“What do you think about putting on a race on Hornby?”
Myke Labelle often gets pitched event ideas. The perennial race director of Coastline Endurance Running—known for holding burly races like the Kusam Klimb and the Finlayson Arm—was visiting a friend in Qualicum Beach, gazing northeast over the Strait of Georgia to the silhouette of the northern Gulf Island.
This one landed. Labelle loves Hornby. He opened a map and began sketching a rough route through the island’s forest of mountain bike and hiking trails to see if he could link a distance long enough. He ended up with a 25-kilometre course with 800 metres of elevation gain and a 50-kilometre ultra route with 1400 metres of elevation gain. The Hornby Island Trail Race was born.
“The races sold out in an astonishing 13 minutes, even though an announcement at a banquet and an email to Coastline’s mailing list were the only sources of marketing”
On March 14, 2026, the event will make its debut, drawing 200 runners with lugged shoes and hydration packs to the starting line at Joe King Park on Central Road.
The races sold out in an astonishing 13 minutes, even though an announcement at a banquet and an email to Coastline’s mailing list were the only sources of marketing. But Labelle and his team are not succumbing to hype.
Logistics of a remote race
Coastline is working closely with the local community to ensure the endurance race reflects Hornby’s grassroots culture while also expertly locking in intricate logistics, of which there are many, given the island-off-an-island-off-an-island location. (Among the items on Labelle’s to-do list: securing accommodation for hundreds of runners and volunteers, trucking in 120 water cooler jugs, sourcing an ambulance.)
“In the first year of a race, there’s always a lot of apprehension because it’s never been done before,” said Labelle. “I’m working hard to ease those anxieties. One of our biggest priorities is ensuring the wants and needs of the island are met. We don’t want to be a travelling circus that shows up, sets up, then peaces out. We want to make sure the event is very collaborative and the community feels involved.”
Coastline selected March because spring is comparatively quiet compared to summer. Organizers are also holding spots for residents and working with the Hornby Island Community School to encourage local participation.
To secure enough accommodation, Labelle is personally fielding requests from people looking for places to stay and trying to match them with spots. All Hornby’s campsites sold out quickly, and Labelle is now looking to source other areas for people to camp. This includes turning the Joe King Park baseball field into a temporary campsite. Labelle is also encouraging all non-camping accommodation providers on Hornby to suspend their three-night minimum for the race weekend.
“The idea of a trail race on Hornby has been kicking around for a while, but the logistics of putting on a race are complex,” said Al Cannon, a captain of the Hornby Island Fire Department who is running the 25k. “It is cool that someone like Coastline is doing it, with all their experience and horsepower. They are also encouraging people to get here early to hang out beforehand and make it a weekend.”
“The trails here are well known for mountain biking, but the trail running is just as good”
The course
On race morning, participants will kick off the run with a steep ascent up Cliff Trail and Outer Ridge—which wraps around the edge of a sharp cliff with sweeping views—before cutting across Mount Geoffrey’s summit and down the far side of the island. The second vertical climbs Summit Ridge and Inner Ridge, then drops into blue singletrack like Double Cross, Test Tube, and Four Dead Aliens. The 50k route continues by shooting through Tribune Bay and Helliwell Provincial Park.
“The trails here are well known for mountain biking, but the trail running is just as good. The trails are flowy and shed water really well,” said Peter Koltronis, also from the fire department, who is running the 50k and spends hours every week training on the island’s escarpments and singletrack to push his body to the edge.
The smooth trails also mean the race will be more than just a mammoth test of endurance.
“It’s going to be fast,” Koltronis laughed. “People will be absolutely flying.”
