Kenneth Lai made an attempt to run from Nanaimo to Campbell River over the weekend, part of his self-set challenge of going from couch potato to ultra runner within 100 days. (Image Credit: Kenneth Lai)

By Alex Rawnsley

get up and go

Nanaimo man ‘running in the pitch black’ attempts 140 kilometre run to Campbell River

Feb 9, 2026 | 4:01 PM

NANAIMO — “I was going to go from being a couch potato to an ultra runner with 100 days of training.”

It was a simple, albeit ambitious goal from Nanaimo resident and business owner Kenneth Lai, who ventured from his Harbour City home late in the afternoon on Sunday, Feb. 8 to run 140 kilometres in 24 hours to his in-laws Campbell River home.

“I was looking for a way to get fit so I can have a better life for my son and I and my wife,” Lai said. “I started posting videos on Instagram and I gained quite a bit of traction, and so basically the whole thing is just to inspire other dads that are working their butts off, but struggling to get healthier, to just start.”

Lai’s journey continued through the night.

He jogged, ran or walked nearly non-stop through Nanaimo, past Nanoose Bay on Hwy. 19 then venturing into Parksville.

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Occasional rest stops were planned in where Lai paused in bus shelters or pullouts off the highway to catch his breath and stretch his legs.

However as he was about to turn into Courtenay, pain in his knee and his shin became too much to power through.

Lai had to pull the pin on his adventure at around 95 kilometres in.

“I definitely bit off a little more than I could chew. If I didn’t get injured, I think I would have been able to succeed in accomplishing that exact goal, but unfortunately, the knee and leg pain was just way unbearable after a while. Running in the pitch black darkness, just limping my way through Qualicum.”

Despite not making it the full 140 kilometres he’d initially planned, Lai still views the experience as a major win.

He’s planning a pair of long-distance runs this year, including a half marathon in Victoria.

Lai added he hopes what he attempted, maybe a little too quickly, will be inspiration for others to just go and put one foot in front of another.

He also said he can envision another attempt at the 140 kilometres.

“I need to train again for it, my wife was supporting me as we went, so she would be leapfrogging me for every 20 kilometers to refill me with water and food and stuff. It will take some planning, but I definitely want to do it again.”

Lai documented his journey on his Instagram account.

— with files from Jon De Roo, 97.3 FM The Eagle

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