Some sports are just totally extreme dude. Downhill running is one of them. The Alberta Provincial Downhill Running Championship was held Sat., Apr. 1 in Kananaskis Country.
In downhill running, contestants are sent barrelling down a wooded hill hoping to be the fastest to the bottom. At the APDR Championship, contestants started atop a 2,163 foot hill and picked their own way down to the finish line.
The day was filled with crashes, spills and tree collisions. Evidently, it becomes difficult to stay in control while running down a steep pitch.
While Richard Bergen had the third fastest time of the day with his bail-free run, there were much more exciting ways down. Lee Bogle posted the second-fastest time of the day. He rolled down a full third of the course, miraculously dodging trees for 700 vertical feet before finally connecting with one towards the end of his run. Bogle managed to survive the impact and run the remainder of the course.
However, it was Andrea Poupart who was victorious. She managed to run the course 30 seconds faster than any other competitor. Her secret: insanity. She hurled herself off a 58-foot cliff to secure the win.
While spectators were not sure whether she had intended to put herself atop the cliff or not, she didn’t back down from the challenge. Her prize for winning the event was a round-trip to Whitehorse. Sweet.
To get involved in downhill running, drink a 26 of rye while sitting on top of a massive hill.