Incredible feats of athleticism were commonplace over the weekend, as the Beaver Flat 50 brought both local and international talent to the Saskatchewan Landing.

The Beaver Flat 50 is a unique, high-endurance race designed to challenge even the most seasoned runners. With over 2300 meters of vertical gain and extreme natural conditions such as inconsistent terrain and unpredictable weather, it is for good reason the organizers nicknamed it “The best worst thing you do in September”. Multiple race lengths were available for athletes to choose from, including the 50k, 20k, 10k, and 5k, as well as a kids fun run.

Jeff Dudar, the race director with Prairie Sky Running Company, says what made the seventh annual race different was being able to host the NACAC international trail and mountain running championship, in addition to the local competition.

Dudar stated that the 50k is the most popular, with over 200 participants this year.

Chris Balestrini, a med student at Western University, won the NACAC 50k for Canada and demolished the previous trail record by over 26 minutes.

Balestrini spoke on how he felt after his outstanding run.

“Really good. I think the Beaver Flat 50 is always pretty competitive, but this year with being a NACAC championship, Canadian, American, Mexican, and a few other nations represented  in the field  for some really good competition.”

Some Estevan presence was seen at the races, with six competitors making the trek out west to the event.

Candace Fewster and Trish Karcha both ran through the Fletcher 5.

Donna George, Natasha Tinant, and Karla Van Der Shaft were on the trail to run the SKTrail Blitz 10

Jennifer Olfert was at the event and took on the SKDam Hard 20.

You can view the results of each race’s participants here.