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It’s always fascinating to us how interconnected the running community is across space, time and genre.  While in Manitoba Kim kept hearing the name Gavin dropped whenever anyone talked about sourcing high quality and hard to find running gear and products in Canada. “You just need to check out Gavin’s store. They’ll have it.”  Over the years she has placed regular orders to SkiUphill RunUphill in Canmore and whenever she's in town it’s the first place she stops. In fact, the trail running store in any town is often the community hub, the first place out-of-town  runners stop for information, maps and last minute fuel as well as the place where locals meet up for epic adventures.

Gavin Harmacy works for Apple and is originally from Manitoba, while Joël Desgreniers is a physiotherapist and is originally from Quebec.  When they partnered up and opened their shop in Canmore, AB, they did so with a crystalline sense of purpose and passion. They both love the mountains and have built a business, a community, and a life centered around helping people get outside and do fun things year round.

In this episode we talk about what drew them to Canmore, what it’s like to be run and ski shop owners, how they choose the brands they stock, and of course given that Joël is a PT we had to talk about shoes!  We also discuss how backcountry skiing and running can complement each other seasonally, how the store has grown to be so much more than that, and their future plans for a thriving business.  Whether you are a roadrunner or a trail runner, you know how important your local running store is and we talk to two men who have a mission for community service disguised as a business.  Cue this one up, put in those ear buds and hit play as you run, because this one is inspiring!

Connect with SkiUphill RunUphill:

• Phone: 403.675.HILL
• Website: skiuphill.ca
• Facebook: RunUphill Trail Crew

Resources we discussed in the episode:

• Favourite Mantra: You either ran today or you didn't (Gavin)
• Favourite Place to Run: Chamonix (Joel)
• Bucket List Race: UTMB (Gavin)
• Favourite Book: The Science of Running by Steve Magness (Joel) 
• Post-Run Indulgence: Having a beer with friends (Gavin)

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