Laura Ramik

A person wearing a backpack stands on a rocky hill, looking out at a vast, rugged mountain range under a cloudy sky.

A person with long hair pulled back, wearing a mountain-patterned cap and a zipped-up purple jacket, smiles while standing in front of a plain black background.

DISCIPLINE:

Mountain Running® Team

ABOUT:

I'm a proud Canadian who built my love of the outdoors in beautiful British Columbia, and brought it back home with me to southern Ontario! We're so lucky to have some great terrain and trail networks here in Niagara, and a great trail running community to go with it. When it comes to ultra running, I love not only the challenge of race day, but the months of hard work that go into making it happen - whether that's getting up before dawn to fit in two hours of hill repeats before a long day at work, grinding out a 4-hour long run in a blizzard when you'd rather be on the couch with a coffee, or anything in between. I'm not the most naturally gifted runner you'll ever meet, but I'm tough as nails and motivated as hell, and I'm pretty proud of that.

PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

1. Finishing my first 100k at Sulphur Springs in May 2024 in really tough conditions - pouring rain, fog, and so much mud!
2. Every time I plan and achieve a cool solo objective, especially while traveling! My most recent one was a 40km self-supported adventure along the South Downs Way in the UK in 2024 and it was such an adventure.
3. Coaching myself, creating my own training plans, and learning how to manage myself and prevent injuries has been hugely rewarding. I take a lot of pride in how much I've learned and I'm still learning every day.
4. Getting out with my run group and helping others discover local trails is very satisfying for me!
5. Overcoming some difficult years as a young person, and some less-than-healthy lifestyle choices, to become who I am today. I lost my mom when I was a teenager, and I'd like to think she'd be proud of me too if she could see how strong I've grown up to be and how much I value my health and fitness.

Q&A:

Who is your favorite running partner and why?

Everyone from my local group, the Trip n' Fall Trail Runners. They're the ones who first inspired me to really push my limits and keep setting big running goals for myself, and I hope to inspire others to do the same!

What is your go-to hype song?

Based on the rest of my musical tastes, this is mortifying for me to admit, but both David Guetta and Sean Paul have gotten me up a lot of hill repeats. I'll see myself out.

What was the first La Sportiva product you tried?

Karacal

Which charity/advocacy organizations do you support or belong to?

I support the Bruce Trail Conservancy. I also try to give back to the local community by helping to organize my local run group and introducing others to the trails!