Focal Point - Beaver Flat 50

In 2016, brothers Warren and Jeff Dudar BA’02, MA’09 established one of the most unique, popular and nasty trail runs in Canada. The Beaver Flat 50 drew 600 runners in September 2019, the highest number of runners in its four-year history. The event consists of four courses that wind their way through Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park: the Fletcher 5 kilometre; 10K Trail Blitz; Dam Hard 20; and, the kick-assiest race in the province — the Beaver Flat 50 that routinely crushes even the most experienced and fit trail runners. The courses criss-cross the park’s coulees and hills, some as high as 2,300 metres. The majority of the race happens on game trails that are narrow, sandy, rocky, cactus-ridden, wet, and strewn with roots and juniper shrubs. A competitor (read: sucker) that takes on the Beaver Flat 50 will have to navigate 8,000 feet of elevation gain — that’s more than many mountain trail runs. The men’s record for the 50 is held by Mike Sidic from Vancouver, who did it in an incredible 4:37:21. The women’s record is 6:10:20 by Brittany Steele from Fort Macleod, Alberta. For more information, visit the Beaver Flat 50 website at www.pskyrunning.com.

Photos by Alan Lam

Lights, camera, Anton

Usually Dale Eisler can be found serving as senior policy fellow at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy or senior advisor on government relations to University President Vianne Timmons. These days, Eisler may be more likely meeting with Hollywood producers or having brunch with A-list movie stars. Eisler is now in the movie business. A book he wrote loosely based around an incident in his family history has made it to the silver screen.

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