About Trail.NL - Your support crew, 365 days a year

I started in 2013 by selling a few INOV8 X-Talons to somewhat fanatical obstacle runners. In the meantime, this has become a hobby that got out of hand and has grown into a complete trail running store in Amsterdam.

Experience: I have run a lot over the past few years. I started out on the road a long time ago. After my first marathon in 2010, that quickly turned into trails and mud runs. In the meantime, I have had the opportunity to run in many different places, and I am far from done.

Favorite races:

• Mud: Mud Masters 24H/Spartan Trifecta Tirol
• Road: Comrades/Two Oceans
• Trail: UTSB/Monte Rosa
• Trail NL: Grizzly 100/King of Spain

In 2020, I moved to live a kilometer away from the entrance to Kennemerduinen National Park. My old street shoes screamed a little louder every day: 'Come on, Nom! Let's get out for a walk again!'

That's how I soon managed to get a 5km back in my legs, and I met my boyfriend more or less while running. He dragged me along to my first trail events and obstacle runs, and now our holidays almost always revolve around an event. My first was Trail D'orval in Florenville, Belgium; a beautiful 11km trail, where my love for downhill running began. Soon, more trips followed to the Ardennes, Alps, and Lofoten; usually between 25 and 30km.

Since 2024, I have also been allowed to call myself an 'Iron Viking', and I hope to complete the Ultra Viking Hofstade and Spartan Ultra in Morzine this year.

Favorite products : Ciele caps, Injinji socks, Näak Ultra Energy Drink Watermelon, Clif Bloks (all flavors)

Looking forward to this year: the smaller local trail runs we spontaneously join, but also Trailberg Everberg in Belgium. My friend is from that area and many friends always join in, so the atmosphere afterwards is always very sociable.

In training for: Iron Viking Wijchen, Ultra Viking Hofstade BE, Spartan Ultra in Morzine FR, Predator Race Neukirchen AT

I grew up with a fanatical trail runner/ultrarunner as a father, but whenever I was asked if running wasn't something for me, I would laugh and shake my head no. That changed halfway through the pandemic, when a lot of sports facilities were closed and I had to spend a lot of time at home. My first runs were five-kilometer loops in a pair of old sneakers, but I soon started to enjoy running and bought my first pair of running shoes. By now, a lot of my weekends and almost all my vacations revolve around running.

When possible, I prefer running in nature. I greatly appreciate the beautiful views, the tranquility, and the variety of paths and surfaces. Even abroad, trail running is the ideal way to explore large parts of a nature reserve or a city in a short amount of time.

Last December, I ran my first official ultra in Belgium, the Bello Gallico 50 miles. Despite trudging through the mud for hours at night and suffering immensely during the last 10 kilometers, it immediately left me wanting more.

Favorite products: injinji socks, Topo Athletic Pursuit 2 trail shoes, Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z Poles

In training for: The Great Escape (100km), Lofoten ultra-trail (88km)

Arvo is an artist and filmmaker from Canada who has been living in Amsterdam for six years now. He works at the TRAIL shop, but also as a Visual Arts lecturer at ArtEZ University of the Arts in Arnhem. In addition, he works on his own art projects and films.

Arvo loves running, trail running, and long-distance walks (thru-hikes).

In 2023, he ran a yo-yo of the GR-20 on the island of Corsica (8 days north, 6 days south).

In 2024, he did the same on the GR-221 on Mallorca (6 days east, 6 days west), and recently he crossed the Pyrenees from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea via the HRP (Haute Route Pyrénées) in October, through rain, mud, wind, and snow — and completed this journey in 30 days.

Since moving to the Netherlands, Arvo has completed a one-year artist residency at Artis Zoo in Amsterdam and a two-year residency at the Rijksakademie. He has held exhibitions in Hoorn, Arnhem, Middelburg, Rotterdam, and Den Bosch, among others, and has shown his work at the Berlinale Film Festival and in museums in Munich, Venice, Geneva, Brussels, Gothenburg, and Paris.

Arvo is also a member of the Dutch Orchid Society, enjoys creating gardens with native plants, and photographs plants in their natural habitat.

Check out his Lighterpack here.

Hey!! My name is Ben and I only do trail running as my main sport since last year. I played football all my life, but due to some injuries I lost the passion and quit.But to me it was clear that I will need another sport to be passionate about. After crewing my Dad at OCC in Chamonix, I completely fell in love with trail running and it's cool community. Now in my first year as a trail runner I am training for a 100k Ultra in Switzerland, ETM 50k on Mallorca by UTMB & a self supported 270km run around my hometown lake „Bodensee“, that I will be doing in 5 stages. I love physical & demanding challenges, especially if they are mentally outdoor and I am surrounded by cool people. Smile and enjoy the pain cave :)

I was born with asthma, and that can really take away the joy of running or sports if you feel like you are about to faint every time. Nevertheless, I started running more seriously at fourteen, together with my father and later mostly alone. Since then, I have always kept running. At first mainly on the road, until I ran my first marathon two years ago. After that, I switched to trail running to try something different, and I have done a number of races with friends and family.

Last summer, I wanted to do something that would allow me to experience the mountains for the entire season. That is why I worked in a mountain hut in the Swiss Alps. It turned out to be the perfect opportunity: I trained daily, met amazing people from all over the world, and was inspired by their stories.

That experience has motivated me to pursue new goals and adventures, not only in trail running but in the outdoor world in general. After all, I also enjoy hiking, climbing, and mountaineering.

At the moment, I am preparing for my first long-distance race, the GTLC (66 km) in November. For the summer, I have planned to walk the GR54 in three days.

My favorite gear: ALTRA Lone Peak and LEKI UltraTrail FX.One.

Coming soon...

Sometime in 2000, out of sheer frustration, I put on a pair of old running shoes. I was busy with my first job, traveling a lot, and I was the one who had to cancel tennis yet again. Panting, I ran my first lap in the dark; I only started to enjoy it later.

Experience: In 2012, I started running longer distances; a friend persuaded me to run the full Amsterdam Marathon together. I was amazed that my body could do this! Running became a way for me to explore new places, especially where there is no asphalt. I already loved long hikes in the mountains and so, almost naturally, I rolled into the world of trail running. On small and big adventures, close to home and sometimes far away, I continue to discover, enjoy, and occasionally push my limits.I am happy to help you find the right gear for long-lasting running enjoyment!

Favorite races:

• Road: Amsterdam/Athens/Lisbon
• Trail: Rennsteig/Airborne/ISU
• Multi-stage: Manaslu/Monte Rosa/PSR

Tips for adventures:

• Day trip NL: Veluwezoom/NH Dunes/Mookerheide
• Fast packing: TMB/GranCanaria/DMT
• Community: Loopwijzer Sunday run/Social runs with coffee :-)

Coming soon...

What should you do as a slow runner who loves food but dislikes cities and crowds? Hit the trails! You’d do me a favor with technical single tracks, preferably in the mountains. Lacking elevation gain nearby, the dunes, the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, or the Rode Pijlen Route in Het Twiske—my backyard—will do.

Experience: many 50s from the Dutch Ultra Series, many trails in the Ardennes, and every year I treat myself to a week of hut-to-hut hiking in the mountains. Still on the schedule: 62km Bernex Trail and the Dutch Backyard Ultra.