Saturday morning Oct. 2 saw the start of the 14th annual Grouse Grind, a 2.9 km trail with an elevation gain of 3,700 feet that resembles a goat path in the Himalayas.
On the starting line directly beneath the sky tram, seven elite runners lined up to test their strength and speed against the notoriously difficult Grouse Grind. Behind them, 350 hikers and runners awaited their turn at three-minute intervals. The field is divided into groups based on their best previous times.
Among the seven front runners stood Elphinstone student Shaun Stevens-Whale, looking a bit out of place beside the likes of Whistler's Joren Titus with his massive set of legs. Shaun was not intimidated and left the line at the gun in full flight.
The first 200 metres of the Grouse Grind are misleading. Its almost evenly spaced stairs can cause a runner to go too fast, paying the price later on.
Only the very fastest of the field can run the entire trail; most will walk 90 per cent of it.
Shaun's participation in the Five Peaks Mountain Racing Series over the past summer, with an eighth place overall finish in the Cypress Mountain Run, gave him the confidence he needed. With a quick but steady pace he held on to the leaders for 10 minutes, then realized that if he was to finish with a good time and not burn out, backing off and letting them go would be prudent.
Putting your hands on your thighs and pushing down on them with every step can save some pain. Using this technique Shaun muscled his way up the boulder- and root-strewn track.
With the three-minute group still behind and the leaders now out of sight, Shaun ran and power-walked the last mile by himself, eventually running strong over the finish line in a time of 34:10, sweating and totally spent, his legs covered with grime. His 11.58 mile pace was good enough to capture the U18 division by almost a full minute, as well as a respectable 17th place overall. Only four runners were under 30 minutes.
Proceeds of the Grouse Grind went to the Lions Gate Hospital to improve medical and emergency services.
Full race results are at www.grousemountain.com.
