Day 26: Pronghorns, Big Skies, and 59 Kilometres

59 km ran today; ~1,263 km total

Friday, June 19th, 2026

Distance Ran Today: 59 km
Total Distance Ran: ~1,263 km
Projected Total Distance to Run: ~1,570 km
Progress: ~80.4% complete
Remaining Distance: ~307 km

I started the day running near Ardath and finished north of Birsay, covering 59 kilometres through rolling prairie, coulees, gravel roads, and open farmland.

Friday was a beautiful day for running. The weather could not have been much better. The temperature hit a low in the night of around 7°C and climbed to about 19°C in the afternoon, with very little wind.

Before we left camp, the crew gathered for a quick briefing to review the route and make a plan for the day.

A quick crew briefing before we headed back out to run.

Soon after the meeting, we made our way to the start line for today, picked up Gnome and Froggie, and began running.

Dylan and I covered the first section together. It was nice to have Dylan join me as it seems to take my legs some time to kick into ‘running mode.’

Dylan and I getting the first kilometres of the day underway.

Later in the morning, my friend, Mary, arrived from Saskatoon to join me for the next segment. It was so nice to see her. Mary is part of the Joggers and Lagers Running Club. She’s become a good friend and she’s a fast runner.

A hug first, then back to running!

As the day continued, even more familiar runners’ faces arrived from Saskatoon. Stephen, Hannah, Jen, little Rivy, and others joined us throughout the day to pace me. It was so awesome to see them again!

Some people ran, some people biked, some drove in support vehicles, and some mostly came out to visit.

One of the things that has blown me away about this project is how many people have been willing to share a few kilometres, a few hours - or heck, why not a few weeks - on the road with me. Every one of them helps make these days special.

Behind the scenes, my friend, Theresa, has helped organize the pacers who come out to run with me. I’m so thankful to her for doing this.

My friends and pacers who came out to join me today

We stopped for lunch out on the open prairie. There was plenty of sky, plenty of good company, and no trees.

Quesadillas for lunch! I’m not sure if I told Auntie Chris about the Quesadillas at the Reesor Ultramarathon aid stations or what - but they are such a treat during a run

After lunch, the roads continued to be a bit muddy in places from earlier moisture, but it didn’t rain.

Through out the day we spotted some pronghorns and ran through a beautiful coulee that broke up the wide-open landscape.

Another highlight of the day was receiving a lovely visit and donation from the Larson family. I continue to be amazed by the generosity of the people we meet along this route.

Thank you to the Larson family for the lovely visit, donation and for supporting this project!

By the time I had covered about 20 kilometres, my legs were feeling much better than earlier in the morning.

One thing I have learned during this run is that it can take my legs a surprisingly long time to ‘wake up.’ Twenty kilometres is not unusual. Once they finally get going, though, the days begin to feel much more enjoyable.

When that happens, I sometimes stop thinking about a distance for the day and choose a time instead. After 44 kilometres, I let my crew know that I would keep running until 6 p.m.

Heading out for what turned out to be another 15 kms before calling it at 6 pm.

As evening approached, I finished the day north of Birsay after running 59 kilometres.

As always, Frogger and Gnome were left at my exact stopping point so I can continue the footpath south tomorrow morning.

Frogger and Gnome marking my stopping point north of Birsay until tomorrow morning.

Back at Lucky Lake Campground, Auntie Chris once again put together an incredible supper. We had perogies with mushroom gravy, pork with gravy, Japanese salad, and potato salad.

Chris insisted that the perogies were store-bought, but some of us are pretty certain they were homemade…either way, the food was amazing!

After supper, we settled into one of the nicest evenings of the southern section so far. Brad's friend, Ian, stopped by to visit us at camp.

As the sun dropped lower, people gathered around the fire, shared stories, and enjoyed the evening.

Auntie Lorri, Kalim, and Uncle Garth enjoying a beautiful evening around the fire at Lucky Lake Campground.

I always want to stay up and hang out with the wonderful people at camp, but I usually tuck myself into my tent so that I can get a good sleep.

I headed to bed shortly after checking out this beautiful sunset.

A beautiful sunset taken from our camping site at Lucky Lake.

59 km today. Approximately 1,263 km completed.

~80.4% complete.

About 307 km remain to the Saskatchewan–Montana border.

I’m very thankful to have been able to run again today!

Why I'm Running

My mom, Louise, passed from leukemia at age 38. On June 12th, I turned 38 myself.

To honour her memory, I'm running approximately 1,577 kilometres across Saskatchewan while raising funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada. Every step is a reminder that even the biggest journeys are completed one step at a time.

This daily update is for Day 26 (June 19th, 2026) of this adventure.