“I need to be outdoors. And I feel like most people need to be outdoors. I see that in my kids, and I see that in most people in society. But I love seeing how much nature can impact people. It is unlike anything else.”

Jacob Puzey is the owner and director of 5 Peaks. 5 Peaks hosts trail races in BC, Alberta, and Ontario and Jacob has local race directors who help ensure the races speak to the locals in each area. It was very insightful to hear from Jacob about how races come to life, what costs go into hosting, and how the permitting process can play out. He touched on so much more than just that and I’m grateful for his candor. 5 Peaks, like all of us, is doing there best to keep costs down, but today’s environment is a challenge.

“We tried really hard to not increase costs unnecessarily. And we actually haven't for three years. But the cost of everything, food, gas, storage, shipping, swag, you know, toilets, medics, everything has gone up.”

Jacob is definitely in trail running for the love of it. As a labour of love, 5 Peaks touches many who trail run in Canada. They are fun for the whole family and a big part of that is because Jacob’s creating those events with having fun with his family in mind.

“I love being on-site on race day, and my kids love attending the races. They love running the races. They love passing the finisher swag out at the end. I mean, when we're there, we're there at 6 a.m. So, if we go to a race, it's usually a road trip, so to speak. Surprisingly, even my five-year-old son, he can't wait to get up before the sun comes up. His favorite thing to do is break down boxes, and they like to work at the merch tent. Even my kids like doing different things. It's their favorite. It's like Christmas.

5 Peaks races are a great time and here in BC the race lineup will have something to challenge runners of all levels:April 6 - Alice LakeMay 4 - Golden EarsJuly 20 - Cypress MountainAugust 31 - Whistler BlackcombSeptember 14 - Mount SeymourThis year, Season Pass holders will get an exclusive 5 Peaks running towel. It's also a family-friendly event with 3 km and 1 km kids races at each event. Head over to www.5peaks.com to learn more.

5 peaks is the gold sponsor of the Trail Running Film Festival!

Early Bird Trail Running Film Festival tickets on sale now

Thursday, April 4, 2024. The Rio Theatre. Doors at 6, show at 7.

Bring your noisemakers!

Yes, I’m so excited to host all of you amazing trail runners once again here in Vancouver, BC! The Rio Theatre is booked for Thursday, April 4, 2024, with the doors opening at 6 and the show starting at 7. We’re gonna do it bigger and better than last year and give this thing a festival vibe.

We have amazing sponsors lined up once again (like 5 Peaks!), we’ll have some great giveaways, another awesome guest, and a secret show opener that you’re going to want to make noise for. Bring your cowbells, your tambourines, or whatever you have to get loud, and let’s rock the Rio together!

Tickets are on sale now for $25 and go up to $30 on January 1, so pick’em up for your holiday shopping and save a few bucks.

Buy your tickets here.

We’re bringing the films to Alberta

And a big step for us as we’re bringing the film festival to Edmonton, Calgary, and Canmore! I’m incredibly excited to be able to hang out with more of you and share the film festival vibes. We’re still finalizing contracts with theatres, but it’s looking like our dates will be:

Tuesday, June 4, 2024, Edmonton

Wednesday, June 5, 2024, Calgary

Thursday, June 6, 2024, Canmore (ArtsPlace)

Keep an eye peeled for official announcements as we will let you know the moment these become official and tickets are listed for sale. I’m so pumped to hang out with you all!

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Music by Paolo Argentino from Pixabay

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