James Kwinecki lost his vision 10 years ago, which meant basically re-learning many of life’s realities. For some, that might have been reason enough to stop reaching, but not for James, who has played blind baseball, rowed with the National team, and eventually, became a passionate runner. He has now run five marathons, including smashing Boston in 3:11. But he hasn’t done it alone, and on this episode James and his guide Mo Mannoe talk about their shared running journey and friendship.

The Rundown - upcoming races and events:

July 11 - Devil’s Ladder - Cumberland – room left in the 30K! https://devilsladderultra.com/

July 28 - Buckin’ Hell - 35K/50K and 50K relay - North Vancouver - https://trailrunning.ca/race/buckin-hell/

Aug 15 – Island Trail Series - Cobble Hill 12/27K - https://www.islandtrailseries.ca/races/cobble-hill-cobble-hill-mt/

Sept 20 - Monster Marmot 5K/10K trail race at Mount Washington - https://raceroster.com/events/2026/138146/the-monster-marmot

The Island Miles Podcast wants to hear from YOU! Got a topic idea? Know someone doing something cool that should be celebrated? Email us: islandmilespodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram: @islandmilespodcast

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Imagine having the strength, mental toughness and sheer will to run 250 miles in the Arizona desert, with 12,000m of elevation gain over hot, dusty terrain. That’s what the Cocodona 250 from Phoenix to Flagstaff requires, and this past May, Nanaimo’s Christine Almond crossed the finish line after almost 92 hours, with the support of only her husband and dog. No pacers! Christine joined the show to talk about preparing for this insane event, taking “trail naps” when exhaustion hit, and how it felt to toe the start line with ultra legends, including new course record holder Rachel Entrekin.

The Rundown - upcoming races and events:

Frontrunners Local Legends 5 segment challenge: https://bit.ly/FRLocalLegends

July 5 - Island Trail Series - Ladysmith 10/20K - https://www.islandtrailseries.ca/races/ladysmith-transferbeach/

July 11 - Devil’s Ladder - Cumberland (still room in the 30K!) - https://devilsladderultra.com/

Chris Sundby’s Island Run 2.0 – jacobswell.ca/chrisruns

The Island Miles Podcast wants to hear from YOU! Got a topic idea? Know someone doing something cool that should be celebrated? Email us: islandmilespodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram: @islandmilespodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The psychology around running has always been fascinating – what does this repetitive activity unlock in our brains. What does it do for us, and is it always positive? Dr. Rob Holloway is uniquely qualified to dig into it with us – both as a registered psychologist who treats individuals, couples and families with mental health challenges, and as a dedicated runner with some big personal accomplishments, both on the road and in the trails. We hope you enjoy this conversation about the connection between mental health and running as much as we did!

The Rundown - upcoming races and events:

June 12-13 - Run Saysutchun - Newcastle Island near Nanaimo – https://www.runsaysutshun.com/

Jun 20 - CFB Esquimalt Navy Run - 5K/10K - https://cfmws.ca/esquimalt/esquimalt-navy-run

June 21 - Father’s Day Walk/Run for prostate cancer - Camosun’s Interurban Campus - https://islandprostatecentre.com/fathersdaywalkrun/

Victoria Queer Run Club on IG: https://www.instagram.com/vicqueerrunclub/

The Island Miles Podcast wants to hear from YOU! Got a topic idea? Know someone doing something cool that should be celebrated? Email us: islandmilespodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram: @islandmilespodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.