Haven Johnson found running as she quit drinking and the allure of trail kilometres and the community around it was so strong she felt supported and strong enough to stay sober. She felt safe amongst those trails and runners in a way she had never before. When Amanda Palmer met her at a local Capra group run, the pair hit it off. As Amanda learned more of Haven’s story, it was clear that this was a story that needed to be told. Haven trusted Amanda enough to green light the project and now the two have a beautiful film called “Haven” that will debut this Thursday, April 2, as part of our Trail Running Film Festival evening at the Rio Theatre, and Chantelle and I were so grateful to hear more about it. This was a fun and emotional chat, and we’re thrilled to share it.

Haven started a sober run club:

Pink Cloud Run Club

Amanda shouted out the fund for their great support:

Women’s Trailrunning Fund

Help us get to 2,000 subscribers. We are getting close!

Film Description:

Directed by Amanda Palmer, the film follows a 43-year-old single mother named Haven, who finds sobriety and an unexpected lifeline in trail running. What begins as a way to quiet the chaos inside becomes a two-year journey toward her first 50km ultramarathon, The Squamish 50. Along the way, Haven discovers a trail-running community that lifts her up and refuses to let her journey be a solitary one. This is a story of resilience and the power of community that keeps showing up.

The Last Episode:

The Trail Running Film Festival:

The Miller Minutes:

Crossing Lines:

Food Fight Friday:

Listen where you listen:

Spotify: Click Here

Apple Podcasts: Click Here

Music by Paolo Argentino from Pixabay

We’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Please help us get there!

If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :)

Hans Kristian Smedsrød Engdahl wanted to tell this story and managed to find a way to do so within his own means and on his own time. He loved that athletes were training in his hometown and how amazing both the terrain and the runners were. It was a passion project that people are loving, and Hans is thrilled that it’s out there.

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Film Description:

Unpacking the secret training method of the mountain endurance athletes in Romsdal, Norway, and their journey to succeed at the iconic 100 mile foot race Western States Endurance Run 2024.

The Last Episode:

Trail Running Film Festival:

Shirts for sale:

I’m so excited and grateful to get Community Trail Running shirts for sale on the Spry website! Spry is located in Crowsnest Pass, Alberta. It’s an awesome retail shop that caters really well to trail runners. I work in the back for the distribution company “Rock Gear Distribution”. So this is a really cool partnership, and I’m so excited for it. Grab your shirt here!

Listen where you listen:

Spotify: Click Here

Apple Podcasts: Click Here

Music by Paolo Argentino from Pixabay

We’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Please help us get there!

If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :)

Carrie Highman is so passionate about telling stories that she and her partner, Tim, live the “van life” so that they can be mobile enough to tell them all the time. When the chance came to work with Stephanie Case and Sophie Grant, they were all over it. An emotional journey followed and Carrie is proud of the offering they’ve put out together. It’s part of the online film selection and I hope you enjoy hearing about it as much as I did!

Film Description:

Off Course is an intimate documentary about ambition, uncertainty, and the unpredictability of trying to create a family while living at the edge of human endurance.

The film follows two elite ultrarunners, Stephanie Case and Sophie Grant, who are deeply familiar with risk, suffering and control.

In the mountains, effort leads to outcome; preparation leads to progress. But when their lives take an unexpected turn, they are confronted with a journey where timelines collapse, certainty disappears and no amount of discipline can guarantee an outcome.

Set against the extremes of endurance sport, the film takes viewers through the highs and lows of iconic races such as the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, the Hardrock Hundred and Tor des Geants, while exploring moments of vulnerability off the trail that are rarely seen or spoken about. Off Course is a powerful reflection on letting go of control, redefining success, and learning to endure when the path forward is anything but clear.

Shirts for sale:

I’m so excited and grateful to get Community Trail Running shirts for sale on the Spry website! Spry is located in Crowsnest Pass, Alberta. It’s an awesome retail shop that caters really well to trail runners. I work in the back for the distribution company “Rock Gear Distribution”. So this is a really cool partnership, and I’m so excited for it. Grab your shirt here!

Trail Running Film Festival:

The Last Episode:

Crossing Lines:

The Long Run:

Listen where you listen:

Spotify: Click Here

Apple Podcasts: Click Here

Music by Paolo Argentino from Pixabay

We’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Please help us get there!

If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :)