Spartan Trail and Pacific Coast Trail Runs partner to host “Golden Gate Trail Classic” with endurance legend Dean Karnazes

February 19, 2021

San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge and Trails of Marin & Mount Tamalpais set the stage for North America’s only Spartan Trail World Championship event

BOSTON (February 19, 2021)– Spartan® , the world’s leading endurance sports and wellness brand, has teamed up with Pacific Coast Trail Runs and ultra running legend Dean Karnazes to create the Golden Gate Trail Classic. Taking place November 19 to 21st,  the magic of the Golden Gate Bridge and the majestic trails of Marin and Mt Tamalpais set the stage for 10k, Half Marathon, 50k and 100k races, which are the only North American events in the Spartan Trail World Championship series.

“The West Coast of the United States, cradle of our sport in the American continent, couldn’t miss the first edition of the Spartan Trail World Championship. And it does it with a wonderful race in an emblematic place like San Francisco, its Marin Headlands, Mount Tamalpais and the Golden Gate. At Spartan we are proud of this project that we are launching in partnership with Dean Karnazes and PCTR. We are sure that in a short time it will become a classic in the sport”, says Mariano Alvarez, CEO of Spartan Trail.

Starting in the iconic city of San Francisco, racers will travel across the Golden Gate Bridge at sunrise and venture into the fabled Marin Headlands, where spellbinding panoramas of the mountains and sea await.

“Our team is honored to be chosen to produce the only Spartan Trail World Championship event in North America, together with friend and ultra-inspiration Dean Karnazes. We are ecstatic to bring this event to life in our backyard and one of the most iconic settings in the world”, adds Greg Lanctot, Director of Pacific Coast Trail Runs.

Steeped in legend and lore, the enchanting trails and wilderness of Marin County are a place of supreme beauty and stunning contrasts. With San Francisco as a backdrop, the Marin Headlands afford sweeping views of the city skyline and the deep blue Pacific sparkling along the coastline. Together with the towering mountains and lush redwood forests, this spectacular region of Northern California is the ultimate natural playground, a place to immerse the senses and invigorate the spirit.

Dean Karnazes, one of the most influential persons in the running world, adds: “The Golden Gate Trail Classic showcases the beauty and splendor of San Francisco and Marin Country, my home. Runner’s are in for an unforgettable experience!”.

A huge feature of the Golden Gate Trail Classic is the partnership with No Meat Athlete, a nutrition awareness brand, and their product Plant Bites. We are proud to announce the first plant-fueled event in the trail running world, offering plant based nutrition on each aid station, and food trucks at the finish line area. We all believe in a more sustainable and healthy world and lifestyle, and think this is a huge step towards making real everything the trail running community preaches around the world.

The Spartan Trail World Championship features 10 global stops on four continents, which give points for a final leaderboard, split into two categories: “Trail Run Championship” (up to 49k distances) and “Trail Ultra Championship” (50k or more distances). Elite runners will battle at each stop for an unprecedented prize purse, and collect points towards the series leaderboard prize purse. Age Group runners battle for important prizes at each stop and for a final bundle at the end of the Championship. At the Golden Gate Trail Classic, the Half Marathon will apply for the Trail Run Championship and the 100K for the Trail Ultra Championship.

For more information and to register visit goldengatetrailclassic.com

ABOUT SPARTAN

Spartan is a global experiential sport and wellness brand with a 10 million+ strong community. We create transformational experiences, products, and content to help people, companies and teams tear down boundaries and expand what they believe to be possible. Spartan combines large scale global events with a vibrant digital content and community platform. With 250 events across more than 40 countries on six continents, Spartan is the world’s leading endurance sports and wellness brand. Visit spartan.com for more information and registration.