The year was 1962. At the British Empire and Commonwealth Games, in the sweltering heat of an Australian summer, 18 runners lined up on the track at the start of the men’s six-mile race. It was an impressive field that included Olympic medallists and past Commonwealth champions. Among these men was a young Canadian, a teenager named Bruce Kidd.

On this week’s episode of The Shakeout, we take you back in time, 56 years ago, to when a 19-year-old Kidd ran the race to secure his place as one of the greatest long-distance runners, not only in Canada, but also on the world stage.

Audio excerpts are taken from the documentary film, Runner, directed by Don Owen and narrated by W.H. Auden.

The Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra calls itself “the world’s coldest and toughest ultra.”

Every February, hundreds of competitors line-up at the start in the harsh, cold conditions of northern Canada. The race cites the freezing temperatures, the challenging terrain, and the sheer long distances of the race as contributing factors for the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra to be considered the world’s toughest.

On this week’s episode of The Shakeout, we take you to the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra. This year’s race begins on February 1. We speak with the race director Robert Pollhammer, the lead medic Diane Patrick, and several competitors to uncover the allure of such an extreme challenge.

The beginning of a calendar year represents new beginnings and re-evaluation, and for runners in particular, January is the time to set new goals. Whether it's to complete new race distance, to run a faster time, to lose weight, or to eat healthier, the end goal is for self-improvement.

If you are one of the many who have eagerly set a goal and are finding it difficult to stay committed, don't give up! On this week's episode of The Shakeout we chat with sports nutritionist Jen Sygo and sports psychologist Kim Dawson who provide expert advice on setting realistic nutrition and fitness goals and, more importantly, on what to do if you get off-track. 

The inside look of what it's like for a clean athlete to run in one of the dirtiest races in Olympic history. Canadian Hilary Stellingwerff tells her story of the 2012 London Olympic 1,500m, where six of the 13 finalists were dopers.

READ MORE: runningmagazine.ca/womens-1500m-fi…olympic-doping/

Bruny Surin will remember 1999 as the year when everything lined up perfectly. Leading up to the 100m final at the World Championships in Seville, Spain, Surin was fit enough to break a record --and he did.

On this week's episode of The Shakeout, we look at one of the most overlooked national records in Canadian running history.

On September 11, 1976, 15-year-old Silvia Ruegger sat in her bedroom writing a note. It read: I will represent Canada at the Olympic Games. She then took the note and tucked it underneath the floorboards where no one else could see it. Eight years later at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Ruegger became one of fifty women to race at the very first women’s marathon of the Olympic Games and a pioneer of women’s running. On this week’s episode of The Shakeout, we look at how one of the greatest moments in Canadian running history started with a handwritten note hidden underneath the floor of an old farmhouse.

Over the next two weeks, we will be bringing you new podcasts on Wednesday December 27 and Wednesday January 3. Happy Holidays!

At the age of 16, Yves Sikubwabo boarded a plane for the first time, with only a backpack and $100 in his pocket. He was the only Rwandan to represent his country at the World Junior Championships in Moncton, New Brunswick. After a phone call to his aunt, he learns who had actually killed his parents when he was a year old, and that his life is in danger. Sikubwabo must choose between staying alone in this foreign country, or returning home to face violence.

The Santa Pur-suit in Waterloo, Ont. is now in its sixth year and as with other Santa-themed races, this one promotes a fun, festive, and inclusive event –as long as you are prepared to wear the whole five-piece Santa suit for the entire race. For me, this race is an annual tradition and this year I donned my Santa suit for the fourth year. On this week’s episode of the Shakeout, I share with you my bizarre holiday running tradition, which includes a fake beard, a love story, and hundred and hundreds of Santas.