A local runner has taken his love for the sport far beyond the Barrie region and is seeing the world in a whole new way as he takes part in some gruelling races.
Brandon Miller, 31, just recently wrapped up a running event in Innsbruck-Stubai, Austria at the second World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, which ran from June 6 to 10. The event concluded a 10-day mountain and sports festival, the largest trail running event of its kind in Austria and the third largest in the DACH region, which includes Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Around 5,000 athletes from more than 60 nations were estimated to be in the area in the run-up to the world championships in the running discipline.
Miller, who placed 112th in men's trail long division (90 kilometres and 6,500 metres of vertical), is a competitive ultra-runner and professional engineer who trains and works out of Calgary.
Being that close to the mountains and landscapes in the nearby Rockies have only fuelled the Barrie native’s passion for the sport.
“My love for running started young. I did cross-country and track in elementary and high school, where I learned the fundamentals of the sport," Miller said. "Toward the end of high school, I started training more seriously, reaching OFSAAs for cross-country in Grade 12. I found I really enjoyed competition and pushing myself."
Miller, who lived in the Snow Valley area, went to Barrie North Collegiate Institute.
Despite taking a break from the sport when he attended university, Miller says the bug never left him.
“I found myself drawn back to running after (university) graduation when starting my career in Grande Prairie, Alta.,” Miller said. “There is nothing better than being able to disconnect from the typical life stressors, go for a run and clear the mind. Trail running is where it’s just you and nature.”
He has been involved in many events over the years and had some great finishes, including second place at the TransRockies Run the Rocks in 2023, first at the Aravaipa Dam Good Run in 2023, first at the Canadian Long Course Trail Championships in 2022, and first at the Calgary Ultra Trail 50K in 2022, along with many more.
Miller has done so well, in fact, that he's landed a sponsorship from Merrell, a well-known shoe company.
His family still lives in Barrie and continue to be big supporters of what he does, attending multiple events and following along online. As for his hometown, Miller believes it helped him a great deal in being competitive in the sport.
“Growing up in Barrie has definitely helped me with the sport. Having access to trails and nature from an early point in my life was so key, and Barrie and surrounding areas had plenty of access,” he said. “Fostering a healthy relationship with the outdoors, it stuck with me all these years and I think has prepared me for my days as a professional trail runner.”
Miller says he runs six days a week, sometimes twice a day.
“Peak weeks in my training blocks I run up to 170 to 180 kilometres with 3,000 to 5,000 metres of elevation gain in order to prepare for my races," he said. "I try to get onto trails as much as I can for my runs to help simulate the actual conditions of my races, but some days are also on the road."
In addition to running, Miller says there's plenty of daily body maintenance needed to help prevent injury and keep him moving and help elevate the sport in the nation.
“Physiotherapy, strength training, stretching, exercises, foam rolling, percussive therapy are some of the things I’m doing on top of the running regimen,” he said. “I’m very excited to be representing Canada on the world stage and hope to wear the colours well and make the country proud.”
