Lake Merritt Run Club · Training Programs
Trail Fitness Training
Six weeks of Thursday evening trail running in the beautiful East Bay parks. Build uphill/downhill technique, hill strength, and trail fitness.
Hit the Trails with Confidence
Lake Merritt Run Club offers a Thursday evening trail training program running through the beautiful East Bay parks. This is an intermediate program designed for runners comfortable running 4–5 hilly miles who want to improve their trail technique and build trail-specific fitness.
Each session covers uphill and downhill running technique, hill-based strength training, aerobic base building, and trail pacing. The program is designed to get you ready for East Bay trail races — particularly the Woodmonster Trail Race — though race entry is separate from the program fee.
Location varies each session and will be emailed weekly. Most runs center around Tilden Park, Lake Chabot, Redwood Regional Park, and Joaquin Miller Park.
Questions? Email training@lakemerrittrunclub.org
What’s included
- 6 Thursday evening sessions
- Uphill/downhill technique
- Hill-based strength training
- Trail pacing & terrain management
- Weekly location email
Prerequisites
- Ability to run 4–5 hilly miles comfortably
- Trail or road running experience
- Comfortable with uneven terrain
- Trail shoes recommended
Session details
Thursday evenings · 6:00–8:00 PM
6 consecutive weeks
Location varies — emailed weekly
East Bay parks, Oakland area
Goal race
Program aligns with the Woodmonster Trail Race. Race entry is separate — register independently at the Woodmonster page.
Three Levels of Trail Training
Lake Merritt Run Club offers three trail training programs at different times of year — each building on the last. The Thursday Trail Fitness Training is the intermediate/advanced offering.
Choose Your Plan
All plans include the same 6-week program. Join Lake Merritt Run Club first to save on registration. Fees do not include race entry.
- All 6 Thursday sessions
- Trail technique coaching
- Weekly location emails
- Hill strength training
- Returning runner discount
- All 6 Thursday sessions
- Trail technique coaching
- Weekly location emails
- Hill strength training
- Member discount applied
- All 6 Thursday sessions
- Trail technique coaching
- Weekly location emails
- Hill strength training
- Join club to save $10
Membership is just $25/year and saves you $10 on this program plus discounts on all future training and races. Note: fees do not include race entry — register for Woodmonster separately.
Location Varies Each Session
Weekly location email
The specific meeting location is emailed to registered participants before each Thursday session. Make sure to enable email notifications after registering. Most runs stay within the East Bay hills parks listed below.
Sessions generally rotate through these East Bay parks:
Trail shoes strongly recommended. Bring water, a headlamp for evening runs, and a charged phone.
Upcoming Sessions
Sessions below pull automatically from our events calendar. Specific location for each session is emailed to registered participants weekly.
Meet the Team
Matt Chan
Lead Trail CoachExperienced trail runner and Lake Merritt Run Club member. Matt leads the Thursday trail sessions with deep knowledge of East Bay trails and trail running technique.
Hannah Swernoff
Lead Coach · RRCA Level 1 CertifiedRRCA Level 1 certified running coach with extensive trail experience. Hannah co-leads the Thursday trail program focusing on uphill/downhill technique and hill-based strength.
Coach Jeanine Holmlund
Training Director · USATF L3 & RRCA L2Lake Merritt Run Club Board Training Director and founder of the trail training programs. Certified USATF Level 3 endurance coach and RRCA Level 2. Past President 2020–2023.
Edmundo Vito Cruz
Coach · RRCA Level 1 CertifiedRRCA Level 1 certified coach and Past President. Edmundo supports multiple Lake Merritt Run Club training programs and is a regular race volunteer.
Ready to Hit the Trails?
Thursday evenings. East Bay parks. All location details emailed weekly.