When Josie Saldat participated in this year's Whistler Half-Marathon, she did it for more than just herself.
The Victoria, B.C. native ran to honour her late grandfather, Garry Watson. Numerous locals are familiar with that name: Watson spearheaded Whistler's blossoming as a resort with the Garibaldi Olympic Development Association and served with various organizations like the town's original council, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) board, the Community Foundation of Whistler (now the Whistler Community Foundation), and the Whistler Health Care Foundation.
That's just a brief snapshot of Watson's many achievements, and though he passed away in 2023 at age 89, his legacy continues to make an impact.
"He was a leader," Saldat remarked. "He was also very inspirational and very humble. I would say he never spoke about himself. I honestly didn't know about any of his achievements growing up … I didn't really know he was so instrumental in the building of the town and how people admired him so much.
"It wasn't until the last few years of his life that we really had some nice stories over a couple drinks, and he told me about his goals and aspirations: one of them was bringing the 2010 Olympics to Whistler. Having him alive for that was pretty incredible. He always led with heart … people really saw that and opened up to him."
Watson and his wife of 36 years, Anne Popma, once owned a large stretch of property on Nita Lake upon which he built a cabin that still remains on Watson Way. Saldat visited them often in her youth, enjoying their hospitality and what she describes as "one of the most beautiful places in the world."
She experienced it once more on June 7 from the fresh perspective of a trail runner.
'Before there were gondolas, before there were ski hills'
Growing up as a dancer, Saldat always viewed running as a change of pace (pun intended): a fun hobby to centre herself and find some degree of mental release. She's done her fair share of five- to 10-kilometre races and figured the Whistler Half-Marathon would be a great way to pay tribute to Watson, who was himself a rugby player and avid athlete.
Outdoor trail racing and going up hills represented a new challenge for Watson, but she rose to it by winning the ladies' age 30-39 bracket in one hour, 36 minutes and 40 seconds.
Alina McKay represented the Garibaldi Highlands well in second (1:37:18) and third place went to Vancouver's Madeline Wiseman (1:44:45).
"I'm feeling great. The race was amazing," said Saldat. "Once I started, it's just... I mean, the scenery and the route itself were just absolutely stunning. Whistler kind of speaks for itself. Just being in the woods and being on the trails, it kind of keeps you going. I had a lot of my family there cheering me on, which really helped as well.
"It felt very rugged in the woods and whatnot. Running sometimes brings up those emotions when you get your head down, on trails without music. It's just a great exercise and form of movement to clear the mind. I thought of [my grandpa] every step of the way. I kind of imagined seeing Whistler through his eyes and how he fell in love with Whistler for its raw beauty. He was up here before there were roads, before there were gondolas, before there were ski hills."
Saldat has bonded with her step-grandmother, Popma, over the years as well, and appreciated her presence during the race. She says she ran for both of them and was very pleased with her experience.
"It was a nice size of group as well. It didn't feel too large and felt well spaced-out," recalled Saldat. "I think everyone should try [the Half-Marathon]. Every single time I come into Whistler, it's definitely growing. You talk to people that have been up there forever, and … they talk about how Whistler is just getting so, so busy. It is special coming up there each and every time and seeing what's changed. From my grandpa's perspective, this is what he always wanted to create."
Full results from the Whistler Half-Marathon can be viewed at startlinetiming.com/en/races/2025/whistlerhalf/event/Half.
