Fast climbs at the Canadian Vertical Uphill Mountain Running Championships

The 2021 Canadian Vertical Uphill Mountain Running Championships took place this Sunday at the Massif du Sud, Quebec, and four runners have secured their spots on Team Canada at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, which was set to take place in February 2022 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, but now postponed until November 2022.  

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What happened to Canadians at World Mountain Running Championships

Alex Ricard was the overall winner, completing the 7 km course with 525 metres of elevation gain in 35:10.6. This is his second big win of the year, after taking home the gold medal at the classic up and down championships in September. Second place went to Samuel Poher in 36:07.8, only a week after his victory and course record in the 50km at the Trail du Grand Duc. Martin Dagenais outkicked Remi Leroux in a sprint finish to secure third place 36:19.1, his second bronze-medal finish after taking home the third spot in the 33km at the Trail du Grand Duc last weekend.

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Sarah Bergeron Larouche was the top female finisher, winning the race in 44:06.2. She has recently shown she is a strong competitor in the trail running scene, and has already competed for Canada in mountain running at multiple world championships. Kerri LaBrecque crossed the finish line behind her in second place in 45:36.9, in her first-ever mountain race, followed by Sasha Gollish, who took third place 45:53.0. This was also Gollish’s first stab at mountain running, after having an impressive career in track and cross-country.

More pro tips for hitting the trails

The top two finishers from the men’s and women’s races are given spots in the vertical uphill event at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, which have been postponed until the third weekend in November 2022. For full results from the event, click here.