Meet Adam Lee: Trail runner, podcaster, presenter - and burlesque dancing fan
How the 'voice of the trails' went from road racer to telling the stories of runners whose spirit of adventure takes them off-the-beaten track
When Adam Lee called time on a career in television, he set the wheels in motion on a journey that would lead to a world of podcasting, presenting and even burlesque dancing - all tied up with the bow of trail running.
It should be said straight off that the Community Trail Running podcaster doesn’t, as far as I know, take part in any burlesque dancing (more on that later) himself.
But its presence in his story is indicative of a desire to bring a light touch to a sport which can become obsessed with times, distances and podiums.
From running trails in the Rocky Mountains to present the Trail Running Film Festival across the west of his native Canada, Adam has become a familiar voice to those wishing to hear more about the joy of running off-the-beaten track.
It might, then, come as a shock that his running story started “like a lot of people” chasing times at road races.
Things changed in 2014 when he signed-up to do a short trail race and immediately fell in love.
“The forest is just a different animal and it leaves my soul feeling a whole lot different after a run,” he said.
“The trails set their hooks deep.”
Adam’s early experiences of trail running were in Vancouver, where he lived at the time. This summer is his first living in his new home in Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, meaning he has been regularly visiting trails in the Rocky Mountains - something he says is “hard to describe”.
“I did a lot of running in North Vancouver,” he said. “Mount Seymour's got a special place in its heart.
“This is my first summer living in the Rocky Mountains. I've had the chance to visit a few times and it's definitely breathtaking and incredible.
“There's just a feeling when you get into the mountains where you just seem more relaxed and time slows down.
“It's wonderful to be in the mountains, and live the mountain life and wake up in the morning and try and remember the peak names. It's really special here.”
He told the Running Tales Podcast that there are only two drawbacks to running in the mountains - the prospect of getting lost… and bears!
He said: “There's a reason I like to run with others. I'm definitely a better follower than leader when it comes to exploring new trails.
“From working in news for so long and doing the stories of missing hikers and missing runners, there's definitely an overbearing stress to avoid being the one that gets lost.
“I’m pretty careful when I explore, but I always joke that you're not lost until search and rescue shows up. Until then it's just an adventure. So, I've had plenty of adventures over the years for sure.”
Fortunately, to date, none of those adventures have ended in a full-blown bear story - but Adam fears it might only be a matter of time.
“It sounds like everyone who runs in the pass ends up with a bear story at some point,” he said.
“My boss told me a story of how he got bluffed by a great big grizzly bear. And it was terrifying. I've actually enjoyed running all winter because the bears are sleeping.
“For me, that's not so bad. I'll go out in minus 20 if there's no bears.”
The majesty of Moab Run the Rocks:
Adam said in recent years he has gained a greater appreciation for enjoying races on his own terms, and simply finishing unique runs ahead of trying to hit time targets.
One of the runs he enjoyed most in recent years was a relay event called Sinister 7, which takes place in Crowsnest Pass. He told Running Tales that entrants can either run the whole 100 miles on their own or be a part of a relay team of up to seven members.
“It's fun because it turns into chaos,” he said. “Nobody knows when they're running because you have to wait for the next person. And depending on the weather, someone might be way off of what their goal was.
“You're out there at each of the transition stations with all the other teams running. The mass chaos of it all was super fun.
“Whenever your leg is, you finish that and then the rest of the time you're cheering on your team.”
Adam’s most recent race was the three day Moab Run the Rocks race in Utah, where he took on the event’s The Full Pint challenge - a spectacular route totalling 53.6 miles (85.6 km) and 4,480 ft (1,356 m) of vertical gain.
“The desert was a whole new experience for me,” he said. “It's called Run the Rocks and that seems pretty self explanatory, but I didn't know what to expect and when you get there you literally just run on the rocks the whole time.
“You'd pop up over these little rocks and you wouldn't think that the vista would change that much, but it did.
“You could see off into the distance in a way you couldn't before and everything was majestic and red. It was just incredible to be part of that landscape and to be able to pick out runners so far away because you're not used to there being no trees or anything in between.
“You could see forever in different directions.”
Aside from the scenery, Adam said the community feel of the event also made it really special. The event’s finishing line, nicknamed ‘ChillVille,’ features a party atmosphere, where runners and spectators can mingle, and awards are handed out each evening.
“They really just try to make it a fun celebration of our sport in an incredible place,” he added. “It was an honour to be a part of it.”
Adam, whose racing resume includes completing the Squamish 50/50, said he benefitted from using a coach at Run the Rocks - something he chronicled in a section called ‘The Miller Minutes’ on his Substack page and podcast.
In it, coach Andrew Miller outlined how Adam’s training was moving forward in participation of the race.
It was at Squamish, which saw him run 50 miles on day one and 50km on the second - an experience which he said made him “feel like a pro” - that Adam first used a coach.
“That was a game changer,” he said. “If you can work with a coach and you have the time to find someone who knows how to work with you, and you can get that rapport, it's invaluable.
“In 2021 (when he ran Squamish), I learned that you don't have to be perfect. That's what the coach taught me - that life happens.
“None of us are able to necessarily print off a calendar and stick to it 100% because life happens. You have to give yourself permission to miss a workout or adjust your workouts.”
He said working with Andrew Miller this year allowed him “to work within a new system and learn a little bit about how someone else would teach, and carry me through training”.
The Miller Minutes were born in an attempt to “share that experience and show people what it's like to work with a coach.
“I think we found a balance, within a short episode, to show what it's like one-on-one. But then he took the lessons from me and zoomed out to explain what that lesson would be like for all trail runners.”
Adam said anyone who employs the right coach will be surprised to discover what they can do “with a little bit of guidance and some instilled confidence”.
‘I love when someone chats about their race, whether they won or finished last’:
Adam’s move into podcasting came out of running Squamish, but has its roots in a decision to leave a career working in television behind.
Looking for a new challenge, he studied for a Bachelor of Management degree. The qualification took five years to complete and entering Squamish was the unusual prize he awarded himself on doing so.
Once the race was successfully completed, Adam suddenly found he had a lot of time on his hands.
“I didn't quite know what to do with it all,” he told Running Tales. “I had written newsletters in the past about music.
“And I thought, I'd like to write something running related and get other people involved.
“So, I wrote my Squamish 50 tale because that was where I wanted to start. I started reaching out to community members to get tips for running your first race and that sort of thing.
“I wanted it to come from them, not from me. I'm not an expert. That's not how I try to frame myself. I try to have people on who are experts and we can dive into their knowledge.
“It all just stemmed from that. I had so much time on my hands to figure it out and I started writing a little bit. Then I bought a mic that was on sale, and, having worked in media for many years beforehand, I was comfortable with the editing process and coming up with questions.
“It was super fun to have the conversations and to share them. The more you do it, the more fun you have, and the more people come out of the woodwork.”
Adam’s Community Trail Running Podcast episodes are generally no longer than 15 to 20 minutes, a timeframe he said matches his own attention span.
“The show made sense to be short features, and the idea was to build some interest and hope people listen and want to check out some more about the sport,” he said.
“We've messed around over the last eight months. We've now got a longer version (called ‘The Long Run’) where I work with (Personal Peak coach) Chantelle Erickson.
“That scratches a little bit of a different itch. She is like a dynamo in the trail running community, so it's an honour for me to work with her.”
Adam has also added his voice to the Crossing Lines Podcast, which aims to make trail running more diverse and accessible, and is a co-host on the Everyday Athlete Podcast Network’s Food Fight Friday at the Aid Station show.
Talking about Community Trail Running, he said: “I love when someone has time to come on and chat about their experience, whether they won the race or finished at the back.
“But I don't have the base of knowledge either to be knowing that this big race is happening or to say let's go after these people.
“For me, the community is what makes this sport as enjoyable as it is. It's about showcasing what our community is made of, which is a lot of incredible people.
“Maybe they're not going to be at the front of the pack or sponsored athletes, but they're still doing wonderful things and it's great to be able to share anyone's story like that.”
Jumping from pods to film festivals - and burlesque:
As if Adam’s immersion into the world of podcasting wasn’t enough, three years ago he became involved with the Trail Running Film Festival.
A global event, the festival showcases inspiring films that highlight the essence of trail running and the stories that define it.
After connecting with its executive producer, Mathias Eichler, Adam originally offered to help if the festival had any plans to come to Vancouver - and was promptly given the chance to host a show there.
A second year, with expanded venues and dates followed, before this year Community Trail Running was announced as the media partner and official podcast of the festival.
Adam said: “The coolest thing I found about the Trail Running Film Festival in the first year - and it literally took getting through the night for it to sink in - was that we were in a theatre of 350 people, we were all fans of the sport but no one was there to run - so we actually just got to enjoy and celebrate the sport together.
“Nobody had an agenda and that really stuck with me. So, the second year we had a burlesque act open the festival in Vancouver. It was a totally cold surprise for everyone.
“This year, we've got magicians booked, and we've got another burlesque act in Edmonton.
“We’re really trying to lean into the word festival. But also, this is one of the few chances on the calendar where we all get together and we aren't running - so let's make it as special of a night as possible.”
The first of the festival’s 2025 dates took place last week in Vancouver, but five events remain - in Edmonton, Calgary, Crowsnest Pass, Jasper and Canmore.
As with everything Adam Lee does, from dodging bears and presenting podcasts to tackling tricky trails and combining running with burlesque dancers, it is bound to be entertaining, exhilarating and, above all, fun.
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Great profile, and I love the pic of his DIY podcast studio in his garage :-).
This was fun to read. Thank you Craig & Adam.