Posted on September 13, 2024•By John Kraijenbrink•News

Golden Trail Series heads to the United States

The Headlands 27k, in the famous Muir Woods National Monument near San Francisco (United States), is the next stop on the Golden Trail World Series. The trail runners will be racing through the last remaining ancient redwood forest in the Bay Area. The women will race on Saturday, September 14, 2024. The men will race on Sunday.

Judith Wyder, who finished second at the UTMB OCC, will return to the Golden Trail Series. The Swiss trail runner had to retire from Sierre-Zinal after contracting Covid. At the UTMB she showed she is back in shape.

RELATED: Overheated Hemming and Miao Yao win UTMB OCC

New battle: Wyder vs Yao

To win, Wyder has to beat Joyce Njeru (Kenya), who is at her best on fast courses. Earlier this year she showed that by winning The Broken Arrow Skyrace (23k). Miao Yao (China) is another big favourite. She won the OCC at the end of last month, by utilising her speed on the flats and downhills. Anna Gibson is the local favourite. The Brooks runner knows the area like the back of her hand.

Other top women to look out for include Julia Font (Spain, Brooks), Bailey Kowalczyk (USA, Nike Trail), Caterina Stenta (Italy, Salomon), Madalina Florea (Romania, Salomon) and Rachel Tomajczyk (USA, Merrell).

Who will be number 1?

Patrick Kipngeno and Elhousine Elazzaoui are both in first place in the general standings of the Golden Trail World Series. So who will be on top after this weekend; the Kenyan or the Moroccon trail runner?

That doesn’t directly make them the favourites for this weekend in the United States. Simply, because Philemon Kiriago is starting as well. And the Kenyan Run2gether athlete showed his good form at Sierre-Zinal, where he narrowly lost to Kilian Jornet.

RELATED: Sierre-Zinal: Jornet beats Kiriago in thriller, Chepngeno surprises

Bonnet is back

Rémi Bonnet is starting as well. It hasn’t been the season of the Golden Trail Series winner of last year yet. At the UTMB OCC Bonnet had to step out due to a back injury. The trails in the United States are less demanding. Maybe they suit him better.

Other runners to keep an eye on include Joey Hadorn (Swiss, Salomon), Daniel Pattis (Italy, Brooks), Bart Przedwojewski (Poland, Salomon) and Christian Allen (United States, Nike Trail).

Photo: Golden Trail Series

John Kraijenbrink

I run for fun. I run to be in the mountains, in the forest. I run, because running fascinates me. That’s why I study all the science about running. What I discover, I share with you. To help you to be a better runner, but above all to help you having fun running.

Latest posts

Column

Forty minutes of running, forty minutes of pain

This morning I did forty minutes of running, which meant forty minutes of pain. I start to wonder, can I run the CCC?
July 5, 2025By John Kraijenbrink

Column

It's a couple of minutes to seven. Light rain falls from a white sky. A bit of coolness on what promises to be another hot day. Heat training in London. Who would have ever thought that? Sara and I are running through St. James’s Park in the direction of Buckingham Palace. Around us hundreds of other early risers. London seems to be the running capital of the world these days.

Hundreds of runners in the streets of London 

Wherever you look, you see people running in the streets of London It truly is the running capital of the world.
July 2, 2025By John Kraijenbrink

Column

I did it. I finally ran my first Parkrun. The Storeys Field parkrun in Cambridge, England. Which means the end of a long-lasting running gag.

I finally ran my first Parkrun

I did it. I finally ran my first Parkrun. The Storeys Field parkrun in Cambridge, England. Ending a long running gag.
June 28, 2025By John Kraijenbrink

Gear, Shoes

They look fun, with their open-air pocket holes. They look soft. Snuggly. Yet, they run nicely as well. ON has made a very comfortable everyday trainer with the ON Cloudsurfer.

On Cloudsurfer; a soft everyday trainer

ON has made a very comfortable everyday trainer with the ON Cloudsurfer.
June 21, 2025By John Kraijenbrink

Column

Six minutes, that's the total of my running this week. Six minutes, divided over two sessions. It's a long way back from injury.

Do what you can – The long way back from injury

Six minutes, that's my running this week. 6 minutes divided over 2 sessions. It's a long way back from injury.
June 15, 2025By John Kraijenbrink

Column

One more week and I will have my first Did Not Start (DNS) behind my name. I already have a couple of DNFs (Did Not Finish), but this DNS feels even more horrible. I mean, making it to the finish line is always hard, but not making it to the start hurts even more.

My first Did Not Start

One more week and I will have my first Did Not Start behind my name. I already have a DNF, but this DNS feels worse.
June 7, 2025By John Kraijenbrink
Training