Island Runner Series

There's a deep kind of satisfaction that comes from dropping anchor off an Island beach at first light, rowing to shore, and running the entire island before the tide turns. No ferry schedule. No car. Just your boat, your crew, and whatever the island decides to throw at you.

That's the idea behind the Island Runner Series — a growing project where the crew at Coastline Marine is systematically exploring the Gulf Islands on foot. Savary, Hornby, Cortes, and more to come. Each one a little different. Each one worth every kilometer.

Why the Gulf Islands?

People come to the gulf islands for so many reasons; maybe its to relax and disconnect, or maybe its to kayak and fish. Or maybe they live there full time and work away on their homestead. But it seems like hardly anyone comes to run them. Which is exactly the point.

On foot you notice things you'd miss from the water or a car — the way the arbutus bark peels back to reveal that impossible chartreuse beneath, a family of otters lounging on the dock, the crumbling remnants of a hand-logged skid road disappearing into second-growth forest. And its so rewarding, because you really earn those views. You feel the actual shape of the land, and you see so much.

These islands were home to Coast Salish peoples for thousands of years before European contact — the Tla'amin, Klahoose, Homalco, and Comox Nations among others. Their relationship to this coastline runs incomparably deeper than ours. And running these territories feels like a small act of paying attention — of actually reckoning with the geography rather than passing over it.

The Islands So Far

Hornby Island — 34km / 650m elevation

Hornby is the one that gets under your skin. The single track through Mt. Geoffrey Regional Park is legitimately excellent — technical enough to keep you honest, with enough canopy to make you forget you're on an island. From there the route drops to Tribune Bay for beach running and a well-earned lunch stop, before finishing at Helliwell Provincial Park where blufftop trails deliver sweeping, open views across the Salish Sea to the mainland mountains. Hornby has a distinct energy — artists, old hippies, serious gardeners. The island feels lived-in and unique in a way that's hard to articulate but impossible to miss.

Cortes Island — 40km / 850m elevation

Cortes is the wildcard and the biggest day of the series so far. The route weaves rural roads into regional trail networks and links up all the funky little centers along the way — Manson's Landing, the Gorge, Cortes Bay. It's a run that feels like a genuine traverse of island life rather than a loop around the perimeter. Bigger, rougher, and more remote-feeling than the others, Cortes rewards the runner who wants to move slowly and look hard.

Savary Island — 18km / 200m elevation

Savary is the anomaly — flat, sandy, almost tropical in character. The roads and trails are beautiful and unlike anything else on the coast, winding past fascinating cabins and summer houses that each tell their own story, with great views opening up at every turn. It's a shorter day, but the relaxed pace and unique character of the island make it one of the most enjoyable runs of the series.

Arriving by Boat Changes Everything

Forget the ferry schedule. One of the best parts of this project is that we access every island on our own terms — start and finish your run when, and were you like. The boat becomes basecamp, gear shuttle, and post-run recovery lounge all in one.

We can drop you on a beach at first light and pick you up on the far side of the island at the end of your run. Want to run multiple islands over a few days and camp between them? We can move your gear while you cover the ground on foot. The same vessel capability and local knowledge we use for marine debris and science projects works just as well for a crew of runners who want to explore this coastline properly.

What's Next

The list is long — Texada, Lasqueti, Quadra, Read, and Sonora. Each island is its own puzzle: how do you run it, which stunning lookout will we lunch at, and where the heck are going to bonk?

Follow along as the series grows. And if you want in on a future run — or want us to support your own island adventure — get in touch.