What is it with Canadian prime ministers and running? At this point, it’s practically a requirement. On Saturday in Haliburton County, Ont., Prime Minister Mark Carney showed off his endurance at the Haliburton Forest Trail Race, finishing the 26-km course in three hours, 45 minutes and 55 seconds. His wife, Diana, also ran, finishing in 3:53:25.
Carney’s official result was 58th of an overall 120 runners, while Diana was 69th. The pair were among 650 runners taking part in five distances: 12K, 26K, 50 miles (80.5 km) and 100 miles (160 km). “It has a reputation as one of the harder trail runs in Canada,” race organizer Tegan Legge told The Globe, referring to the steep hills and rock faces. “A ’crushing course’ is what we hear, but we take that as a compliment.”
Mark Carney, our 60 year old Canadian Prime Minister, casually and under the radar, took part in the marathon Haliburton Forest Trail Race yesterday in Ontario. Out of 120 runners in the 26-kilometre race, PM Carney finished 58th, with a time of just over 3 hours and 45 minutes. pic.twitter.com/zPGvP7r0OQ
— Charles Prepolec 🇨🇦🦫🇨🇦 (@sherlockeditor) September 8, 2025
“He looked like an experienced trail runner”
Aid station volunteer Agnes Jung told The Globe that Carney, whom she chatted with mid-race, was participating in the event to support his wife, who was already entered and who was celebrating her birthday the following day. Carney, who was joined by his security detail, also appeared to be a strong runner. “He looked amazing,” Jung said. “He was running up that hill like he didn’t even run 20K before that. He looked like an experienced trail runner, for sure–these trails are no joke.”
After the race, Carney was spotted taking countless photos with people. “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,” another volunteer, Gary Black told The Globe. “Everyone thought he was super nice.”
No rookie to running
We already knew Carney, 60, had both impressive endurance and a genuine love for running. When he was sworn in as Canada’s 24th prime minister, we noted his long history with the sport: in 2015, at 50, he finished the London Marathon in 3:31:35 (5:01/km pace), and two years earlier clocked 1:40:01 at the 2013 Ottawa Half-Marathon, (4:44/km).
Carney hasn’t shied away from multi-sport challenges, either. In 2013, he tacked Ottawa’s all-too-Canadian Winterlude Triathlon Bal de Neige–an 8K skate, a 5K run (which he covered in 23:42) and a 5K Nordic ski.
Athleticism clearly runs in the family. The Fort Smith, N.W.T., native was once a hockey goaltender for Harvard University in the mid-80s, and his daughter, Cleo, ran cross country in high school, clocking 26:16.60 at the 2023 6K senior girls NCSSAA Championships.
Even when he’s not racing, Carney will show up in support of the competitors. In May, he turned up on the sidelines of the Ottawa Marathon, caught on the live broadcast cheering on runners and waving to the camera.
See here for full results from the Haliburton Forest Trail Race.
