A Golden Opportunity and Stage Debut – The Golden Ultra
“What do you cover?” asked Andy Brown, Communication Manager of Tourism Golden.
“Hiking, history, paddling, conservation—and running—especially marathons and ultras,” I replied as we got acquainted at a writer’s conference two years ago.
“Well, I’ve got an event for you,” Andy responded. “Have you heard of the Golden Ultra? It’s a challenging three day staged race in Golden and on Kicking Horse Mountain.”
“Tell me more!” I replied.
We ran up and along that ridge!
Two years later (September 2025) I was on my way to beautiful little Golden, BC, in southeastern British Columbia tucked between the towering and rugged Columbia and Rocky Mountains. And I was heading there primarily to partake in that grueling and challenging three-day staged ultra-race—which happens to be one of the small town’s biggest events. I was on assignment for Northwest Travel and Life magazine to write about this wonderful destination and event. For Andy who interacts with and hosts scores of travel writers, I was the rare one that was interested in doing this race. Many of my travel writing colleagues prefer admiring the mountains while sampling local beers than running long distances in the mountains being alert for bears! Not me!
However, I had never run a staged race before, so this would be new territory for me. And this was especially exciting after running my first 100 mile race six weeks prior and now looking for a new challenge! But I also was concerned if I was capable of finishing not knowing if I was fully recovered yet. And running an ultra is one thing—running three hard days in a row would definitely be a challenge. Day (stage) one entailed a 4.8 km (2.9 miles) run straight up Kicking Horse Mountain gaining 3,500 feet of elevation. Day (stage) two was the biggie, a 60K (37 miles) with 8,000 feet of elevation gain run from town to the summit of Kicking Horse Mountain and back. Day (stage) three was a “fast” 16K (10 mile) race on flowy mountain bike trails with 1700 feet of elevation gain. The race directors themed the three days, Blood, Sweat, and Tears—which gave me great earworms from one of my favorite bands from the 1960s and 70s.
Golden has long been known as a winter wonderland with some amazing downhill and cross country skiing. But over the years the town developed quite an extensive trail system from gentle urban paths along the Kicking Horse and Columbia Rivers to grueling backcountry routes to lofty alpine meadows, knife edge ridges and craggy summits. Golden resident and ultra-runner Magi Scallion realized how special these trail were becoming and wanted to showcase them—so she came up with the idea of the Golden Ultra. The Calgary-based TransRockies team known for their excellence in putting on world class staged running and biking events took over the Golden Ultra and helped put it on the map.
Yep, the course goes up and over those knolls!
This past September’s event had more than 700 participants from all over Canada and quite a bit of the US too as well as folks from Australia, the UK and other countries. Now, not all were doing what I was doing, the Golden Ultra Full Pint. There was also a Half Pint division that was considerably easier consisting of the three stages with half the distance and elevation gain. Runners could also enter single events and this led to a good sized field for the 60K. There were just 127 of us that completed the Full Pint, and I was the second oldest!
I ran the race representing Team Potato—proudly wearing the Team Potato shirt which I have worn in so many challenging events from New Hampshire to California. This was my first British Columbia and Canada race as a Team Potato member. Potatoes as always would help fuel me and provide me with nutrients to sustain enough energy and willpower to go three days in a row in this challenging event.
One of the things I immediately discovered that makes staged events stand out from single day ultra-runs is how they build camaraderie. Often in a single day ultra, runners finish, hang out for a little, and then take off before many other runners complete the race. The slower runners never get to mingle with the faster ones. But in this staged event, we all met up afterward at the end of each stage for a catered dinner sharing tales, ales and prevails together. And over a three day event you start recognizing people in town and on the course and start building friendships.
The other thing making this event stand out was its strong presence in the community. Race headquarters was at Spirit Square near the town’s iconic pedestrian covered bridge right in downtown Golden. Locals and families came down to cheer us on. Some even took the gondola up Kicking Horse Mountain to cheer and support us at the 7800-foot summit. The volunteers working the aid stations were superb too with 70s themes (Disco and AC DC were fixes) and the Calgary Running Club’s country theme aid station had a few runners two stepping along with them.
We kicked off on Friday afternoon for Stage One—Blood. It was brutal with a combination of insane steepness and an 80 degree sun beating down on us. My heart rate was constantly in the threshold zone as I took on this beast. I could not have imagined doing it without trekking poles (as some did) because the stress on my quads on the steep grade was intense. I finished that leg in 1.29.11. I was hoping to do it faster, but the heat and steepness were more than I was anticipating.
Still running and feeling good in stage three!
We descended the mountain via gondola. Then it was back into town for dinner with lots of talk on how brutal that stage was. I didn’t hang out too late as I wanted to get back to my place to loosen muscles through stretching, heat, and soaking in my deck top hot tub with its stellar mountain views. My base for this race was a mountainside condominium at the Kicking Horse Ski Resort known as Hunter’s Hideaway. I made sure to stay hydrated and replenish my spent electrolytes.
At 6:00 am in the dark the next morning, I felt pretty good for the start of Stage Two-Sweat (and I did a lot that on this segment). Before we could enter the starting chute we had to show our mandatory gear: headlamps, jacket, emergency blanket, gloves and hat. While it has snowed during this race in the past—that would not be the issue today. It hit 80 again and there was a lot of sun exposure on the mountain ridge. I would soon find out that I was not taking enough electrolyte replacements.
Carrying bear spray was recommended (but not mandatory). This is grizzly country, but I figured the folks in front of me could deal with the bears! I ran the first 15 miles pretty strong which gave me a cushion for meeting the aid station cut-offs. Good thing, for as I approached the high point on Kicking Horse Mountain after traversing a spectacular open ridge I was struck with severe cramps on the inside of both of my thighs. It was extremely painful and I could barely continue. A wonderful fellow runner helped me shuffle to the mountain top aid station where I desperately tried to replenish electrolytes and rehydrate. I tried too much too fast. My stomach quickly rejected it all. It was not a pretty sight for folks coming up the gondola. Thankfully I had banked time in the beginning, because I ate up almost an hour recovering.
While I recovered I was treated to a 360 degree view of some of the prettiest country in North America. Lofty peaks to the west in Glacier National Park and to the east in Yoho National Park crowded the sky. And the deep Columbia Trench below me was absolutely stunning. I slowly started running again embracing a long descent. I cramped a tad while negotiating a boulder field, but eventually my body got back into balance and I was able to run again and come over that finish line at 11.34.24. Not the time I wanted, but after my summit ordeal I was happy to finish. Many runners did not. Race director Kevin “Houda” McDonald with his larger than life personality greeted everyone coming over the line and his energy level never wavered. I congratulated some fellow runners and grabbed a cold sparkling water. I soon regained my appetite and headed to the dinner hall. Curry chicken, salad and a cold beer started my recovery. I was then back to stretching, soaking in the hot tub and more stretching. And l made sure to hit the sack early for some rejuvenating sleep.
Day (stage) three—Blood was the real challenge as I always take several days off from running after completing an ultra. Now I had to resist inertia and run a 10 mile trail run. Would my body hold up to it? I prepared for a suffer fest. And when I first started running, it was tough. My legs were heavy and I thought this stage was going to be pure misery. But I put my mind to it and my legs started feeling looser. I picked up the pace. The compression sleeves I was wearing around my calves made the difference keeping any swelling down. I linked up with one of my new Saskatchewan friends and we finished the rolling course strong coming in at 2.14.25.
Being congratulated by race director Houda after a tough stage two!
I did it! The stages were over. Director Houda with unwavering excitement high fived us all. We received our medals and there were cold beers (this is Canada after all-lots of beer!) waiting for us to start celebrating. And remarkably after doing this 3 day challenge with its 50 miles and over 13,000 feet of elevation gain—I felt pretty darn good. My first Staged Ultra Run like my first 100 miler was a success. I trained hard, overcame some setbacks, and kept myself focused and positive. All positive steps that transpire in life.
After the race, I did some gentle walking in town to keep the legs loose and lactic acid flowing. I celebrated at dinner with a burger, potatoes (probably from Alberta, the number one producing potato province in Canada) and a shake. And then I spent the next two days sightseeing, visiting a grizzly bear interpretive center, wolf center, and the Golden Skybridge (highest suspension bridge in Canada) and Adventure Park, and some easy hiking in stunning Yoho National Park. At the latter two places I ran into a couple of fellow Golden Ultra runners, easily recognizing them after spending three days with them. We recounted our race experiences and congratulated each other as we shined from our golden moments.
I just may have to do another stage ultra. And I definitely am returning to Golden. And look for my article in Northwest Travel and Life next year highlighting some of the region’s other golden attractions!
Big Thanks to the Washington State Potato Commission for sponsoring me. I am proud to be a member of Team Potato and to showcase the nutritional value and performance enhancement of potatoes as I trained and ran my first 100 mile run—and continue to run a marathon or ultra-marathon in all 50 states and all 10 Canadian Provinces! I’ve got many miles to go—and lots of potatoes to consume to power me along the way.
