Many elements were necessary to build this dream of Sherbrooke Shared Runs.

First, after many years of running in endurance races, I became more and more conscious of the need to make all these running hours useful to help other people. The question “I run for who and for what?” always came back to my mind. And if I was to help people, why not offer them directly a moment of happiness? The idea to run while pushing people with reduced mobility with adapted wheelchairs rapidly grew.

Then, a young team of graduating students of the engineering Faculty of the University of Sherbrooke conceived for me the KartUS to allow me to make the dream of Sherbrooke Shared Runs a reality. The name “KartUS” ends with US to indicate its conception at the University of Sherbrooke but is easily interpreted as “a kart for us”.

Les Courses Partagées de Sherbrooke

Once the prototype conceived, a young engineer and entrepreneur, Philip Oligny, was inspired by the KartUS and offered me to conceive some adjustments to the prototype and to start its production. I thus bought 5 of the new and improved KartUS with a trailer and the Shared Runs could then begin.

Sherbrooke is my native town where I passed all my youth and did all my studies until the end of my neurology residency. I now live in Gatineau but I love to return to Sherbrooke whenever possible. My parents still live at the same place in Sherbrooke and Sherbrooke Shared Runs are for me a marvelous way to give back to this extraordinary city while creating opportunities to see my family and great old friends. My parents involve themselves highly in the Shared Runs and are literally at the heart of the event’s success. Thanks Mom and Pa!

Many partners also joined the Shared Runs. Un big thank you to Isabelle Côté of the City of Sherbrooke and to Joël St-Louis of the boutique “Le Coureur” for their support and their help in developing the Shared Runs.

But the biggest development for the Shared Runs comes from the arrival of new co-runners and runners taking at heart these moments of active sharing in nature and who invite people close to them to participate. Passion is palpable on Wednesday mornings and this same passion that was at the origin of the idea for Sherbrooke Shared Runs is obvious in the eyes of all participants. A huge thank you to all for sharing and spreading with me this happiness!

So, to all that are implicated in any way in the Shared Runs I want to say an enormous thank you from the bottom of my heart, from myself and from all the people that will benefit from Sherbrooke Shared Runs!

Marc Therrien

Our Partners

Thank you to all our partners

Kartus
Boutique le coureur
Ville de Sherbrooke
Université de Sherbrooke