Strava’s hilliest Canadian streets

Lean forward and shorten your stride. We have found some of the hilliest streets in Canadian cities, according to Strava. The streets featured on our list are destined to get your heart rate up fast and are perfect for those looking for hill training. 

Flamingo Drive, Halifax

• Flamingo Drive is a one-mile street starting from Halifax harbour up to Sherwood Heights. This street starts at sea level (0m) and goes up to 100 metres above sea level, with an average gradient of eight per cent. 

5 people who showed why you shouldn’t lie on Strava

Côte Gilmour, Quebec City

• Côte Gilmour is a 1.2 km street that runs alongside Parc des Champs-de-Bataille. The climb itself has an average gradient of seven per cent and 82 metres of elevation gain. 

Brimley Road, Toronto

• There aren’t many hills in downtown Toronto, but one of the most serious climbs is near Bluffers Park in Scarborough. The climb is just under a mile (1.46km), but the hill itself has no breaks, averaging a seven percent gradient. Brimley Road has runners climbing 92 metres of elevation.  

The dos and don’ts of Strava

69th Street SW, Calgary

• Calgary is well known for being a flat city, as it is situated on the edge of The Prairies and foothills of the Canadian Rockies. The climb north on 69th Street SW up to 17th Street SW slopes for 2.5 kilometres with an average gradient of five percent. The long climb combined with Calgary’s thin air makes this street a tough incline for local runners. 

Queen’s Avenue, Vancouver

• Here is an honourable mention to every street going northbound in North Vancouver (a suburb where it is tough to run north or south due to the number of hills). Queens Avenue in New Westminster has an average gradient of 10 per cent over 600 metres of running, which is a serious climb. The street starts at six metres above sea level and reaches 70 metres at Eighth St. 

Top 10 most competitive Strava segments in Canada

Summit Ave, Victoria

• With a street named Summit Ave, the street must be steep. Many runners and cyclists in Victoria use this quiet street in the downtown area for hill repeats. Summit Ave. is only 200m in length but has an average gradient of 13 per cent. Once you reach the top, you’ll be in Summit Park, which provides picturesque views of the city

Is there a street in your city that we forgot? Comment on our Facebook page or mention us on Twitter.