2025 XTERRA Trail Run World Championship
Two runners. One chasing a new challenge in retirement. The other rediscovering herself across continents. These are the stories of Lynette and Isabela—and the journeys that brought them to the start line in Snowdonia.
Every trail runner carries a reason—a spark that gets them out the door and into the wild.
For some, it’s about exploration and transformation. For others, it’s about healing, rediscovery, or simply the need to keep moving.
Why We Run is a series dedicated to the voices of those bound for the 2025 XTERRA Trail Run World Championship in Snowdonia. It explores what first drew them to the trails—and what keeps them moving forward as they prepare for the ultimate test on the slopes of Yr Wyddfa in Eryri National Park, Wales.
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After 35 years spent in a challenging career as a general manager for a precious metal company in New Zealand, it was time for Lynette Bryant to consider new goals in retirement.
At 67 years old, Lynette drew inspiration from her son, Brad, an ultramarathoner and avid trail runner. Although it had been over 10 years since her last half-marathon, Lynette set her sights on XTERRA Rotorua.
“I started with a six-month running plan and a new pair of shoes,” she says. “In April 2024, my family and I set off in the RV to Rotorua. Nervously waiting at the start line, it didn't take long before I realized this wasn't a road run… but a trail run! That was the beginning of my love for trail running.”
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Lynette started running in her twenties to stay in shape for squash competitions. However, she quickly got hooked on running and gave up squash. But a major car accident in 2016 changed everything, and she went from running half-marathons to learning how to walk again.
When Lynette retired in 2023, she was looking for a new challenge. “I’d followed Brad's running, and it inspired me to have another go at training for a half,” she says.
Little did she know that she’d signed up for a half marathon trail run at XTERRA Rotorua.
“I fell in love,” she says. “The variety of terrain made it challenging. There was mud, streams, tree roots, gravel tracks, swing bridges, and coastal rocky terrain. It was some of the most stunning scenery.”
Lynette was pleased to discover that age wasn’t a barrier in trail running. There was more of a sense of camaraderie, tackling the elements together, and the younger competitors often provided words of encouragement.
“Other competitors shared the same passion, and age didn't matter,” she says. “There was always a helping hand or voice when you tripped along the way.”
“Other competitors shared the same passion. There was always a helping hand or voice when you tripped along the way.”
At her very first XTERRA race, Lynette won her age group, earning a spot for the 2024 Trail Run World Championship in Maine. She and her husband, Kevin, decided to make a holiday out of it and boarded a plane headed to the USA. At the race, Lynette placed third in her age group, securing a spot for the 2025 edition of the Trail Run World Championship in Wales.
“It wasn't hard to decide to join the XTERRA challenge again,” she says. “With Kevin's support and encouragement, he’s given me the courage and belief that I am a trail runner. My goal is always to finish the course and enjoy the run, whilst exploring new destinations.”
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For Isabela Gonzaga, 2024 was a year of turbulence and transformation. She’d moved from Brazil to Malta, chasing an old dream to live abroad and rediscover herself.
“At first, it felt like I’d left behind not just my country, but also my identity as a trail runner,” she says. “I had just DNFed a 110km ultra in the Pyrenees. I was mentally disconnected from racing, and starting over in a rocky, forestless island made everything even more uncertain. But the trails found me again.”
Moving to Malta was the result of a dream meeting opportunity, Isabela says. She’d always wanted to live abroad, and when a job offer came, she decided to embrace the unknown. But starting over in a new country was hard. She’d moved from Campos do Jordão, a city surrounded by beautiful forests and mountains, to the dry, rocky island of Malta, with no forests at all.
“At first, it felt like I’d left part of myself behind. But the challenge pushed me to explore, adapt, and learn how to love a different kind of nature,” she says. “I began exploring Malta with a pair of trail shoes, a Strava heatmap, and a whole lot of curiosity.”
When Isabela learned about XTERRA Gozo on Malta, she felt a spark return. “I signed up for the 21k, and not only won the race, but also won back the version of me that runs with heart. That moment became a symbol of my reawakening,” she says.
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Isabela is 31 and has been running for the past eleven years. She was an athletic kid, playing basketball until she was 17. But when she left team sports behind, she felt a deep need to stay active and push her body to its limits. That’s when she discovered running. She joined a gym where she met an ultramarathoner, who invited her to join one of his run sessions.
“My very first run was off-road, 8km through dirt and wild trails,” she says. “I remember telling him, ‘If this is what running is, I want to do it for the rest of my life.’ Since then, running has shaped who I am. I run when I’m happy, when I’m sad, when I need clarity, or when I just want to feel alive. I lose and find myself all the time on the trails. It’s become my lifestyle. My weekends, vacations, and even my decisions revolve around one question: where are we running next?”
"I lose and find myself all the time on the trails. It’s become my lifestyle."
At XTERRA Gozo, Isabela was the first overall female in the 21km race and the winner of the 30–34 age group, which secured her a spot for the 2025 Trail Run World Championship. Her goal is to enjoy every moment and honor the journey that has brought her to Yr Wyddfa.
“Of course, I want to give my best and represent my country with pride,” she says. “But more than anything, I want to be present, to feel the trail, and to remember how far I’ve come.”
In reflecting on her journey to Snowdonia, Isabela has a few words of advice she’d like to give to her younger self.
“Be patient with your body,” she says. “Don’t fear change. Trust that every change in path brings a new trail to discover. You don’t need to run to prove something. You run to become who you are.”
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As she heads to Wales for the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship, Isabela isn’t chasing a result. She’s running for the woman who didn’t give up on herself.
“I’m running with gratitude, courage, and a heart full of awe for this journey,” she says. “I want to honor every version of me that kept going and maybe inspire others to do the same.”
Why We Run is a series profiling runners on the journey to the 2025 XTERRA Trail Run World Championship in Wales. Stay tuned for the next installment to discover more about the runners who are headed to Eryri National Park and Yr Wyddfa in Wales this July.
XTERRA is a global lifestyle brand that champions the outdoor enthusiast in their pursuit of relentless adventure.
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