Revelstoke runner Miranda Murphy surprises herself with TrailStoke win

Miranda Murphy didn’t even realize she had won the women’s component of the grueling 55-kilometre TrailStoke race, until she was told after she crossed the finish line.

Murphy’s time at the ultramarathon last Saturday, August 29, was 07:25:31 and she said at the time she was just happy to finish.

(From left) Kathryn Whiteside, Miranda Murphy and Andrea Lustenberger celebrate Murphy finishing the ultramarathon TrailStoke with mango juice. Photo: William Eaton

“It was pretty surreal really, I just really didn’t think that was a possibility,” she said.

The 29-year-old local student accountant said a year ago, she thought people who entered this race were crazy and said her perspective on what she was capable of only changed this season.

“There’s a group of us we call ourselves the Happy Hour , we started in the spring and the goal was to take on some big adventures this summer, things we didn’t think that we could do,” Murphy said. “All of us have nine to five regular career jobs and we just feel like it’s really important that people can recognise that this kind of thing is possible without being a professional athlete, and that you can really push your own limits as a normal working person. I never would have done this without the girls.”

(For more on the Revelstoke trail running scene, see this recent story, including profiles on the Happy Hour group.)

Miranda Murphy. Photo: Aaron Orlando/Revelstoke Mountaineer file photo

Calgary man Adam Campbell took out the men’s top award with a time of 5:47:23 and the winning relay team was was Hell Ya! Let’s Do This! from Calgary, who made the finish line with a time of 6:25:51.

Runners who attended this annual race ventured from all over, not just Canada but America and Australia. Starting at the Revelstoke Mountain Resort early on Saturday morning, runners tackled difficult climbs through bowls and ridges, with many admitting it was more difficult than they had expected.

The weather, just days before a grim forecast of smoke haze, lifted in time for the race and runners were treated to a variety of mountain weather conditions with wind, rain and sun. When the clouds parted, runners were inspired with spectacular views.

To see the full list of results go here.

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