Jinshanling closes the Golden Trail World Series scoring calendar heading toward the Grand Final in South Korea

On the centuries-old stones of the Great Wall of China, with wind hitting every turn at Jinshanling, Patrick Kipngeno confirmed why Kenya is no longer synonymous with just track and road running: it's also conquering the mountains. The Kenyan crossed the finish line in 2:12:30, escorted by his compatriot Philemon Kiriago, while Ruth Gitonga enjoyed the privilege of signing her first victory of the season right when it mattered most. The race closed the scoring calendar for the Golden Trail World Series 2025 and set everything up for the Grand Final in Muju, South Korea, on October 24 and 25. If you're passionate about trail running, this is the equivalent of the last date before playoffs: everything accumulated over months is about to be decided at a single event.

The context

The Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) has been, since 2018, the most prestigious circuit in international trail running. It brings together the best mountain runners on the planet to iconic settings—from the Dolomites to Zegama, from Madeira to, now, the Great Wall of China—combining variable distances, brutal elevation gains, and a clear philosophy: it's not just about running fast, but about running fast in the mountains, with everything that implies in terms of technique, strategy, and endurance.

Jinshanling was the penultimate stop of the regular season, the final filter before the year's top-ranked athletes face off at the Grand Final. That "series plus final" format is key to understanding the excitement: the winner isn't whoever runs fastest once, but whoever demonstrates consistency throughout the entire season and then closes with authority at the decisive event. Kipngeno and Gitonga arrive in Muju with the psychological boost that comes from winning right before the final—something that in endurance sports weighs as much as your legs.

For Kenya, which has historically dominated middle and long distance on the track, this foray into trail running is a signal of where African middle and long distance talent is migrating: technical terrain, aggressive elevation changes, and races that demand both aerobic power and tactical intelligence.

What science says

Running at Jinshanling isn't just "running more." It's managing irregular terrain, constant elevation changes, and probably demanding thermal conditions typical of Chinese autumn. Science has plenty to say here.

First, pace variability. Unlike a road race where the goal is usually the most stable pacing possible, on trail variability is inevitable and even desirable: explosive climbs, technical descents, active recovery sections. Research on pacing in marathons shows that even on stable surfaces, small pace fluctuations are associated with final performance (Cuk et al., 2024); in the mountains, that variability multiplies and demands a much more sophisticated capacity for self-regulating effort—something that aligns with what's described in reviews on fatigue and effort perception in self-regulated trials (Azevedo et al., 2021).

Second, strength as the foundation of durability. A recent study in well-trained runners demonstrated that strength training improves running economy even in a state of accumulated fatigue, and also performance in high-intensity efforts after demanding kilometers (Zanini et al., 2025). In a trail run of over two hours with technical elevation like Jinshanling, that "durable running economy" is, literally, what separates the podium from the rest.

Third, heat. If conditions at the Great Wall were thermally demanding, heat acclimatization processes explain much of why well-prepared athletes manage to sustain high paces without physiological collapse (Lorenzo et al., 2010). And no performance at this level is sustained without a hydration and electrolyte strategy adjusted to each runner's actual losses (Shirreffs & Sawka, 2011).

What it means for you

You don't need to be running the Great Wall of China to apply this to your weekly training:

• Add strength, not just kilometers. Two weekly strength sessions (squats, lunges, basic plyometrics) improve your running economy when you're most tired—which is exactly when races are decided.
• Train variability. If your goal is a trail race, stop obsessing over steady pace. Practice intensity changes in your workouts: hard climbs, controlled technical descents, active recovery sections.
• Practice your hydration in training, not on race day. Test your fluid and electrolyte strategy on long runs that simulate the heat or duration of your goal.
• If you're going to compete in hot climates, acclimatize ahead of time. One or two weeks of progressive heat exposure before the race make a real difference in your ability to sustain pace.

The Grand Final in Muju promises to be a spectacular end to the season. And as always in trail running, the winner will be whoever best combines strength, strategy, and well-trained physiology.

References

• Lorenzo S, Halliwill JR, Sawka MN. "Heat acclimation improves exercise performance." J Appl Physiol, 2010. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20724560/
• Shirreffs SM, Sawka MN. "