Raccoons, GPS issues and injuries won’t stop this 900-km, round-the-clock run of Ontario’s Bruce Trail

A dozen Hamilton runners are making their way through 900 kilometres of rugged southern Ontario trail this week, running day and night for a good cause, but the journey hasn't exactly gone to plan.

The 24-hour Bruce Trail relay race, which began Wednesday morning in Tobermory and ends at the trail's end in Niagara Falls, has been disrupted by raccoons, trail changes and injuries.

"The very first night, nobody got any sleep. We had several raccoons attack our our camp," said runner Sunny Humber.

Those disruptions won't stop this group, however.

We Run the Bruce is made up of members of the Hamilton-based We Run Club. They are raising money for the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, an organization that offers legal assistance to marginalized women who have experienced violence.

The group has so far raised $6,727 of their $15,000 goal.

Humber, 28, said the relay is also to bring awareness after a number of women were assaulted on the Bruce Trail in Hamilton in 2022.

As part of their effort to raise awareness, the teams that run the night-time legs of the relay are all women, working in a buddy system.

"For years, I was used to running on those trails alone day or night. I'd often run without a phone or any kind of safety gear. And then I just kind of got spooked," Humber said, adding she felt like she lost access to the trail.

The relay is her way to help take it back.

Raccoons, changing trails and broken GPS trackers

The first few days of the run haven't gone so smoothly, Humber said.

After a noisy, raccoon-fuelled catastrophe on the first night, most of the runners went almost 48 hours without sleeping.

The raccoons got through a screen door on the RV where the runners were keeping their food, she said, then after they were shooed out, the raccoons spent the night trying to get back into the RV through a sunroof.

"The runner who ultimately got the the raccoon out [of the RV] thought it was just a few of the runners having a really loud late night snack," she said.

That hasn't been the only challenge they've faced.

One of the runners suffered an ankle injury on the first day, forcing her to shift from runner to part of the support team.

The trail route also had to change at times.

Some of the Bruce Trail goes through private property, Humber said, which means the routes change frequently on some parts of the trail.

Runner Patrick Rivers, 33, did a lot of the logistical planning for the relay. He said the Bruce Trail network changes almost annually in the Owen Sound region.

"We've completed about 210 kilometres of the official Bruce Trail, but throughout the last 32 hours, we've probably run 300 kilometres due to trail rerouting or getting lost and trying to find other runners," Humber said Thursday.

Rivers said the team also had trouble with the satellite trackers sewn into the runner's clothes, which provide a live feed of the runner's locations, and have resorted to sweeping the trail on foot when someone turns up late.

He said that thankfully the smoke from the wildfires in northern Ontario and Quebec hasn't impacted the runners.

"We had a plan and we knew that things would come up and we would have to adapt."

Running the Bruce requires 'mind over matter'

To train for the run, Rivers said, many of the relay team members participated in Hamilton's Around the Bay race.

Somewhat ironically, he said, some of the team members also ran in a marathon in London, Ont., called Rugged Raccoon — a race that takes place entirely at night.

Rivers said he prepared by "building up to longer and longer distances, knowing that we're going to be having a daily output, and sustaining a considerable amount of mileage."

For Humber, a lot of the preparation for the run was mental.

"It's mind over matter," she said.

"You have to be mentally tough and be able to perform when you're tired, keep your wits about you, stay calm under pressure and know how to navigate and read the trail."

Rivers said there will be a homecoming rally on Saturday for the runners in Hamilton's Carter Park, between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., with activities for family and friends.

Some of the team will drive in to attend the party, but with the delays, Rivers said the whole team might not have time to stop on their way to Niagara Falls.

"This is not a race, yet we have a goal in mind to finish by Sunday. But ultimately we want to finish this safely."