see & do.
Sunday forecast: 42 kilometers & RAIN. It’s only water, eh? 🇨🇦
-
- territory SUMMER
-
- ox ART ❤️
-
- Sled Dog tribute
-
- Gold Rush claim
-
- Community Flags of NWT
-
- City Hall totem
-
- Dene First Nations
-
- hockey FEVER 🇨🇦
-
- Sunday forecast
Northern Heritage Centre
-
- Arctic tree-line
-
- sledding HERITAGE
-
- Dene inspired
-
- gold & DIAMONDS
-
- MUSK ox
-
- polar BEAR
-
- global warming finds
-
- NWT originals
-
- Inuit diet
-
- native dolls
-
- mooseskin boat
Blink, 4 weeks. Run holiday over.
Travelling ‘north of 60’ (north of 60° latitude). Sunday, marathoning in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Long way from here to there. HUGE grin 😊
Denver ✈ Vancouver ✈ Calgary ✈ Yellowknife
SPECTACULAR Northwest Territories. License plate says it all.
Post-midnite touchdown; pick-up coordinated with my Airbnb host (no wheels this adventure). Less than ‘spectacular’ accommodations, but…location, location, location. Maybe 200 yards from Sunday’s start. Eye mask ready; 3am top-of-world daybreak.
Arctic Char benedict at the Dancing Moose. 5-mile training run, hugging Frame Lake. Everything looks better in the morning. Sunshine, tall trees, low 50’s chill.
Yellowknife, NWT. My first territory. O’ Canada LOVE fest 🇨🇦
-
- Denver ✈ Vancouver
-
- Vancouver ✈ Calgary
-
- Canadian ARCTIC
-
- Calgary ✈ Yellowknife
-
- Welcome to Old Town
-
- Arctic Char brunch
-
- Great Slave Lake
-
- Frame Lake
-
- Canada LOVE fest ❤️
Frame Lake, NWT
“Setting out on a journey by yourself takes courage and an open mind. But the rewards are always worth it.” ~ The Solo Traveler
