Nicknamed “Hillygoat,” Hillary Allen is an athlete The North Face doing the rounds of the international races, and racking up podiums and setting records along the way. Some of her latest exploits include a second-place finish at the Sky Running Ultra World Championships in 2017 and setting course records at the Madeira Skyrace in 2017, the Speedgoat 50K in 2015 and the TNF Cortina Trail in 2016. She is also known for her humility and great sense of humour.
Allen will share the starting line of the 65K with Sarah Bergeron-Larouche, among others, and we expect a tight race for the women’s podium.
Rob Krar became known in Quebec’s trail running community after starring in one of the main movies at the Trails in Motion film festival in 2016. Two-time winner of the famous Western States Endurance Run (2014, 2015) and winner of the Leadville 100 and the Run Rabbit Run, he also set a record for the (then) fastest double and single crossings of the Grand Canyon. He is recognized as one of the best ultra-runners in the world.
While he specializes in ultra distances, the Canadian will be running this year’s 28-km race at the UTHC, to accommodate his racing calendar. That will also give him the opportunity to cheer on runners doing the 125-, 80- and 65-km distances.
Pierre Lavoie is an amateur triathlete from Quebec, Canada specializing in the Ironman. He is co-founder of the Grand défi Pierre Lavoie, a sports event and media campaign to raise funds to research lactic acidosis and to encourage physical activity. Lavoie was named a Knight of the Ordre national du Québec and a member of the Order of Canada.
Colton grew up in Connecticut (USA) playing all kinds of sports that taught him to respect the game, work hard, compete to the best of his ability and always find joy in whatever you’re doing. Running came back into his life as a bit of a stress reliever when he was in college. In 2012, Colton took a job at a local running store, not thinking much of it. But as time went along, he became more and more hooked on running and exploring the wilderness.
“It has become more than a passion, but also a career now that I’ve been working in multiple different running shops across the country. When not selling shoes, I can most often be found with a smile on my face in the mountains near Bend, Oregon, my current home”, says he.
I started running when I was 11. I watched my big brother, Rachid, launch his professional running career at the Marathon des sables, and I wanted to follow in his footsteps.
I was born in the desert and it’s the terrain I know, but I want to take on mountains, too, to progress in my sports career. I’m slowly moving up the ladder in trail running, and the Ultra-Trail Harricana will be a great opportunity to have an enriching experience on the Ultra-Trail World Tour.
Brian Rusiecki is an ultrarunner living in western Massachusetts with his wife who also practices ultra-running. He works as an electrical engineer by day, but spends every non-working moment on the trails, where he measures his runs by the sun’s movements rather than a watch.
Luca Papi from Italy-France is back for a second time! Luca has been a trail-running enthusiast since 2010, and has developed a penchant for running several races in a row in a short period of time. He works at an amusement park near Paris and just had a child, who will be travelling to Canada for the first time with Luca this fall.
Gary spent more than a decade as a competitive road and mountain cyclist before turning to trail running in 2008. He has a passion for running the trails in his backyard on Mt. Tamalpais near San Francisco, but enjoys racing any distance on any surface. Since 2011 he has been with Team Inov-8. One of his current goals is to break the 50-plus age group American Record for 50 miles which dates back to 1970.
He is an engineer by training, but one of his current mainstay activities is helping to curb hunger in his county by delivering surplus food from supermarkets and other businesses to the needy.
Passionate about endurance sports, Mathieu made his name in triathlon between 1996 and 2010 winning several triathlons in Quebec and completing several competitions with the world elite. He then decided to turn to running only in order to have more time for his family (3 children).
Since few years, he particularly like trail running races where he can forget the time and enjoy nature. It keeps him in form for pure pleasure to push its limits.
He now wants to increase the distance of trail race in which he takes part to have new challenges. He likes to travel for racing and Charlevoix is a beautiful region to discover.
Determined to push his limits, Alexandre Genois specializes in ultra-long-distance triathlons and trail runs. Getting his start in 2011, he reached a new summit in 2014 at just 24 years old when he finished the excruciating Tor des Géants (330 km, 24,000 m+) in 128 hours. In 2016, he set a record cycling from Vancouver to Montréal in 18 days.
And last September, the athlete realized a childhood dream by setting the new standard to beat for the most trips up (and down) Mont-Sainte-Anne in 24 hours. This lifestyle is the perfect way to stay in full symbiosis with nature and share some unforgettable experiences!
Elliot sees long-distance running as one of the best ways to contemplate the beauty of nature. The sport enables him to explore vast areas that are otherwise difficult to get to. The most important things for this 25-year-old athlete are to be active, have fun with friends, be healthy and spend time outside!
Bromont is his main stomping ground where he’s covered an impressive number of kilometers and feet of elevation with his two loyal trail partners, Alister Gardner and Alexis Lussier. He hones his speed on the road and on trails, but the mountains are his favourite place to run. Elliot broke into the ultra-trail world in 2016 when he won the 55-km race at the Bromont Ultra in 5:41.
Although he is motivated by performance, he never wants that aspect to get in the way of his passion.
“I’ve always tried to push my limits. When I was young, that meant lots of time spent outdoors and hiking with my family. I started running with my brother when I was pretty young, at first trailing our father on our bikes as he trained for a marathon. But it was when I discovered trail running in 2014 that really tested the depth my abilities. Ever since then, I’ve been trying to push that limit by training with my brother, with the ultimate goal of running a 100-miler. I do whatever I can to share my passion for trail running with others!
“I’ve loved nature and hiking since I was a kid. I started ultra-running in 2014 on a dare from my sister and two of my cousins. My sister and I fell instantly in love with trail running and its ambiance, so it seemed like a logical next step in our quest to push ourselves. That’s how Team Cauchon was born! Since then, we’ve been training and running together, and that helps us balance family, passion and work. We’re constantly pushing each other to be the best we can be.”
Thomas loves adventure and nature, and is at his happiest in the middle of Quebec’s lush landscapes. He sees each race as a new discovery and a chance to share good times with good friends. Constantly curious about what awaits him on the other side of the mountain, he divides his trail-running seasons between ultra-trail races and personal adventures where he can leave the bib and timer behind. He likes competition, but loves running long distances alone, his means of travelling on his feet.
David Kilgore (USA) David Kilgore is a runner of all terrain from mountainous ultras to the roads and track. He is based out of New York City and works as a Cinematographer. In his free time David loves outdoor activities, finding new trails, enjoying new food spots (especially doughnut shops), and being surrounded by his friends and family.
Rémi is a 24-year-old trail runner who hails from Gaspésie, but has recently settled in Charlevoix. Nestled between the water and the mountains, he loves that his new playground gives him plenty of space to live out his passion.
“This sport gives me some balance in life, which can sometimes be hard to fully appreciate in the moment. I love being part of new adventures, discovering new trails and meeting new people. I look forward to running a few klicks with you!”
David has been running ever since he was a kid. He hated taking the bus to school. When he started running, he challenged himself to get to school before the bus. He finally beat that bus many, many times!
“I ran my first marathon at 16. After 19 marathons, I decided to plunge into a new adventure: ultra-trail running and eventually the 125-km race at Harricana. I’m from Baie-Saint-Paul, and the locals call us runners “wolves.” It feels completely natural to take on this challenge on my turf, and I hope to do the pack proud!”, says David.
The rhythm of running changed David’s life. Graduated with a Master of science in human movement and sports sciences. he started to live for running. Despite being curious about everything related to running, he likes to keep it simple. “I dream of the perfect race, a performance that I would be entirely satisfied with. I’m not sure if that’s possible, but I will give everything I have to find out”, he gives us.
A native of Québec City, Sarah is an ultra-trail runner on the Salomon Canada team who made her international debut in 2013. She has run three world trail-running championships in both short and long distances, and specializes in the 50-km distance. The 2013 snowshoe world champion, she also practices ski mountaineering racing, cross-country skiing and cycling.
Sarah recently graduated from the chiropractic program in Trois-Rivières and aims to become an exceptional healthcare professional working to prevent and treat athletes’ injuries.
Anne is a very passionate runner, who started to run at the age of 38, after giving birth to her second child. Since then, running has become her morning meditation that leads her day with happiness.
Anne divides her time between her professional career as a tax director at Cirque du Soleil and her kids, so waking up every morning before sunrise and taking the trail to the top of the hill near her house has become a privilege of life, she says. She consider running as an opportunity to explore herself and become a better person in all her different roles.
