06/10/2026
RUNNER SPOTLIGHT
Meet Captain Mitch Walz.
Infantry officer with the Calgary Highlanders (10th Canadians). Woodworker. Gamer. Family man. And one of the most driven runners you'll meet at this year's Airdrie Backyard Ultra.
But Mitch's story didn't start at the front of the pack.
He used to be very overweight. Twenty years ago he started running, and for most of that time it was simply something he did. Then, two years ago, something shifted. He decided to compete. Not just finish, but compete. This past May in Toronto he ran a 3:04 marathon and beat his age group by a full minute. He knows he needs to get closer to three hours flat to officially qualify for the Boston Marathon in 2027, so he's lining up in Edmonton this August to chase it down again.
That's the kind of person Mitch is. He sets the bar high, then keeps showing up until he clears it.
A few years back, Mitch stood up the Calgary Highlanders run team. It started as a fitness initiative inside the regiment, but it became something bigger: a way to build morale, brotherhood, and esprit de corps. The team races road and trail events all over Alberta, and every September they line up for their biggest one, the Canada Army Run in Ottawa.
One of the people who helped Mitch build that team is his friend, Corporal (retired) Damien Stanley. Damien has long been one of the top fundraisers in the entire country for the Army Run. In 2024, he was diagnosed with grade 4 brain tumours and given six to twelve months to live.
Damien is still here.
He has blown past the median survival window by a full year, and he's still going strong. Still positive. Still generous. Still one of the most remarkable people Mitch has ever known. Last year, the team dedicated their entire fundraising effort to Damien and made him the number one individual fundraiser in Canada. The team finished second overall, just shy of nineteen thousand dollars.
This year, Damien has one goal: he wants the team to finish first in the country.
And Mitch has made it his personal mission to take over Damien's reign as the top individual fundraiser in Canada. In his own words, it's the least he can do for a man who has helped countless veterans and serving members.
That's why he's running the Airdrie Backyard Ultra.
When Discover Airdrie asked him why he chose the backyard format as his platform, his answer said everything. The format mirrors what the infantry holds dear: resilience, dedication, no quit, passion. And it's local. Close to home. Close to his heart.
Every single loop Mitch runs on race day will honour those who have sacrificed the most for this country. He's taking pledges per yard, with funds going to Soldier On and Support Our Troops, two organizations that help ill and injured service members, veterans, and their families recover, heal, and keep moving forward.
His official goal is 15 loops, roughly 100 kilometres. But let's be honest, he's quietly eyeing 24.
This is Mitch's first ever backyard ultra, and he's building the crew and support around him to push as far as humanly possible.
Here's how you can get behind him: pledge per loop and watch the total climb on race day. Every lap counts. Every dollar goes to people who have earned every bit of it.
Support Mitch's fundraiser here:
https://raceroster.com/events/2026/110811/canada-army-run-2026-course-de-larmee-du-canada-2026/pledge/participant/43339721
Let's help him take the top spot in the country. For the veterans. For the families. And for Damien.
