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When Shirley Ramos showed up to Tracktastic 2023 in Winnipeg, she thought she was just going to watch. Little did she know, by the end of the day, she’d be standing on the podium after an impromptu 4x400m relay — and officially hooked on track.

In this episode, Shirley shares her journey from recreational road runner and marathon mom to becoming a proud track athlete. Since that fateful day, she’s joined the Manitoba Runners’ Association track club, competed at the Canadian Masters Athletics Indoor Championships, and discovered how much joy, strength, and community the track can offer runners of all ages and abilities.

We also talk about her quest to become a 6-star World Major Marathon finisher, her deep love for the process of training, and how track has surprisingly become her favourite running discipline — helping her feel stronger, faster, and more connected to the sport.

If you’ve ever felt intimidated by the idea of track, Shirley’s story will inspire you to see it in a whole new light.

Join Us at Tracktastic 2025 (Aug 28th at Victor Mager track in Winnipeg):

• https://mraweb.ca/event/tracktastic/

Events include:

• Prediction Mile (no watches allowed!)
• Kid’s 100m Dash
• All-Out 400m
• World’s Slowest 60m
• Age-Graded 800m
• Co-ed 4x400m Relay
• Field events like Standing Long Jump and Longest Ball Throw

Connect with Shirley:

• Instagram: @thisisshirlz

Connect with Carolyn:

• Instagram: @inspiredsolescast or @carolyn.c.coffin

You can help spread the running love! The best way to SUPPORT Inspired Soles is to share your favourite episode(s) with friends, subscribe, or leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Connect on Instagram @inspiredsolescast or email guest ideas to [email protected].