Alone in the Mountains A Matter of Trust:
The Guide-Blind Runner BondTo Beat the Sun Why they Cheat
FEATURES
38
Renowned photographer
Michael Overbeck grew
up in the Coastal Mountains of
British Columbia. After years
photographing others’ adven-
tures, He decided to take his
camera, pack light and explore
his own backyard, the mountain
range in Whistler, B.C ., on foot.
He shares with us his invigo-
rating and inspiring multi-day
running adventure.
By Michael Overbeck
44
Maria de Guzman is
totally blind. She lost her
sight at the age of two due to
retinoblastoma, a rare childhood
illness that affects the retina. In
college, Maria started treadmill
running off and on, but never did
get out onto the road. In March
2013, as a mom of two energetic
young boys, Maria decided she
wanted to run outside. This is
what it’s like to guide a visually
impaired runner, and what it’s
like for that runner to be able to
run on the roads.
By Karen Principato46
Each year on the summer
solstice, teams from
around the world comprised of
recreational and elite runners
descend upon the French
Alpine town of Chamonix. The
eight teams representing every
corner of the globe start at dawn,
racing against each other around
the iconic Mont Blanc. The
1 40-kilometre relay covers three
countries through extraordinary
mountain terrain. But the ulti-
mate goal for every team is to
finish before the sun sets.
By Michael Doyle52
People have always tried to
cut corners in order to gain
a competitive advantage. But
with the advent of new technolo-
gies in running – chip timing,
live splits and results, photogra-
phers and live video feeds along
the course – have revealed that
a surprising number of recre-
ational runners cheat. Madeleine
Cummings digs deeper, trying to
figure out what makes seemingly
normal runners do bad things.
By Madeleine CummingsABOVE Michael Overbeck2 Canadian Running November & December 2016, Volume 9, Issue 7
Michael Overbecknovember & december 2016 volume 9, issue 7