Running 50-kilometres on flat terrain is tough, doing it on the rugged, root-laced trails of the Knee Knackering North Shore Trail Run is something else entirely, according to a media release about the event.
Known as North America's toughest 50-kilometre ultramarathon, the race took place Saturday, July 12, on Vancouver's North Shore mountains.
qathet athletes Mark Grist and Ean Jackson crossed the finish line hand-in-hand in nine hours, 15 minutes and 40 seconds, after a day of camaraderie and trail tales shared with fellow ultrarunner Jacquie Trudeau.
For Jackson, this was his 31st time crossing the Knee Knacker finish line and for Grist, his 27th completion of the trail.
Vancouver's Darbykai Standrick, claimed first female and fourth overall, crossing the finish line in five hours, 33 minutes and one second. While not a personal best, it marked her fourth Knee Knacker win.
"The conditions were perfect for racing," stated Standrick. "My favourite memory was the final two-kilometre stretch to Panorama Park. Hikers were lined up cheering, ringing cowbells; it was the longest impromptu finish line party ever."
The trail is renowned not just for its difficult 5,000 metres of climbing and descent across 50 kilometres of technical singletrack, but also its exclusivity. A lottery determines who will fill the 275 coveted spots on the start line near the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal. The course ends oceanside in Deep Cove, and participants must complete it in under 10 hours to qualify as official finishers.
"They say doing the same thing over and over is the definition of insanity," stated Grist reflecting on the challenge. "Nobody claims the Knee Knacker is easy, but that’s not why we do it." He also noted that nearly two-thirds of this year’s runners were first-time ultramarathoners.
The event is equally notable for its dedicated community spirit. In 2025, volunteers outnumbered runners, with qathet region's Sibylle Tinsel once again anchoring the aid station at Cleveland Dam; this was her 21st year in the role.
"We handed out a lot of pickle juice," she stated, regarding the hot conditions. "Thankfully, the worst injuries were just cuts and scrapes."
Past qathet-area participants in the Knee Knacker include Nicola Gildersleeve (first woman, 2008), Ken Legg, Tinsel, Peter Watson and Carrie Walsh.
The lottery for the 2026 event opens December 15, 2025. For more information, go to kneeknacker.com.
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