Jonah Brost wasn’t sure what to expect heading into his first-ever half marathon, but a fifth-place finish and the fastest time in his age group turned a leap of faith into a defining moment.
The 2021 Stelly’s Secondary grad crossed the finish line in 1:09:13 at June 22nd's Vancouver Half Marathon, clocking in just over four minutes behind the winner and outpacing more than 5,000 other runners on the 21.1 km course.
“I wasn’t fully sure what to expect,” said Brost. “I just tried to race smart and do the best I could. I think it went all right – definitely room for improvement – but I was reasonably happy with it.”
The 23-year-old was also the top finisher in the 20–24 age category – a field he knew would be tough.
“That was definitely one of my goals going into the race,” he said. “The 20-24 age category normally tends to be fairly competitive, so it’s often not easy to win. But I was happy to be able to achieve that.”
Brost’s strong showing comes just months after wrapping up five years of varsity racing with the UBC Thunderbirds, where he competed in cross country and track while completing a kinesiology degree.
He first laced up competitively in Grade 10, running cross country for Stelly’s and joining the Prairie Inn Harriers Running Club.
A breakout Grade 12 season saw him represent B.C. at nationals and draw attention from university coaches across Canada.
“I had a really good year that season – strong performances at provincials, nationals – and I ended up getting some solid offers,” said Brost. “At the end of the day, I decided UBC was the right fit.”
While he specialized in 5K and 10K distances throughout university, Brost’s aerobic engine made for a smooth transition to the longer half-marathon course.
“I tend to do better over longer distances,” he said. “The half-marathon was definitely a fun debut, and I really enjoyed the distance.”
Now back home in North Saanich, Brost is charting a new course – this time in the business world. He recently launched a spicy food company, Lab 89 Hot Sauces, which he’s growing from the ground up.
“Right now I’m making hot sauces and seasonings, and I’m also selling hot pepper seeds for gardening,” he said. “It’s kind of a variety of stuff, and I’m in the process of getting all the business licensing set up.”
He’s also got his eye on more racing. Brost is considering a return to the track for the B.C. provincial championships in Coquitlam next month, and says the Victoria Half-Marathon this fall is on his radar.
Whether chasing personal bests or cooking up new sauces, Brost is quick to credit the years of consistency that got him to this point, starting with those first high school runs.
“You train hard, prepare for your next race, and try to do a bit better each time. Over time, it ends up being worth it," he said.
