Editorial

Canadian Running magazine came into being 10 years ago. 2008 was the same year I started running as a form of exercise and not out of sheer necessity, like chasing after a bus, or one of my children prone to tumbling down sets of stairs. In that time, it feels as though running has entered the future – the kind you pictured in your head as a kid, with driverless cars and robot assistants – but suspected may only ever exist in sci-fi movies. But this future is unfolding all around us, including when we lace up our shoes. Cutting-edge technology has had profound implications on how we now run in 2018, for better or for worse. In 2008, the iPhone had just launched in Canada and a “social” run still meant meeting your friends at the coffee shop in person. Now we spend more of our time running “together” via apps like Strava, trading physical high fives for virtual kudos. Simultaneously, technology has also facilitated the rise of highly social and inclusive events in the real world with real humans. Take ParkRun as an example – a weekly 5k park race that started in the U.K. and has spread rapidly across 20 countries, including Canada, through the power of social media and a simple bar code. And while many of us born before 1981 dismiss younger generations as even more unhealthily glued to their mobile phones than we are, it’s technology itself that they deftly employ to create awareness and drive memberships in an expanding number of real-world running groups across the country. Young Canadians seem driven more by inclusivity, a sense of community and not taking running so damn seriously; Montreal’s Yamajo Run Crew, the Vancouver Flight Crew (p.67) and countless beer miles popping up across the country represent this new attitude.

As such, technology weaves its way throughout this 10th Anniversary issue of Canadian Running. Tania Hass’ feature, ‘The Future is Now: Running & Technology’ (p. 40) explores the benefits of our gadgets, and the pitfalls of the data they contain. In ‘Running In Age Of Climate Change’ (p. 46), Rhiannon Russell looks beyond our digital screens and explores the responsibilities runners have to give back to the environment, as opposed to simply running through it. The more things change, the more they stay same, and Jon-Erik Kawamoto shares why you should take a fresh look at an oldfashioned approach to strength training (p.26). We also look forward again, but just a little, to the holidays with the latest and greatest shoes, gear, tech, apparel and accessories on offer in our annual winter shoe review (p.60) and gift guide (p.54).

From 2008 to 2018, we hope you’ve enjoyed (and continue to enjoy) the journey.