A guide to running routes in Tofino!
There are so many beaches in Tofino I love to run on from the cabin, and the one piece of equipment I always run with is Kolipup! He is hands down my favourite furry friend to hit the sand with.
If you are planning on packing your running shoes for your Tofino trip, here is part 1 of some of my favourite sweat fests and what to expect!
Chesterman Beach Loop. This is a 4-9km roundtrip run depending on how far you want to run. Here are the 3 options I like to mix up
4km - Cabin to North Chesterman turn right out of driveway along the MUP (multiuse pathway), cross at the pedestrian crossing onto Lynn road, through the car park and turn left onto the beach. Run alongside the driftwood staying close to the homes (if you have a dog know that they will sniff all the logs). Continue running around the corner onto south Chesterman and exit the beach, run through the car park and turn left back along the MUP to the cabin.
6km - Cabin to North Chesterman along the MUP (as in #1) then turn right onto the beach and run to the Wick Inn at the end of beach (touch the rock if you have OCD’s like me). Turn around and run back up the beach skimming the tideline heading to Frank Island (bonus points if it’s summer and you are barefoot splashing through the shallows). Don’t forget to touch the rock at Frank Island (this is the island in between north and south with cabins on it). Run down south beach, skimming the tideline and touch the rock at the end of beach at south, then turning back and find the south exit and then back along the MUP (as in #1)
9km - As above (#2) but instead of exiting the beach at south Chesterman, double back on yourself and run the beach again in the same pattern as #2 and exit the beach at the North Chesterman exit, run through the car park, cross the pedestrian crossing, and turn right along the MUP back to cabin.
Cox Bay sweat fest. This is an 8-14km roundtrip depending on if you want to add on a scramble midway or if you want to add Chesterman beach!
8km - Turn left out of cabin and run along the MUP until you reach the tourism Tofino office and cross the road to Cox Bay. Run through the car park and down the trail beside the bathrooms, turn left once your feet hit the sand (don’t forget to do a wave check for your surf!). Run to the end of beach and back (touch the rock!!!!) and run the same way back home.
10km - Same as #1 but when you get to the end of the beach, look for the opening in the top right corner of beach and follow the hiking trail up to the top of Cox Comb, prepare for mud and the best view! Careful on this hike, it’s not a trail run. After you’ve been up and down, run back to the cabin the same way!
14km - Same as #1 but when you come home along the MUP you will turn down Chesterman Beach road and run to south Chesterman beach and take your pick of running alongside the driftwood, tideline, touching rocks at Frank and either end of beach and then exiting at North Chesterman and running home along the MUP sweaty and happy :)
MUP to Ucluelet. This new path takes you 35kms to Ucluelet (so 70km roundtrip!!) Unless you are training for a marathon, or have someone to pick you up, my suggestion is to try out shorter distances along this awesome new path or go by bike! It’s a really cool adventure through old-growth forest and leads to many beaches!
Radar Hill 14km - Turn left out of driveway and run along the smooth MUP, look for Radar turn on the right after 6km and run the final leg up a steep hill to the top and get a glorious view! Watch those knees on the downhill and run back to cabin.
Long Beach 24km - As per #1 but run past Radar until you reach Long beach after 12km. There are bathrooms and a drinking water fountain to refresh and refuel. Don’t forget to do a surf check! This is my new favourite bike ride, to be honest! :)
Florencia and Wick Beach 36km - I’ve never done this run, but I plan to ride by bike first! SWEAT FEST!
Stay tuned for more routes as I get back into running for the summer and share some amazing trails and swim spots! Remember to keep knees happy with good shoes and stretching, stay hydrated and of course take a furry best friend along for the fun! We also provide guided hikes if that’s more your thing, check it out here!
