Outside of the lab you’ll most frequently find me running on trails, up mountains and (if I have to) on roads, with a bit of road cycling on the side. Here are some of my highlights, but check out my Strava profile if you’re interested to see more activities!
E101: Eiger Ultra Trail 101k
A beautiful but very difficult loop through the Alps surrounding Grindelwald. This race is 101k long with 6500m of elevation gain and descent, so it was definitely my toughest race so far, both mentally and physically. It starts at 4am so you can catch the sunrise in the Alps, and then spend the whole day adventuring through the mountains. When I did it, it was a beautiful day but so hot, reaching up to 30 degrees at the hottest point. I would definitely recommend this race, but with the warning to not take this one lightly – it had a 35% DNF rate the year I did it!
My Strava activity from July 2024.
Lakeland Trails Ultra 100k
I decided to register for this challenge within a few days of completing the 55k edition 1 year before (see below). Indeed, it lived up to my expectations! Starting at midnight under the moonlight was amazing and I had such a great time running technical descents in the dark with a headlamp until a stunning sunrise over the lakes and fells of England’s Lake District. Beautiful course and managed to avoid the torrential downpour and thunderstorm by finishing about 20 minutes before it tilted it down. Great course and great volunteers!
My Strava activity from July 2023.
Ultra-trail Snowdonia 50k
This is a beautiful course that takes you through some peaks of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park. Quite technical in parts and overall challenging, but had a great day out there! Can absolutely recommend for those that have a first ultra under their belt and are looking for something more challenging, but not too long.
My Strava activity from May 2023.
Jungfrau Marathon
I’ve done this race three times now. It was my first mountain race and I can absolutely recommend it. It starts with a 10k on the road, then starts to go up towards Lauterbrunnen. You reach Lauterbrunnen at around the half marathon distance and do a loop around the valley before starting the ascent to the Eiger Glacier. It is a really interesting combination of road running and steep ascents on the trails at the end.
My Strava activity from September 2023.
Lakeland Trails Ultra 55k
This race was my introduction to the world of ultra-trail running. It was perfect for exactly that. A challenging course for sure, but not overly technical and super scenic. Lots of aid stations and incredibly friendly volunteers. Was a very hot day, but luckily there are lots of water sources in the lake district to dunk your hat in to keep cool.
My Strava activity from July 2022.
What’s next on the calendar?
Nothing yet… I’m still thinking up the next plan.
Get in touch if you’re also a trail runner!
The Bakkeren Lab 