Prime Minister Mark Carney surprised many by participating in a long-distance trail run in southern Ontario over the weekend. He entered the 26-kilometre race at the Haliburton Forest Trail Race, which is held annually about 160 kilometres north of Toronto. The event also features longer distances, including a 100-mile category.

Tegan Legge, the race organizer, described the course as one of the more challenging trail runs in Canada. "It has a reputation as one of the harder trail runs in Canada," Legge said. She noted that the course includes steep hills and rocky sections that require scrambling. "A 'crushing course' is what we hear, but we take that as a compliment."

Agnes Jung, a volunteer at an aid station six kilometres into the race, initially heard rumors that a notable figure might be competing. She was surprised when Carney approached her for directions. "He asked me which way to go and I said, 'I’ll take you. It’s just a short run up the hill and then you turn left onto the trail,'" Jung recalled.

Jung later had the opportunity to record a short video with Carney on his return. He explained that he was running to support his wife, who was also participating and celebrating her birthday that day. Jung remarked on Carney's athleticism, saying, "Oh my gosh, he looked amazing! He was running up that hill like he didn’t even run 20 k before that. He was very strong. He looked like an experienced trail runner for sure. These trails are really no joke."

Carney has a history of participating in running events. Earlier this year, a publication noted that he completed the half-marathon at Ottawa Race Weekend in 2013 and the London Marathon in 2015. He was also seen cheering for runners at the Ottawa International Marathon in May.

Gary Black, another volunteer at the Haliburton Forest Trail Race, spotted Carney near the restroom area and asked for a photo. Black said Carney was friendly and accommodating. "After running 26 k and supporting his wife and all kinds of stuff, he hung around the finish line for I’d say an hour, just chatting with people and having photos taken, engaging everyone," Black said. "Everyone thought he was super nice."

In the 26-kilometre race, Carney finished 58th out of 120 runners, completing the course in just over three hours and 45 minutes.