Island Miles Podcast: for runners, by runners, celebrating running on Vancouver Island

Darren Dukes

With its mild climate and beauty, it's no surprise that Vancouver Island has a vast and rich running community. The Island Miles Podcast, with hosts Dan Deane, Darren Dukes and Jamie Weiss, is here to celebrate it all! We'll talk to cool people about their running adventures, promote all the great island races, and check in with experts to help you on your running journey.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 5d ago

    Episode 21 - Rob Holloway and the psychology of running

    The psychology around running has always been fascinating – what does this repetitive activity unlock in our brains. What does it do for us, and is it always positive? Dr. Rob Holloway is uniquely qualified to dig into it with us – both as a registered psychologist who treats individuals, couples and families with mental health challenges, and as a dedicated runner with some big personal accomplishments, both on the road and in the trails. We hope you enjoy this conversation about the connection between mental health and running as much as we did! The Rundown - upcoming races and events:    June 12-13 - Run Saysutchun - Newcastle Island near Nanaimo – https://www.runsaysutshun.com/ Jun 20 - CFB Esquimalt Navy Run - 5K/10K - https://cfmws.ca/esquimalt/esquimalt-navy-run June 21 - Father’s Day Walk/Run for prostate cancer - Camosun’s Interurban Campus - https://islandprostatecentre.com/fathersdaywalkrun/   Victoria Queer Run Club on IG: https://www.instagram.com/vicqueerrunclub/ The Island Miles Podcast wants to hear from YOU! Got a topic idea? Know someone doing something cool that should be celebrated? Email us: islandmilespodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram: @islandmilespodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    38 min

  2. May 27

    Episode 20 – Trail safety for new (and experienced) trail runners

    If you’re thinking about taking on the trails for the first time, or even if you’re a seasoned vet, it’s always good to get a refresher on preparing for time in the trails and making sure you’re taking care of your own safety. Natalia Filip is an experienced trail runner that loves spending endless hours in Strathcona Park. But she’s also a volunteer with Nanaimo Search and Rescue and joined the show to give us some really valuable information on preparedness. The Rundown - upcoming races and events:    May 30 - Snowden Trail Race - put on by Foveo Running – 11k and 26k in Campbell River - https://raceroster.com/events/2026/112890/snowden-trail-race May 30 - Shoppers Drug Mart Run for Women – 5k and 10k at Elk Lake - https://raceroster.com/events/2026/106292/shoppers-drug-mart-run-for-women-victoria-2026 May 31 - Hardy Hustle - 10K and Half Marathon in Port Hardy - https://porthardy.ca/community/recreation/hardyhustle/   The Island Miles Podcast wants to hear from YOU! Got a topic idea? Know someone doing something cool that should be celebrated? Email us: islandmilespodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram: @islandmilespodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    36 min

  3. May 12

    Episode 19 – Pod on the Run!

    We decided to mic up for an easy-paced run in the West Shore and talk about what’s going on in the running world, both on Vancouver Island and beyond! We talk about the cooker of a day at the BMO Vancouver Marathon, a historic Cocodona 250 finish, a new Island ParkRun and lots of other cool stuff. Jamie even shared his most embarrassing running story, which involved passing out mid-stream… The May 50k Challenge for MS – friend of the pod Lyall Chalmers’ wife was recently diagnosed with MS, and even though she’s not a runner in the least bit, she’s running 50k in May to raise money and awareness for MS – here’s a link to her fundraising page – way to go Amanda!! https://mssp.donordrive.com/participants/Amanda-Chalmers/donate   The Rundown - upcoming races and events:    May 17 - Jay’s Hillbilly Hustle - Nanaimo - 17k, 35k, and 50k - https://www.hillbillyhustle50.com/ May 24 - Oak Bay Half Marathon and 10k – sold out but there’s a waitlist! https://oakbayhalf.com/ May 30 - Sooke Hills 25k and 50k - sold out but would love volunteers! https://sookehillsrunning.com/ May 30 - Snowden Trail Race - put on by Foveo Running – 11k and 26k - https://raceroster.com/events/2026/112890/snowden-trail-race   The Island Miles Podcast wants to hear from YOU! Got a topic idea? Know someone doing something cool that should be celebrated? Email us: islandmilespodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram: @islandmilespodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    20 min

  4. Apr 29

    Episode 18 – Yana Hempler and her fundraising success

    Yana Hempler is a Victoria runner with a lot of personal accomplishments, including completing her Abbott World Major Six Star in Tokyo this March. She’s also channeled some of her apparently endless energy into a number of fundraisers for the Victoria Hospitals Foundation, raising a crazy amount of money. She’s got a big 24-hour event planned for Duncan in September, and we got the lowdown. Race Roster event link: https://raceroster.com/events/2026/112601/dream-nation-apparel-vancouver-island-24-hour (use the promo code  ISLANDMILES10 for a registration discount!) We also talk about the historic London Marathon result with two dudes going sub-2:00(!!), recap the TC10K, Boston and...Toledo?   The Rundown - upcoming races and events:  The Cumby - May 2 – https://thecumby.ca/ Island Trail Series Lake Cowichan 13K/26K – May 9 - https://www.islandtrailseries.ca/races/lake-cowichan/ Fundraisers: The Victoria Mile – May 18 - supports Parkinsons Wellness Projects https://www.instagram.com/thevictoriamile/ Power to Play Summit & Race – May 29-31 – supports Power to Be - https://www.powertobe.ca/powertoplay   The Island Miles Podcast wants to hear from YOU! Got a topic idea? Know someone doing something cool that should be celebrated? Email us: islandmilespodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram: @islandmilespodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    36 min

  5. Apr 14

    Episode 17 - Myke Labelle and Coastline Endurance

    There are SO many great trail races on Vancouver Island, and many of them are organized by the team at Coastline Endurance. Whether it’s the brutally tough Finlayson Arm races, extremely fun Island Trail Series, or the unique and challenging Kusam Klimb, they’ve got a great race roster, which they added to with the Hornby Island Ultra last month. The person at the helm of Coastline Endurance is Myke Labelle, and we got a chance to get to know him and what it takes to put on great races. Plus, he gave us a couple entries to Kusam to giveaway! The Rundown - upcoming races and events:  April 26 – TC10K – April 26 - https://www.runsport.ca/tc10k May 2 – The Cumby 25K/16K/8.5K/4.5K distances https://thecumby.ca/   The Island Miles Podcast wants to hear from YOU! Got a topic idea? Know someone doing something cool that should be celebrated? Email us: islandmilespodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram: @islandmilespodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    32 min

  6. Mar 29

    Episode 16 - Joe 'Crazy Leg's Camilleri

    Most people are in running retirement by the time they hit 70, but Joe ‘Crazy Legs’ Camilleri is still going strong at 76! Joe was a late bloomer with his running career, so was probably saving his legs for later life glory. Joe has completed a number of marathons with his first in Vancouver back in 2017 at the age of 67, when qualified for Boston, and he’s now closing in on completing the Abbot World Marathon Majors. We get to know Joe, which Canadian legend inspired him to start running, how he got his nickname, and hopefully get some tips for running longevity!   The Rundown - upcoming races and events:  March 29 – McLean Mill 10K – Port Alberni - https://www.islandseries.org/product/mclean-mill-10k/ April 12 – Saanich Physio Bazin Bay 5K – https://www.islandseries.org/product/saanich-physio-bazan-bay-5k/ April 11 – Royal Roads 6K/11K – https://www.islandtrailseries.ca/races/victoria-royal-roads/   Canadian Cancer Society Run 80K in April Challenge: https://fundraisemyway.cancer.ca/events/680   The Island Miles Podcast wants to hear from YOU! Got a topic idea? Know someone doing something cool that should be celebrated? Email us: islandmilespodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram: @islandmilespodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    27 min

  7. Mar 11

    Episode 15 - CVRR and the Comox Valley Half Marathon

    The Comox Valley RV Half Marathon is coming up on March 22. It’s the longest race in the Vancouver Island Race Series, and clearly one of the most popular as it sold out in January! It’s one of many races put on by the Comox Valley Road Runners, and in this episode, we caught up with their club President Brad Crowe and Comox Half Race Director Rob Kelly to talk about the race and their awesome, and VERY accomplished club which has been around since 1980. You can find them here: https://cvrr.ca/   We also got an update on the Wounded Warriors from Simon Brown and Nathalie Butler. This year’s campaign has raised more than $280,000 this year! You can still donate until the end of March.  https://woundedwarriors.ca/run-bc/.   The Rundown - upcoming races and events:  March 29 – McLean Mill 10K – Port Alberni - https://www.islandseries.org/product/mclean-mill-10k/ April 12 – Saanich Physio Bazin Bay 5K – https://www.islandseries.org/product/saanich-physio-bazan-bay-5k/ April 26 – TC10K – April 26 - https://www.runsport.ca/tc10k   April 2 – Trail Running Film Festival – Vic Theatre - https://bit.ly/4qWmNMN   The Island Miles Podcast wants to hear from YOU! Got a topic idea? Know someone doing something cool that should be celebrated? Email us: islandmilespodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram: @islandmilespodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    35 min

  8. Feb 27

    Episode 14 - Wounded Warriors

    Every year, a group of eight runners and their amazing support team relay the 800 kilometres from Port Hardy to Victoria in just eight days, raising awareness for the importance of supporting trauma exposed Vancouver Island military personnel, first responders and their families. The 2026 campaign started on February 22, and the team is working their way down the island. The guys had a chance to talk to Simon Brown, one of this year’s runners before the team headed out. He shared some of their history, inspiring stories, and details on how people can support their mission. Every dollar raised by this tremendous group stays on the island, and you can find out more or donate here: https://woundedwarriors.ca/run-bc/.   The Rundown - upcoming races and events:  March 8 – Westcoast Sooke 10K - https://www.islandseries.org/product/westcoast-sooke-10k-2/ March 29 – McLean Mill 10K – Port Alberni - https://www.islandseries.org/product/mclean-mill-10k/ April 2 – Trail Running Film Festival – Vic Theatre - https://bit.ly/4qWmNMN   The Island Miles Podcast wants to hear from YOU! Got a topic idea? Know someone doing something cool that should be celebrated? Email us: islandmilespodcast@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram: @islandmilespodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    28 min
See All (21)

About

With its mild climate and beauty, it's no surprise that Vancouver Island has a vast and rich running community. The Island Miles Podcast, with hosts Dan Deane, Darren Dukes and Jamie Weiss, is here to celebrate it all! We'll talk to cool people about their running adventures, promote all the great island races, and check in with experts to help you on your running journey.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

You Might Also Like