If you like running up hills, you'll love Defeat the Peat

If you’re looking to test your stamina while enjoying the beautiful fall colours of Lake Superior’s north shore, you can ‘Defeat the Peat’ using your feet.

On Sept. 6, trail runners can take on Peat Mountain in a trail race hosted at Lake Superior Provincial Park’s Rabbit Blanket campground. Its name signifies the peat moss and marshes all around the mountain’s area, but defeating the ‘Peat’ is no easy feat.

There are four different distance categories for runners with various experience levels, including 10, 20, 30 and 50 kilometre races. The runners will complete a “loop” throughout the mountain which is 10 kilometres in length, so those competing in the 50-k race must run the loop 5 times to finish.

“The trail has everything,” says event coordinator Brian Lachine.

“You start at an inland lake, and there’s something special with trail runners where they love climbing elevation. In one loop there’s about 1,500 metres of elevation, and you end up overlooking a marsh and you have views of Lake Superior. The race takes place in September, so the trees are starting to change and you get views of a lot of colour from on top of the mountain.”

Lachine says this will be the inaugural event under the name of ‘Defeat the Peat’, but noted there have been similar races held at Lake Superior Provincial Park in recent years.

“What makes ‘Defeat the Peat’ special is the amazing amount of uphill you have to do. A lot of the runners will say it’s uphill both ways because there’s not much going downhill.”

The course is considered single-track, meaning it is not a road or a wide trail — it is a very narrow trail which Lachine says trail runners love, and it’s one of the best in the park. The difference between a road race and a single-track trail race is the feeling of being alone, and he says there are points in the loop where runners will feel like they’re on their own, hearing only the birds and the wind.

“In a road race, there tends to be a lot of aid stations along the way and there tends to be a big crowd. What makes this trail race special is that there are moments of isolation, and the feeling that you are in the middle of God’s country.”

To ensure the safety of participants, there will be rovers that will be present on the trails throughout the race. At the midway point of the loop, there will be an aid station where runners can access water, snacks and electrolytes.

Event organizers will be working in partnership with the park, and Lachine says they will be monitoring how the race affects the park itself. As a result of the race, the campground at the park is expected to sell out for the first time at that time of year. He says he anticipates participants from across the north shore, Sault Ste. Marie, Manitouwadge, Marathon, Terrace Bay, Ohio and Michigan.

“It’s a good time, and it gets people into the park and experiencing nature and community. We’re hoping as we create this community that we will have more activities and things for people to do to get them to the north shore of Lake Superior to experience how amazing it is up here.”

When asked about what sparked his interest in trail running, Lachine says he enjoyed the outdoors in the earlier years of his life. It wasn’t until he faced some health concerns later in life that he realized he needed to change his lifestyle to become more active.

“I grew up canoeing and hiking, and then I went through a stage in life where I was about 80 pounds overweight,” he said.

“The doctor said I had high blood-pressure, high cholesterol, and I was having knee issues. Running was one way to help me lose weight.”

With a combination of running and a healthy diet, Lachine shed the excess weight and set his sights on competing in long-distance races. He participated in his first marathon in Quebec City, and continued running in road races until a friend encouraged him to start running trails in the Wawa area. He became hooked on trail running, and took part in his first 56-kilometre trail race in Muskoka.

“There’s something about having your feet moving on soil, having the trees on your side, you’re focused on the ground so you don’t fall and you can hear yourself breathing,” he said.

“There’s something very Zen about trail running, and it’s so much faster than hiking.”

Prior to Defeat the Peat, Lachine will be participating in the Superior Ultra on June 25 and 26 at Lake Superior Provincial Park. Participants can camp at Agawa Bay campground on the Friday evening, and will run every highway-accessible trail in the park which will amount to 60 kilometres for the day.

For those who are considering getting into trail running, Lachine says he does not believe in the “all you need is a pair of shoes” myth. He says you must have a shoe that is designed for the type of terrain you are running on, and there are trail running shoes that are designed to help you feel the ground more.

He recommends to either reach out to someone you know who is experienced in trail running, or send a message to the ‘Defeat the Peat’ Facebook or Instagram page for help selecting the proper shoe.

Lachine hopes to grow the trail running community in Northern Ontario that is built on core values like accountability and trust. He believes the friendships made are more important than the sport itself.

“We’re a really tight-knit group here in Wawa with the Sault crowd,” he says.

“What we’re trying to do here is create a community of trust and holistic health, and hopefully in the end we can make peoples’ lives better – and who knows – even save a life.”

Registration for Defeat the Peat is now open, and the deadline for registration is 11 a.m. on Aug. 23. There are only 65 spots available, which will be filled on a first come, first served basis.

To register, or for more information about the event, visit the website.