The Road to Molanosa

55 km ran today; 726.9 km total

Day 16: Tuesday, June 9th, 2026

Distance: 55 km
Route: La Ronge to a wild camp on the road toward Molanosa
Weather: Hot and sunny, reaching over 27°C
Road Conditions: Dirt backroads leaving La Ronge, Highway 2 pavement, then beautiful sandy secondary roads toward Montreal Lake
Wildlife: Three black bears - one large adult, one smaller adult, and a tiny cub
Memorable Moment: Leaving La Ronge behind and spending the afternoon on quiet sandy roads surrounded by northern forest

There are days on a long run that are difficult to explain because nothing dramatic happens.

No storms. No setbacks. No major challenges.

Just a really good day.

Leaving La Ronge behind after two weeks in Saskatchewan's north

This morning started with Jen and I heading out of La Ronge along a quiet backroad. For the first 13 kilometres, we hardly saw any traffic. It was one of those stretches where you can settle into a rhythm and simply enjoy being out there.

The road wound through forest that is still recovering from wildfire. Everywhere we looked there were signs of regrowth - green shoots pushing up beneath blackened trunks.

Another morning shared with great company and good conversation. Jen’s been by my side for many days now. Thanks for making the trip, pacing me, cheering me up, cooking meals, setting things up, and all the things, Jen!

…and thank you Mike and the rest of the fam for blessing us with Jen on this adventure!

Jen and Mike are both training to run their own 200-mile ultramarathons in the mountains this summer! Ya - that’s like 320+ km - and it’s not a relay - they’re both going to run the whole thing!

Jen ran 33 kilometres with me today. We spent much of the morning talking, laughing, and - you guessed it - running!

By lunch, it was nearly 2 p.m., and we were both feeling grateful for a beautiful day and a smooth morning of running.

There are moments during this journey where I realize how lucky I am to have people willing to spend their vacation days, weekends, and energy helping make this run possible. Running may be what people see, but this project has always been a team effort.

After lunch, Darryn took over running duties while Jen moved into the driver's seat of the van.

Darryn and I heading south toward Molanosa on quiet roads and under a hot northern sun.

The afternoon brought one of our longer pavement sections on Highway 2.

I try to avoid running pavement as much as possible.

Gravel roads tend to be gentler and less jarring on the body.

Eventually we turned east onto a sandy secondary road leading toward Montreal Lake and Molanosa. The change was immediate.

The traffic disappeared.

The pace relaxed.

The road became softer underfoot.

Along the way we spotted not one, not two, but three black bears.

A large adult.

A smaller adult.

And a tiny cub.

All of our encounters were brief and from a safe distance.

One of three bears spotted during today's run.

The highway crew working in the area had also heard about the run and offered their encouragement as we passed through.

Charlotte joined us for a short run this morning before heading home. Saying goodbye to people who have become part of the journey is always bittersweet, but every person who joins adds something special to the experience.

Charlotte and baby, Iohanna, have been with me supporting me for so many days now I almost lost count!

Thank you Charlotte and Iohanna for all your support during this adventure!

As the afternoon wore on, the temperature climbed above 27°C. The heat settled over the road, but my body felt surprisingly good.

One small moment at the end of the day stood out.

When we reached our wild campsite, I set up my own tent before Jen got the chance to.

That might not sound like much, but there have been many evenings on this journey where I could only walk with a pretty drastic limp.

It felt like a win being energized and able to move well enough to set up my own tent!

Feeling super grateful for how this day unfolded!

Tonight we're wild camping on a quiet sandy road surrounded by forest.

Tomorrow we'll continue south toward Timber Bay, where we'll meet up with Andrew, Rachel, and their cycling family as the journey continues.

For now, I'm simply grateful.

Grateful that my body is holding up.

Grateful for good company.

Grateful for safe roads.

And grateful for another beautiful day moving south.

I'm running this 1,570-kilometre journey across Saskatchewan in memory of my mom, who passed away from leukemia at the age of 38.

I turn 38 on June 12, and every kilometre is a way of honouring her life while raising funds for families affected by blood cancers through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada.

Thank you to everyone who continues to support this journey through donations, messages, shares, encouragement, supplies, Powerade, water, roadside conversations, simple acts of kindness, and so many other ways.

Every gesture matters more than you know and every step south is made possible because of the community carrying me forward.

This is an update from my run on Tuesday, June 9th, 2026