Mandy Currie was caught in an awful spot - and that is putting it mildly. She was in the middle of a hail storm while climbing a mountain in the Canadian Death Race on Saturday with no cover. Not even a jacket.
One report indicated the wind was 100-120kmh as she kept climbing while the weather turned from rain to hail. "The thunder and lightning was right there," said Mandy. "I had to keep moving."
Undeniably scary - to say the least - as the hail storm lasted 30 minutes, but Mandy admits in the middle of the chaos she was "confident" she would make it to the summit and down the other side of the mountain near Grande Cache, Alberta.
The confidence came from the remarkable connection she has with her sister Lisa, who died of cancer two years ago - and the tiny turtle ornament that she had on her body during the 118km race.
"Some of (Lisa's) ashes are in the turtle. I kept touching it and kept talking to my sister," recalled Mandy. "I had to get off that mountain ridge."
After emerging from the hail storm, it took two hours of navigating a "river" of water down the mountain - but Mandy made it... and crossed the finish line as the first female in the Canadian Death Race ultra in 15 hours and 10 minutes - almost three hours ahead of the next female finisher.
"My whole body is covered with little bruises (from the hail)," said Mandy.
And if Mandy had an ego - which she doesn't - she would also be bragging about shaving almost 40 minutes from her previous winning time in the 2023 Canadian Death Race, which features 5,400 metres of elevation gain!
Mandy is a true star on the Canadian trail racing scene, but she doesn't enjoy the spotlight. "I get embarrassed in the spotlight," she said quietly. "It's humbling for people to care how I'm doing."
The 36-year-old ultra running star from Saskatoon will make her next race appearance at the Beaver Flat Fifty in about six weeks before appearing in the Step Up for Mental Health run in Saskatoon at the end of September.
FINISH LINES: Several runners with Saskatchewan connections posted great results at the Canadian Death Race, including Celeste Cross Child (fifth female in the ultra), Andy Collin (fifth male in the ultra), Tarrant Cross Child (sixth male in the marathon)... photo credit to Matt Westlake
