Elias Kidane Kibreab’s End-to-End run of the Bruce Trail, May 7th—May 15th 2022 report prepared by Allan Williams, 19May22 I, Elias Kidane Kibreab, completed a supported run of the Bruce Trail, starting from the Northern Terminus Cairn in Tobermory on Saturday, May 7th 2022 at 6:00 AM and arriving at the Southern Terminus Cairn in Queenston on Sunday, May 15th at 10:55 PM. I was supported throughout by a small crew led by Allan Williams and accompanied some of the time by pacers who ran with me at various times each day. Photos are posted at https://www.vitalephotographic.com/Client-Login/Sports/Elias-FKT2022/n-… and my Strava page is public at https://www.strava.com/athletes/elias_kibreab – please feel free to follow me on Strava. What follows is a day-by-day summary of the run, with start and finish locations for each day and names of people who ran with me, as well as any other noteworthy incidents. Strava pages for most of the people who paced me along the way are also publicly available and can be found on Strava.
Day One – Saturday, May 7th , Tobermory to Rush Cove, 105.25 km : I began my E2E Bruce Trail run at 6:00 AM accompanied by Steve Kenny, Joan Matthews and Russell Lavis. Russell managed to run with for 39K. Steve and Joan were with me on and off throughout the day and at least one of them was always running with me. I finished the day’s run at the trail access parking lot near Rush Cove. Allan drove me from there to the nearby tent site at the location recommended by Steve and Joan at the intersection of Tower Road and Scenic Caves Road.
Day Two – Sunday, May 8th, Rush Cove to Lindenwood, 103.05 km : Allan drove me from the tent site to the trail parking lot where I finished the night before and I began my day’s run at 5:55 AM, running on my own. Allan met me in Hope Bay and again at two locations near Cape Croker with food and drink; he joined me on the trail for a few kms along north shore of Colpoy’s Bay and then Steve Kenny, who parked in Wiarton, ran in from there to meet me and we ran together for rest of the day together, meeting Allan for aid stops in Wiarton, at Bruce Caves access parking lot, at Coles Side Road and at Kemble Mountain. From Kemble Mountain Allan drove Steve back to his car in Wiarton, then they dropped his car at Lindenwood and got Steve with me again, after an aid stop on Lundy Lane, Steve ran with me to the day’s finish at Lindenwood where Allan and I slept in a tent in the trail access parking lot.
Day Three – Monday, May 9th, Lindenwood to Massie Hills Management Area, 106.94 km : I started the day’s run at 5:30 AM from the parking lot where we slept. Allan met me at 6:40 AM near East Linton Sideroad W, but due to 100 metre rough descent from trail to car, I continued on the trail instead. However I left my headlamp behind here, accidentally leaving it sitting on the rocks where Allan took the photo of me in red jacket with poles in the early morning sunlight. I met Allan for breakfast stop where Georgian Bluffs Trail meets Range Road. We met again at Inglis Falls. After running around the southern part of Owen Sound I came out onto 10th Concession S and ran northwards and missed the turn where the trail goes east on 15 Sideroad, goes through some woods and comes back out onto 10th Concession S and continues north. Allan consulted with Steve who said to pick me up, drive me back to the spot where I went off the trail so I could run the piece I missed, then return me to where I left off. This accounts for the messy Strava Map in that area. Apparently the section I initially missed had been closed all winter and just reopened a few days before I ran through there, and the signage had not been updated yet. Steve rejoined me on Sideroad 22 and we ran together until the parking lot of the Bognor Marsh on Grey Road 18. From there I ran alone on the section of trail on Concession 4 and on 6 Sideroad, and on Concession 6 until trails heads off into the woods, where I ended the day. From there Allan drove me to the home of Andy Blackwell, near the village of Vandeleur where we slept.
Day Four – Tuesday, May 10th, Massie Hills Management Area to the trailhead on Sideroad 7B, 98.24 km : From Andy’s home we drove back to where I had finished running last night and I started running at 5:55 AM running by myself, with Allan intercepting me along the way where possible, until Carlo Vitale joined me on Sideroad 19, west of Grey Road 7 and continued with me until Hogg’s Falls area (East Back Line). Andy followed me with his vehicle through the east side of the Beaver Valley. I finished the day’s run by climbing up out of the Beaver Valley along Sideroad 7B to the trailhead at the top where I stopped and then drove back in Andy’s truck to his home where we had dinner and slept for a second night.
Day Five – Wednesday, May 11th, Trailhead on Sideroad 7B to Nottawasaga 9/10 Sideroad, 97.68 km : From Andy’s home we drove back to the top of Sideroad 7B and I started the day’s run from the trailhead there at 5:55 AM, with Allan and Andy each in separate vehicles, intercepting me with food and drink whenever possible. At Loree Forest, where there’s an intersect side trail, Caroline Alexander came to wish me well. At 12th Sideroad we met up with Cait Foisy who ran with me all the way down to Pretty River Road. It was great to have Cait’s company through this tough stretch that included the highest point on the Bruce Trail. Andy drove Cait back to her car and I continued running on my own, meeting Allan a few more times and finished the day’s run where the trail crosses Nottawasaga 9/10. Allan punctured a tire on the truck getting to the site but CAA came to fix it and it didn’t cause any other logistical problems.
Day Six – Thursday, May 12th, Nottawasaga 9/10 Sideroad to Airport Road, 91.78 km : I was on the trail at 5:30 AM and ran by myself for the first few hours, meeting Allan for breakfast at Lavender Cemetery and then connecting with pacer Everhard Olivieri—Munroe around 9AM near his home in Black Bank. Everhard also repaired the punctured tire before joining me on the trails! Allan picked up Vladimir Osin, who drove up from Toronto to pace me and I ran with Everhard and Vladimir through the hottest part of this day from around Kilgorie down to Highway 89 until about 4:30 PM – thanks to both of them! About 6PM I entered the Hockley Valley section which I’m very familiar with, and ran through to where the trail meets Airport Road about 2K south of Hockley Road (#7). From there Allan drove to the parking long on Road 7 at Fifth Line where we usually park when running the Hockley Loop and we set up the tent there.
Day Seven – Friday, May 13th, Airport Road to Kelso, 102 km : Allan drove me to the spot along Airport Road where I finished the night before. I crossed the road and started the day’s run before 5:30 AM. Allan went back to pack up tent site and met me for breakfast at 6:30 AM at 7th Line just off Airport Road. Andy Saito took over as crew chief for the day at this point as Allan had to return to Toronto briefly. I connected with Andy wherever possible and also was joined by Israel Arteaga who ran with me from around 8:30 AM all day. Also, members of the Kleinburg Running Club, including Tom Sapiano and Machaela Freitas, joined me this morning in the Forks of the Credit area. At 3PM in the Silver Creek area Allan reconnected with the team and I was joined by Nick Roberts who ran with me for the rest of the day along with Israel. Jordan Wickett found us and ran with us for a while too, and my father-in-law Mussie came by with a food resupply, meeting us in Speyside. Ken Slagter ran in from Appleby Line and ran the last rough section with us back out to his car where Allan was waiting, also James Nugent, who had brought soup. Allan drove Israel and Nick back to Nick’s truck at Silver Creek, while I went with Ken and slept in a trailer parked in his driveway.
Day Eight – Saturday, May 14th, Kelso to New Mountain Road, Stoney Creek, 101.53 km : Ken drove me from his home to Kelso and he and I started running from where we had left off last night. We were running by 5:50 AM. Allan met us at Appleby and Steeles, and again where trail first crosses Guelph Line. Carlo joined us again on Twiss Road and stayed with us all day until dinner break at night. We met Allan at Mount Nemo parking lot off Walkers Line, and again at Kerns Road, where Ken left us. Reza Saputra joined us in the Waterdown area, and I was also joined on the trail around the Rock Chapel area by Anne Francis, editor of Canadian Running Magazine, who ran with us for a few kms and also brought snacks – thanks Anne. Continuing into the residential area in Dundas we encountered a trail reroute which we followed, then entered the Dundas Valley Conservation Area where we met up with Allan and Carlo. At Tiffany Falls, I was surprised by my wife Feven and daughters who had a dinner break ready for me right on the trail just across the road (Wilson Street E) from the parking lot, that was very nice. After the break with my family, Reza and I continued east under the brow of Hamilton Mountain intending to get at least as far as Centennial Parkway. Allan met us at Beckett Drive and again at Mountain Brow Side Trail, where he walked in with water and long sleeved shirt. We continued past Red Hill Creek Exprw, past Felker’s Falls, across Centennial, past Devil’s Punchbowl to where the trail uses a railway bridge to cross New Mountain Road. Allan set up the tent right there beside the trail, and just about ten feet from the train tracks. At least two trains went by in the middle of the night but I was asleep so deeply that I didn’t hear them.
Day Nine – Sunday, May 15th, New Mountain Road, Stoney Creek to Southern Terminus Cairn, Queenston Heights, 99.29 km : I was up and on the trail at 5:15 AM, running by myself until meeting up with Ryan Niclasen at the start of the Niagara Section at 8:30 AM. Allan met me with oatmeal and coffee at Fifty Road at 7:15 and then I continued towards Grimsby. Allan met me on Wolverton Road and Ridge Road and then connected with Ryan at the Niagara Section start where I met them at 8:30. Ryan and I ran together for the rest of the day – thank you Ryan for getting me through the final day! We next met up with the support crew at Leonard Crescent off Mountain Street in Beamsville. Jess Ranalli was here and she stayed with me for the rest of the day. And Steve Kenny joined us again and also stayed with us for the whole day. We saw the support caravan or parts of it on Quarry Road, on Victoria Avenue, on Staff Road (off Seventeenth), on Pelham Road in Rockway (where Paul joined us), on Wiley Road (where Ken and Lisa dropped by), at DeCew House (where Carlo joined us again), on Tremont Drive (where Andy rejoined us), at Glendale Bridge, on Warner Road and on Dorchester Road (Fireman’s Park) before we finally arrived at Queenston Heights Park about seven minutes before 11 PM, where my family and friends who weren’t already running with me were waiting to greet me, including my daughters who were holding a finish line tape. With my daughters at my side I hugged the Southern Terminus Cairn at 10:55 PM on Sunday night, May 15th, and the celebration began
Bruce Trail FKT from May 7 to May 15 from Gaia gps
Day #1 https://www.gaiagps.com/public/ZqNnULFKx047fOUPKiWQgN0w
Day #2 https://www.gaiagps.com/public/1WvHXwK3goOB0103vPqdLfGw
Day # 3 https://www.gaiagps.com/public/HWPe0uehRkvewtQZSjLNjCgh/?layer=GaiaTopoRasterFeet
Day #4 https://www.gaiagps.com/public/59DuKWhHg3eLXex8DzNPC2Hj/?layer=GaiaTopoRasterFeet
Day # 5 https://www.gaiagps.com/public/oTFcOliogunxdpvT3UocXzxJ/?layer=GaiaTopoRasterFeet
Day #6 https://www.gaiagps.com/public/xwk776cDcWEELT84ncGeiFuS/?layer=GaiaTopoRasterFeet
Day #7 https://www.gaiagps.com/public/tnOoeLlBaNAxIH1s0SVSh1nK/?layer=GaiaTopoRasterFeet
Day # 8 https://www.gaiagps.com/public/uI14ln9qxvxdzel3QYnuKpiU/?layer=GaiaTopoRasterFeet
Day #9 https://www.gaiagps.com/public/S2HENCKA4d6CWeY5Gcft0QD1/?layer=GaiaTopoRasterFeet