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Gary Gellin wins inaugural TranSelkirk Run

Gary Gellin completes 150 kilometre, five-day race around Revelstoke in 13:26:09
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Teammates Hugo Cebrowski & Ken Christoffel celebrate after crossing the finish line on the final day of the TranSelkirks Run in Revelstoke on Friday. ~ Photo by Bruno Long

Gary Gellin won the first TranSelkirks Run, tackling the five-day stage race in 13:26:09 last week.

Gellin, from Mill Valley California, finished almost 50 minutes faster than runner-up Alistair Munro of Toronto. Matthew Eccles place third. They were the only three runners to crack the 15 hour barrier over the course of the week.

The fastest woman was Jec Ballou, from Santa Cruz, California, who finished in a time of 15:46:58 — good for fifth overall. Jennifer Pfeifer was the second women to reach the finish line.

More than 100 people took part in the event, which featured some 150 kilometres of racing and about 10,000 metres of elevation gain on the trails around Revelstoke. On day one, participants ran up and down Mount Mackenzie, enjoying the new trails built this summer by Revelstoke Mountain Resort.

“People were blown away by the views and some of the new trails they’ve been building up there,” said Aaron McConnell, the president of TransRockies, which organized the event.

Days two and four saw runners tackle “easier” days involving only half-marathon distances on Mount Macpherson. Day three was the most challenging of all — a run from RMR to the top of Mount Cartier and back, and some runners weren’t able to make the cut off times.

“Going up Cartier was pretty spectacular, a very, very challenging day,” said McConnell. “A lot of people didn’t actually make it to the top, they had to turn around a little bit early.”

The final day sent runners up and down Mount Revelstoke on a course that was abbreviated due to bear activity around the summit trails.

Overall, the week went really well, said McConnell. “It was definitely challenging for the runners but people were really impressed with the trails and the views and what’s available here.”

He said they plan to make this an annual event.

Full results can be found here.