Realtor Brandon Crichton keeps a pair of running shoes in his car. The sneakers come in handy.

Whenever he gets a chance, the North Shore–based properties professional goes for half-hour to hourlong sprints.

Crichton is the reigning champion of the Red Bull 400 in Whistler, the world’s steepest 400-metre race. And he is preparing to defend his crown. Between business appointments, and early in the morning and sometimes late in the evening, with a light on his head, he’s out hitting the trails in Lynn Valley, on Mount Fromme, and on Grouse Mountain.

Crichton, a former professional cyclist, admits that the Red Bull 400 is tough.

“I have raced with people that you see on the Tour de France right now when I was younger,” Crichton related in a phone interview with the Georgia Straight. “I competed amongst all those winners. So I’ve done gruelling eight-hour races in some of the hardest weather conditions possible, and I can say that, yeah, the Red Bull [400] was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

Last year, he broke the contest’s record with his time of three minutes and 53 seconds at the Whistler Olympic Park in the Callaghan Valley.

On Saturday (July 30), Crichton returns to Whistler for another test of speed and endurance. The race takes runners on a 37-degree incline from the bottom of the ski jump to the top.

With a busy career in the property market and a young family, training comes second for the father of an 11-month-old boy.

The VPG Realty Inc. agent works seven days a week. He also likes to go for walks with his wife, an avid hiker, and their son.

“I have a very understanding wife, which I think is important,” Crichton said. “Our hours are…very long, and my wife knows I need to fit in some runs here and there. She knows…as an athlete…we get kind of crazy when we haven’t done our workout.…She knows when to kick me out of the door to go to a workout.”

Crichton has been in the realty business for more than two years. His biggest sale so far is a West Vancouver home that was listed at almost $6 million. He is currently selling a house in Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island for $2.4 million.

According to Crichton, running doesn’t only keep him competitive for extreme races like the Red Bull 400. It also helps him clear his mind to sort through things in his business, whether it’s negotiating a purchase or marketing a property.

“I use all my thinking when I’m out on the trail running,” Crichton revealed. “Countless times I’ll pull over and have to record notes on my phone, or call somebody while running.”

Follow Carlito Pablo on Twitter @carlitopablo.