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CALENDAR
2026
This calendar holds the shape of our year
Not just a list of races or dates, but a clear view of what we’re building toward and why things sit where they do
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This is where you’ll find the races we suggest and the Gradient experiences we’ll share
Use it to orient yourself, look ahead, and understand how 2026 comes together
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KEY RACES
Every athlete at BURS owns their racing calendar.
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Always.
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Buildups are built and adapted by the coaches to match each athlete’s goals, timelines, and life context.
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That level of specificity will never change.
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At the same time, we are often asked to map out key events that give shape to the year.
Races that help us align buildups, Gradient camps/experiences, and moments where the team can converge.
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For 2026, we are proposing two focus events.
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Not as obligations, and not as the only races that matter, but as anchors.
Reference points that help structure 2026 and bring intention to how the work unfolds across the year.
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These events sit at different ends of the performance spectrum, and together they reflect how we think about long-term development at BURS.
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Below are the two events we propose as our key focuses for 2026.
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The Copenhagen Marathon is a flat, fast, highly supported international marathon and one of northern Europe’s premier road races. It suits athletes targeting time goals, execution quality, and racing in a city environment that celebrates performance
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Event Details
Date: May 10, 2026 (42.195 km race) Copenhagen Marathon
Website: https://copenhagenmarathon.dk/en/
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Why it matters for BURS: Copenhagen demands disciplined pacing, economy under pressure, and tactical awareness in a competitive, fast field. It’s a race where training adaptations translate clearly to performance outcomes, a great race for athletes to chase a PR. And hopefully catch good weather!
Buildup Kickoff​: January 5th 2026
3 phases
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Base & strength: Start now (mid-December 2025)
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Specific buildup: January 2026 (16-17 weeks out)
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Sharpening & taper: April 2026
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Whatsapp Copenhagen Athlete Group -> Click here to join group
HOKA Kodiak Ultra Marathons by UTMB is the Americas Major in the UTMB World Series and one of the most competitive ultra trail weekends in North America. Hosted in the mountain town of Big Bear Lake, the event offers multiple distances and premium World Series qualifications. It’s both a performance objective and an experiential centerpiece for the trail season.
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Event Details
Date: October 9–10, 2026 (various race start dates within this window)
Website: https://kodiak.utmb.world/
Location: Big Bear Lake, California, USA
Why it matters for BURS: As a UTMB World Series Major, Kodiak offers double Running Stones, strong competition, and meaningful qualification stakes. It merges technical trail running with festival culture, making it ideal for athletes with trail experience as well as athletes searching to run their first trail race
Distances: 100M, 100K, 50K, 21K, 10K (multiple entry points and profiles)
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Buildup Kickoff​: Will depend on each athlete, experience, and distance. But we would like to aim for a specific 15 week buildup. Ultra training requires extended mileage and elevation adaptation, especially for 100K & 100M athletes. Starting specific work in June gives room for step increases in long runs, elevation familiarity, and back-to-back long days.
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Whatsapp UTMB Kodiak Athlete Group -> Click here to join group
ASSUMPTIONS FOR KEY EVENTS
The Copenhagen Marathon buildup will share a common backbone with other spring marathons such as Paris, London, Eugene, M2B, Tokyo, and Boston. While each athlete’s plan remains fully individualized, these races naturally align around similar demands: aerobic depth, threshold development, pacing discipline, and execution under fatigue.
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Because of that, the spring marathon window allows us to create parallel structures across different race calendars without flattening individuality. Athletes racing different cities can still move through comparable phases of work, making it easier to coordinate training blocks, camps, and shared focus periods.
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Our working assumption for Copenhagen and other spring marathons is a 15 to 17 week specific buildup. This gives enough time to progress volume, intensity, and race-specific pacing in a controlled way. If an athlete is coming off a late fall or early winter A race, we will push the start of that specific phase later to protect recovery and avoid stacking fatigue.
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For Kodiak UTMB, the logic shifts. Ultra performance requires a longer runway. The buildup relies on an extended specific phase where volume, elevation, and durability are layered patiently over time. For athletes with less experience in sustained climbing and descending, we plan an additional 4 to 6 weeks of trail-focused work before May, allowing adaptation to happen early rather than forcing it late.
There is also intentional crossover between these two anchors. Spring marathons are not isolated goals. They serve as powerful benchmarks for aerobic strength, threshold control, fueling execution, and pacing restraint. The lessons learned there carry directly into ultra preparation, especially when it comes to managing effort over long durations.
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In that sense, Copenhagen and the broader spring marathon block become part of the foundation for Kodiak.
Not by focusing on speed for its own sake, but by refining control, patience, and decision-making under load. Those skills transfer cleanly from the road to the mountains.
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This is how the year connects and road and trail running co-exist.
Different races, different demands, one continuous line of development
GRADIENT
Gradient is a platform at BURS that we continue to grow
In 2026, it will expand in a more intentional and visible way
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This is where our training camps and running experiences live
Days and weeks built around running in places that invite better work, clearer focus, and a stronger connection to the process
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Some Gradient experiences are closely tied to training and preparation
Others are about movement, exploration, and running without the pressure of a specific buildup
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The goal is simple
To train for our events in inspiring locations, to open space for running trips and adventures, and to create moments throughout the year where athletes can come together, sometimes alongside guests, and experience running in a broader way
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Gradient sits alongside the race calendar
It adds texture to the year and keeps the work feeling alive
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GRADIENT #2
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RANCHOS SPRING TRAINING CAMP
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Location: Valle de Bravo, Mexico
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Dates: April 9 to 12, 2026
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Overview
This will be the first Gradient training camp held in Mexico.
It marks the opening of our spring and summer training window, with a clear eye toward Copenhagen and other early season road events.
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Training focus
The camp will blend road, track, and trail sessions across four days.
Workouts will be designed to support aerobic development, rhythm, and early season sharpness, while respecting where athletes are coming from in their buildups.
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Alongside the running, we will hold sessions focused on mental resilience, competitive mindset, and running culture, giving athletes context for the work beyond the workouts themselves.
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Athlete capacity
45 athletes
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Booking & Capacity ​
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Each Gradient experience has a limited athlete capacity.
Athletes interested in attending should join the dedicated WhatsApp group for this experience. All booking details and next steps will be shared there in the coming days.
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Whatsapp Group
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GRADIENT #3
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BOULDER SUMMER TRAINING CAMP
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Location: Boulder, Colorado. USA
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Dates: August 12–17, 2026
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Overview
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This will be our third return to Boulder.
The camp sits at a key point in the season for late summer and fall events, offering altitude, structure, and shared momentum.
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Training focus
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The week will include track, road, and trail sessions, with specific relevance for athletes preparing for fall marathons and Kodiak UTMB.
A dedicated session at Buchanan’s Pass will be included for trail athletes.
We will also host the second edition of the Tom Watson Marathon during the camp.
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In addition to training, sessions will focus on trail running culture, mental resilience, and competitive mindset, continuing the conversations that shape how we approach performance.
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Athlete capacity
45 athletes
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Booking & Capacity ​
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Each Gradient experience has a limited athlete capacity.
Athletes interested in attending should join the dedicated WhatsApp group for this experience. All booking details and next steps will be shared there in the coming days.
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Whatsapp Group
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GRADIENT #4
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THE BAJA STAGES
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Location: La Paz to Todos Santos, Baja California, Mexico
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Dates: November 13 to 16, 2026
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Overview
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This will be our first time taking Gradient to Baja.
It is the most expansive experience of the year and one we have been building toward for a long time.
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Training focus
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The experience is structured as a multi day stage run from La Paz to Todos Santos, covering roughly 30 kilometers per day.
The route includes two road stages and one trail stage.
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Running is the backbone, but not the only focus.
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One night will be spent camping at Balandra Beach.
Post run experiences may include whale or orca sightings, scuba or snorkeling, and shared coastal dinners prepared on site.
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This experience is about moving through a place together, without the pressure of a traditional buildup, and letting running open the door to a broader adventure.
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Athlete capacity
40 athletes
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Booking & Capacity ​
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Each Gradient experience has a limited athlete capacity.
Athletes interested in attending should join the dedicated WhatsApp group for this experience. All booking details and next steps will be shared there in the coming days.
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Whatsapp Group
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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
This section is for updates that affect how the year takes shape.
Important decisions, timing, and changes that matter for planning and alignment.
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BURS ADMISSIONS
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We will reopen BURS admissions in December 2025.
This time, with a more intentional approach.
International athletes will have priority in the admission process.
Athletes referred by current BURS members will also be prioritized.
We are not focused on volume.
Our priority is protecting the culture we’ve built and continuing to work with athletes who align with our values and way of training.
More details will be shared when admissions open.
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ANNUAL FEE · 2026
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Current athletes will receive their 2026 annual fee charge during December 2025.
This fee covers access to everything we build around the training itself.
Priority access to Gradient camps and experiences, early access to merch drops, and the additional tools and resources
we share through the year to support your work.
It is part commitment, part fuel for the experience we create together.
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