Guest Blogger: Eric Langhjelm, Founder, Seek The Peak

Seek the Peak is less than one week away! So we caught up with the Eric Langhjelm, the founder of this annual event for Rethink Breast Cancer, to provide some tips and inspire you for this year's big race.

"I never imagined the Seek the Peak (STP) would become what it is today: a ten mile journey from the beach at Ambleside to the very peak of Grouse Mountain that became Canada’s largest trail running event in just its first year back in 2003.


When I first started working for Grouse Mountain in the fall of 2002 as their newly appointed Adventure Programs Manager, I was given the task of marrying the concept of a Winter Adventure Race with Grouse’s newly charity partner, Rethink Breast Cancer. Objectives were clearly laid out. 100 teams of 4 performing various tasks. Raise $25,000 for the charity. As fate would have it, the project happened to be given to someone who hates the cold and who had already established a career of hosting trail races with big hills in the middle.

The real genesis for the STP took place over a beer with a friend in Grouse Mountain’s Altitude’s Bistro the summer before. We were in the middle of training for our first attempt at the Knee Knacker (local ultra marathon) and were running up as many hills as we could find. The start was as simple as “I wonder if Grouse would ever let us put on a race from there (pointing to Ambleside in the distance) to here?”

So, there I was, months later, wracking my brain in an attempt to figure out a way to make the idea of a Winter Adventure Race a reality when I got the brilliant (to me) idea of showing senior management how that idea wouldn’t work and that we should launch a new event that would challenge people to run, hike, or walk from Ambleside to the peak of Grouse.

When I first pitched the idea, with the working title of “Reach the Peak,” it was met with considerable skepticism, as in “you’re never going to convince more than 100 people to take part.” But then I started to talk about the symbolism of the event. That the race was representative of the journey people stricken with cancer must take to beat the disease. That the journey is hard, but that through sheer will, a positive attitude, and the unwavering support of family, friends, and community, the peak, good health, can be reached.

At the time of that first pitch to management, I had known exactly one person who had had cancer. I truly had no idea how prevalent cancer is in our society. Now, seven years later, the reality of this epidemic has hit close to home time and time again.

In an effort to do my part to help raise funds and awareness for Rethink Breast Cancer, I have decided to donate 25% of my income earned in the month of July to Rethink. Further, I will donate 25% of any income earned as a result of my involvement in this important event to Rethink.

Thank you for doing your part to help beat this disease. When the going gets tough on race day, take a moment to reflect on what or who inspired you to take part. That will give you the energy and push you need to take you to the peak!

Best of luck on race day."

Check back next week for exercise and nutritional tips from Eric for the big day! You can also help fundraise online.

Are you ready for the Grind?