VANCOUVER February 11th 2015. Digital Champion Elinor Warkentin has been running for 10 years, taking up the sport at 44 after facing several health issues. After crossing her first finish line, she was hooked! Goal oriented and a lover of travel, Elinor combined her passions and has run 41 races in Canada and around the world, including her first marathon in Iceland to celebrate turning 50.
Running and Travelling. By Elinor Warkentin.
Although I am often more competitive than is probably 
good for me, there are times when I run for fun and not for the clock, like when I’m traveling.
I’ve run for fun in Belgium, Germany, New York, Iceland, Spain, Portugal, England, Scotland, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Paris. As a member and Trustee of Women Welcome Women, a women’s travel friendship group, I’ve had the pleasure of being hosted in homes and running in neighbourhoods I wouldn’t otherwise have seen.
Memorable runs with 5W include through West Wycombe, UK, a village seemingly frozen in time, and rural roads in Belgium. On one trip where time and money was limited, my running became a budget conscious way to see much of Copenhagen. A 1.5 hour run through the streets of an incredible city, running through the ‘red light’ district (took me a while to figure that one out!), through parks older than Canada, past classic port-side cobblestone streets (tricky), and ending outside my B&B where I discovered the almost only affordable beer in Denmark, at a corner store. Cold Danish beer after a long run is the best!
I’ve also run in international races. My first and only marathon was in flat but chilly Reykjavik. Wow! In Glasgow I ran my first women’s only race, alongside about 12,000 women. The energy was different, friendly, chatty, more reflective with ‘in memory’ t-shirts worn by the majority of women. (I did not at all protest the bands of topless kilted Scotsmen along the route supporting us.) In Sacramento, I discovered a race the day after my nephew’s wedding, across the street from the wedding venue. Fortuitous timing. And one of the few places I scored for top three in my age category (50-59). Yes, the competitive Elinor wore a Cheshire grin after that one.
What’s been my most fun race ever? So glad you asked. La Champenoise Half, May 2013. Those French are crazy! Crazy fun! Group costumes, champagne stops along the way, hills hills hills, fun Flemish flirts dressed as potato heads & fries, a champagne glass with 2 fills (unless of course your friends don’t want their refill in which case you get umpteen!) instead of a medal, and dancing after the finish line. All that bubbly and only about 10 minutes slower than the hilly, sober April Fools Half six weeks earlier.
This May I’ll be attending 5W’s Annual Trustee meeting in Strasbourg. The running Gods are on my side. There’s a race the day after. I’m entering the 5k!
Running can take you many places. I’ve had injuries and setbacks over the years. It hasn’t stopped me, but I’ve learned to adapt to the times, sometimes running for fun, sometimes for the medal, sometimes with friends, and sometimes to see the world! How about you? Where is your running taking you? Need a running travel guide? I know where you can find one: www.TravelWithElinor.ca
Connect with Elinor on Twitter.
