Local Legends - Jess Vickruck

• Posted on 13 March 2025
• By BackTrails Staff
• Posted in Local Legends
• 1

From a pandemic jogger to the founder of Trail Mix, Fredericton’s women’s+ trail running group, Jess Vickruck is proof that curiosity and community can take you farther than you ever imagined!

Local Legends

We believe in the power of the outdoors to bring people together, challenge limits, and create lasting connections. That’s why we’re launching Local Legends, a blog series spotlighting incredible people in our community who make a difference in the outdoor space. These adventurers, guides, educators, and advocates inspire others to explore, protect, and enjoy the wild places we love.

Join us as we share their stories, celebrate their impact, and encourage more people to get outside and join the adventure. Know someone who should be featured? Let us know!

This week’s Local Legend is Jess Vickruck, a trail runner who turned a pandemic hobby into a passion—and a thriving community!

How long have you been running?

Like a lot of people, I started running during the COVID for stress relief in March of 2020! Initially, it was running once around the block (1 mile) in my neighbourhood with lots of walk breaks. After a couple of months I set the goal of running 10 km before September 1st. At some point I asked my running friend if it would be ridiculous to run on the singletrack trails at Odell instead of on the roads…and the rest is history!

What keeps you motivated to continue your sport?

I would say curiosity is my biggest motivator. Like so many women, a lot of the voices in my head during my child and teen years told me that my body wasn’t good enough. “You’re too tall.” “Your hips are too wide.” “You don’t have the right body type.” It took until my late 30s to realize that my body is freaking awesome, and I never gave it the credit it deserves. Now I’m really curious to see what it can do! I also love exploring new places, and trail running is a wonderful way to see new and beautiful terrain (while being surrounded by awesome people).

What is your proudest achievement?

I am really proud of Trail Mix, the women’s + trail running group in Fredericton. I had always wondered why Fredericton didn’t have a women’s trail running group, but I didn’t think I was fast or experienced enough to start something like that. But with a little encouragement from friends, a small group of us started…and we’re still going a year and a half later! If anyone ever wants to join, we run on Monday nights @ 6 pm at different trail heads around Fredericton. We’re a pretty casual group, and no one is ever left behind! Join Trail Mix - TRF Women+ Facebook group here.

Who inspires you?

Geez, I’m inspired by so many people. I’m inspired by the absolutely wonderful trail running community in Fredericton. It is such a welcoming group of all ages, speeds and backgrounds, and they keep my going every week. I’m inspired by my kids, who are not afraid to tackle big challenges (and sometimes even come running with me now!) And I’m inspired by my husband, who is the original runner in the family. I think it’s pretty neat to be able to go run a 50 k with your partner!!

Thanks for sharing your story, Jess! Your passion for trail running and building community is truly inspiring.

Know someone who should be our next Local Legend? Send us a message—we’d love to feature them!