March 22 marked a historic date on the planet of Canadian ultra-trail working, as Ihor Verys of Chilliwack, B.C., grew to become the primary Canadian to complete the Barkley Marathons. Verys was one among 5 finishers of the 100+ mile occasion and one among solely 20 finishers within the race’s 38-year historical past.
Verys sat down with Canadian Working’s The Shakeout Podcast host David Stol to chat about the Barkley Marathons and his unfamiliar journey into ultra-trail working.
Ihor Verys turns into first Canadian to complete Barkley Marathons
The Barkley Marathons is named one of many hardest races on the planet. Contributors run 5 20+ mile loops on an insanely technical course whereas accumulating pages from books positioned on the course, inside 60 hours. They aren’t allowed to make use of GPS, simply old-school maps, a compass and the wilderness.
Verys accomplished the five-loop course in 58 hours, 44 minutes, and 59 seconds, rising as the primary of 5 finishers. The 29-year-old talked about on the podcast that years of preparation went into his accomplishment, together with his early days in Canada in 2015, when he was preventing sleep deprivation to make a residing. “Once I first got here to Canada, I used to be a scholar. I labored evenings and nights to afford tuition, and went to highschool throughout the day,” stated Verys on the podcast. “I lived on naps, and little did I do know it will assist me as an ultrarunner years later.”
Whereas many individuals discover their method into working, graduating from roads to trails and step by step shifting up in distance, for Verys, ultra-trail working appeared to search out him. “I used to be by no means good at monitor or cross nation, however working was one of many most cost-effective sports activities to get into once I got here to Canada,” stated Verys.
He gained the primary race he signed up for, and ran a couple of half-marathons and marathons. When the pandemic hit, Verys was searching for locations to run and socially distance himself, main him to transition to path working. “I found extremely distances there, and I acquired hooked,” Verys stated. “I fell in love with the sensation of going the gap and chasing the unimaginable.”
In top-secret Barkley style, Verys doesn’t know what the longer term holds, however he has aspirations to run extremely races in each Canadian province. “Canadian races are all the time within the shade [compared to larger American races],” stated Verys. “I wish to change that to continue to grow the path scene in Canada.”
For the total interview with Canadian ultra-trail working star Ihor Verys, tune in to this week’s episode of The Shakeout Podcast.
