iRun Magazine

Two years ago we met Sloane, who was 5 years old and battling neuroblastoma, a cancerous tumour that develops from immature nerve cells. It has been a whirlwind of a journey, especially for a child with good days and not-so-good days. Nonetheless, Sloane is back this year to participate in the 5K at the Servus Calgary Marathon with a bigger team and the same great attitude. In the build-up to her run, mom Claire Masikewich gives us a snapshot on the child warrior.

I am not just a man who climbed Everest. I am a man who became Everest. My story begins in a small village in Nepal, where life was simple but never easy. I grew up surrounded by mountains, learning early that survival itself requires strength. As a child, I had dreams like anyone else, but my life changed in a single moment. A high-voltage electrical accident took both of my hands. In that instant, everything I knew about myself disappeared. People looked at me and saw the end of my life.

I did not just run the Boston marathon—I thoroughly experienced it, achieving a 2:54:35 at one of the toughest courses in the world. The morning of the Boston Marathon felt electric in a way that is almost impossible to capture. This is the most iconic and sought-after race in the world; something every marathoner dreams of, works toward, and wonders if they will ever be able to truly experience it. Being there, standing on the start line and knowing I was part of it, was surreal.

The marathon is a gruelling endurance test which doesn’t get easier over time. What does get easier, perhaps, is our ability to withstand the pain. It’s an unusual experience to put yourself through elective discomfort for an extended period of time. But with that comes an understanding of what you’re capable of. You know the distances. The time it takes between kilometres. And you can do the math in your head: you only need to survive for so long.

March Break for teachers: it is a time of rest, relaxation, rejuvenation, or in the case of our ilk, a time for running (and of course, the related recovery that is required)! That is exactly what I did this March Break: running and recovery, thanks to RunWaterloo and the Recovery Room by 360 Athletics. In my role as lead ambassador and podcast host for Athletics Ontario Running, I am fortunate to connect with amazing community organizations and partners.

International Women’s Day may have come and gone, but that does not mean that we are done celebrating women in the running space. Crazy Cat Adventures’ (@crazycat_adventures) newest race, the Ribbon, hosts a 200-mile race, a point-to-point 100 Miler, and an official End-to-End (E2E) 72.5km run of the Blue Mountains Bruce Trail section, all along the beautiful Bruce Trail in Ontario from June 10-14, 2026.

“I’ve had a very negative relationship with running,” says Peloton instructor and now two-time marathoner Tunde Oyeneyin.

I’m a 42 year-old father of two who started running—like millions of others—at the tail end of COVID. I flirted with the idea of running briefly 10 years earlier, but couldn’t get past the beginner’s aches and pains so shelved the idea! Once I got older though, and options for socializing and freedom became increasingly limited, I took it up again. Thankfully, this time it stuck. It was shortly after I ran my first race that I started looking for ways to improve upon my running.

After more than four decades of running, I finally broke my first Canadian Record (Masters, 55+) at last October’s TCS Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon running 1:15:42.

A month before my trip to Scotland, I got the email: “You’re In!” The Dramathon had a spot open! In less than two hours, I changed my flight, booked another hotel and signed up for the Half Dram. Now the fun, excitement and terror set in. I scoured the website devouring every piece of information. The small voice in the back of my head said, “After three weeks of hiking, are you really going to do a halfmarathon?!” Well, how could I resist? I’d heard from a few people this was not a race to miss.