Runner Up is a new web series featuring some of the people who are leaders in their local running communities and who make a significant contribution to the Canadian running scene.
If you’ve ever run with any of Ottawa’s many run clubs, chances are you know Stephen Bierbrier. After a long hiatus from running, the former Montrealer got back into the sport about 10 years ago, and not only has he not looked back, but he has become a recognizable figure in the Ottawa running scene, starting new clubs and encouraging everyone he meets to get active and connected.
“It was a lifestyle choice [to get back into running], and I didn’t know what I was doing,” Bierbrier says. “I found my way to a local run club, who took me in and showed me that nothing is scary–fitness and wellness are super fun.” This experience inspired him to become a leader among Ottawa runners, launching clubs, organizing cheer stations at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, the Canada Army Run and other events, and keeping runners up-to-date with all the free activities available in the National Capital region.
Bierbrier, who is in his 50s, enjoys racing 10Ks and half-marathons, but for him, it’s never been about his paces or finish times, but more about the connections makes while travelling to race in new destinations. Four years in, he started Arboretum Hill Club (the Dominion Arboretum is part of Ottawa’s Central Experimental Farm, and a popular spot for hill running). More recently, he and his partner, Tamara Robinson, started Sunrise Trails, leading trail runs on weekend mornings in Gatineau Park. (In winter, when there is enough snow, they snowshoe run.) He also started the Ottawa Free Fitness Facebook and Instagram accounts. Along the way, the couple also forged relationships with brands like Brooks, Xact Nutrition, Garmin and Khatoola, for the benefit of their run club members. (He is quick to point out that, no, Garmin does not give out free watches!)
Jenn Tuthill, social media manager for Run Ottawa (which organizes Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend) has known Bierbrier for almost 10 years. “Ever since I have known him, he has been a big ball of fun and energy, spreading nothing but good vibes through the local fitness community and beyond,” she says. “He is always willing to lend a hand to those who are less experienced. If you are a part of the Ottawa fitness and running community, you know Stephen.”
Bierbrier works a 9-to-5 job in the federal public service, which his evenings and weekends free to indulge his passions for running and connecting with like-minded people who want to be as active as possible. “Ottawa is this four-season, amazing place where you’re 15 minutes away from trail running,” he says. “You have year-round groups that want to cycle and run and ski–it’s remarkable!” He is philosophical about the fact that the local trails don’t offer the elevation you find in western Canada: “I know if someone from Canmore [Alberta] was listening, they’d laugh,” he says, “but it gets us moving in the right direction. And the beauty of it is, it’s year-round for trail runners.”
