A group of friends with ties to Stonewall Collegiate turned a tradition of running together into a Manitoba Marathon championship, winning the adult women’s age category in the marathon relay on June 21.
Competing under the team name Scrambled Legs, Megan VanHeyst, Elia Grosselle, Serena Derksen, Kalennah Tonner and Tess Derksen completed the 42.2-kilometre relay in 3:43:46 to capture first place in the adult women’s category during the annual event in Winnipeg. The team also finished 24th overall among 277 relay teams, which included adult men’s, mixed and women’s teams, and topped a field of 29 women’s teams.
The relay divides the marathon into five legs of varying distances, ranging from 6.5 to 10.6 kilometres. After completing their section of the course, each runner passes the team bib containing the timing chip to the next teammate waiting at an exchange zone before making their way to Princess Auto Stadium to cheer on the final runner at the finish line.
VanHeyst ran the opening 7.9-kilometre leg, followed by Grosselle (10.6 km), Serena Derksen (6.5 km), Tonner (8.1 km) and Tess Derksen, who completed the final 9.1 kilometres and crossed the finish line for the team.
The victory marked the group’s first championship in the adult women’s division after finishing second in the category during last year’s marathon relay.
Although the runners did not all attend Stonewall Collegiate at the same time, their friendships were built through a combination of school, cross-country running, soccer and summer employment at Kinsmen Lake.
Tonner, VanHeyst and Tess Derksen attended Stonewall Collegiate together from 2016 to 2020, while Serena Derksen graduated in 2017. Grosselle, who graduated in 2025, met the group through Tess and Megan after working together at Kinsmen Lake and through soccer.
The relay team first came together only weeks before last year’s marathon.
“It started last year on a whim, a couple weeks before the race, and Tess brought up the idea to us and organized it,” Tonner said. “We all jumped on board without hesitation and the rest is history.”
Grosselle said the group barely had time to prepare for that first race.
“Last year, mere weeks before the race, we registered. With no training and no time to prepare, we all jumped in without a second thought,” she said. “That first year it was pretty much decided by the time we crossed the finish line that next year we’d be in that exact same spot.”
Running has become one of the main ways the group stays connected despite busy schedules.
“I first became friends with Tess and Megan through cross-country in Grade 11, and our friendship has persisted well beyond high school,” Tonner said. “When we can, we run on weekends together and catch up, which has helped us stay connected when life gets busy.”
Grosselle echoed those sentiments.
“Running is one of the main reasons that we all get together,” she said. “Through running with them I made some pretty great forever friends.”
While each runner prepared differently for the race, everyone contributed to the team’s success.
Grosselle relied largely on soccer to keep her race-ready.
“Most of my training was done through soccer, with practices through my university team and games with my women’s team,” she said.
Tonner’s preparation took an unexpected turn after she suffered a concussion just four days before the race.
“I stopped running until race day,” she said. “Against my better judgement I ran my full leg. Not because I had to, but because I wanted to show up for my friends who have always been supportive and shown up for me.”
Although the team entered the relay simply to spend time together, crossing the finish line as champions made the experience even more memorable.
“It felt so good to win the adult women category,” Grosselle said. “None of us were really expecting it. We weren’t there to win, we were there to get together, dress up and have fun. Winning was just an added bonus.”
She said hearing the team’s name announced after the race was a moment none of them will forget.
“When we heard our team name called over to the winners’ circle, it felt surreal. I am so proud of all of us for what we accomplished.”
For Tonner, the victory reflected the team’s friendship more than the final result.
“It felt surreal,” she said. “We joined the relay to do something together as friends. It’s something that keeps us connected. Winning was an added bonus.”
Both runners said the atmosphere throughout race day was unforgettable.
“The amount of support and energy along the course is what kept me motivated,” Grosselle said. “Strangers were even cheering you on by name because of it being on your race bib.”
Tonner agreed.
“The most memorable part of the day is the community of supporters around you while running,” she said. “People call your name and it feels like every corner you have family cheering you on.”
The team’s marathon journey is far from over.
“We will absolutely be doing the relay again,” Grosselle said. “I think we all knew since that first year that it would become a tradition.”
Tonner couldn’t agree more.
“Absolutely there are plans to compete together again,” she said. “The relay has become a tradition for us, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”
What began as a spur-of-the-moment decision last year has grown into an annual tradition built on friendship, fitness and shared memories — one the five runners hope will continue for years to come.
