Episode 9: Sue Binne-Huse, Part One
In this excellent two part episode of the Long Haul Pedal Cast, we sit down with Sue Binne-Huse to trace her remarkable journey from a young runner at Glenlawn Collegiate to one of Canada’s top cross-country athletes. We'll trace her rise through the University of Manitoba’s powerhouse track program to joining the legendary Mountain West Track Club in Missoula, Montana — where many of Canada’s best female runners trained — Sue shares some the pivotal moments that shaped her career.
In Part One, we explore her evolution as an endurance athlete, the bold decisions that defined her path, and the resilience that carried her through the non-linear ups and downs of elite sport!
Guests
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Suzanne Binne-Huse
Suzanne Binne (Huse) is a Winnipeg-born endurance athlete whose remarkable career has taken her from high school cross-country races on the Canadian prairies to the professional start line at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.
Sue first made her name at Glenlawn Collegiate, where she was a standout on the Lions cross-country and track teams. She was a top finisher at the 1991 MHSAA Varsity Girls Cross-Country Provincials, recording a time of 15:02, and competed in the 3000m at the 1990 Canadian Legion Championships.
From Glenlawn, Sue went on to a decorated career at the University of Manitoba, where she was recognized as the team's top female cross-country runner for several years. She collected multiple medals at Canada West and U SPORTS (then CIAU) National Championships, establishing herself as one of the premier distance runners in Canadian university sport.
After leaving the U of M, Sue relocated to Missoula, Montana, to train and race with Mountain West Track Club, which at the time boasted a strong elite women's squad. Over an eight-year post-collegiate career, Sue represented Canada on the international stage multiple times — racing in the Ekiden Relay and twice earning selection to Canada's team at the World Cross Country Championships in 2004 and 2008. Her personal bests from this era include a 4:33 in the 1500m and a 35:44 in the 10,000m.
But Sue's story didn't end when she stepped off the track. She transitioned into triathlon, earned her professional card in 2013, and quickly rose through the ranks with podium finishes at Ironman 70.3 events in Boise, Austin, Muskoka, and Augusta — capped by a victory at Ironman 70.3 Cozumel in 2016. In October 2018, she won Ironman Taiwan, securing her spot at the Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona. At 45 years of age, she was the oldest professional — male or female — on the 2019 Kona start line.