West Kelowna firefighters team up with CRIS to run 50 km ultra marathon

Completing an ultra marathon is an impressive accomplishment for anyone, but a team of local runners took it to a new level over the weekend.

The group of West Kelowna Fire Rescue (WKFR) and Community Recreational Initiatives Society (CRIS) runners took on the challenge at the PACE Trail Runs Wildhorse Traverse on Saturday.

It was a team of seven that took on the 50-kilometre ultra marathon from Kelowna to Naramata, traversing rugged and grueling terrain with almost 2,000 metres in elevation gain.

WKFR members Troy Becker, Anthony Evans, Spencer Graf, Ryan Onyschuk and Scott Wasden, along with long-time CRIS volunteer James Sader, completed the course with CRIS vice president Clayton March in a trail rider, a specialized single-wheeled adaptive wilderness chair.

“I’m doing this race in order to promote inclusion and change people’s perceptions of what is possible when living with a disability,” March said leading up to the race.

And they did just that, crossing the finish line to a roar of cheers after eight hours and 25 minutes, well ahead of the race cutoff time of 10 hours.

Becker said they didn’t know what to expect heading into the event, specifically around how other racers would react to their team navigating the trails with the chair, but “everyone was so supportive.”

WKFR has been a big supporter of CRIS over the past decade, and an event like the Wildhorse Traverse following the stresses of the 2023 wildlife season was exactly what the doctor ordered.

“It’s not every day you get the opportunity to do a 50 km race through the mountains with such a solid group of people,” noted Graf. “It was pretty awesome pushing the limits and pulling together as a team to get Clayton across the finish line.”

To learn more about CRIS and its programs, as well as how to get involved or support the organization with a donation, click this link.