Emerging talent Anna Gibson looking to shine on local trails in California

Anna Gibson is hoping to put local knowledge to good use in the next Golden Trail World Series race this weekend – the Headlands 27K.

Gibson made an impressive 2024 debut in the GTWS by finishing sixth at Sierre-Zinal.

Still relatively unknown on the European circuit, the American is now eager to follow up that result on the trails she knows by heart during the two upcoming Californian races and hopes to prove that she truly belongs among the best athletes in the world.

Rapid rise

Speaking to the GTWS’ Mickaël Mussard she explained: “I’m a runner with a track background. But I grew up trail running, especially in high school.

“I also skied, especially cross-country skiing. In fact, I continue to coach in that sport. I also do many other sports; I love cycling and do a lot of it.”

But it’s trail running which has become the priority and it all grew from a trip to Europe: “I was already doing some races in high school during the summer, just for fun. It wasn’t really serious, but it started becoming more so in college, about four years ago.

“Then I came to Europe to participate in my first World Mountain Running Cup, at Saint-Gervais, on the Nid d’Aigle ascent. I finished fourth, and it was a turning point for me. I realised I could compete in international races, so I tried to push further in that direction.”

And now two years on, she finished sixth at Sierre-Zinal last month. Asked if that suurprised her, she replied: “I wouldn’t say I had high expectations going into Sierre-Zinal, but I knew I was very well-trained and in great shape. I had run well at the Broken Arrow VK, performed well in other races, and even set some personal records, so I was feeling really good.

“But I also knew I feared this race a bit. I had heard stories, experiences where people said if you have a bad day, you could blow up and finish 40th… So, I thought aiming for the top 10 would be good, and if it turned out to be a top three, even better. In the end, I’m very happy with my sixth place.

“This result does feel a bit different from others for me. Last year, when I finished third at Pikes Peak or fourth at Mammoth, it was kind of a revelation for me. I realised that I could fully participate in the Golden Trail Series. I wanted to know where I really stood against all these women, to compete against the best athletes in the world and see what could happen. At Zinal, it felt a bit different because the level was so high, the race has such a long history, and it’s a very challenging event. That’s what makes it so meaningful for me in the end.”

Increased expectation

And that feeling of believing she belongs at this level has taken a little while to sink in as she explains: “I was already watching the Series from the outside, and I wanted to give it a try. I followed people on social media, watched recaps and races on YouTube. Now that I’m in it, I like to remind myself that not too long ago, I was watching all of this thinking it looked fun, while I was running trails at the time. But I wasn’t quite ready to travel so much to take part in the whole Series. It seemed incredible to me, and I thought that once I finished school, I might be able to find a sponsor because that’s what I wanted to do: run in this Series.

“The level is so high. In fact, it’s pretty frustrating! It’s incredibly difficult to convince people, especially those coming from track, that the level in trail running is extremely high. I’ve often tried to change the way people perceive the level in trail running. Any woman in the top five, or even top 10, could win a race because the level is so high and there are so many performance variables, like nutrition, fitness level throughout the long season, the terrain, the technicality of the course, and even the weather. There are so many factors to think about, making it very hard to predict a result.”

Now preparing for the two American races, what are her goals on home soil? “It adds a bit of pressure, especially for the Headlands 27K, because I’ve been living right next to the course for six months now; it’s practically my training ground. So, I know the race inside out. There’s some expectation from my friends and family who remind me that no one knows the course better than I do, and they hope that will help me achieve something great.

“But I’m approaching these races like any other. I’ll do everything I can to aim for the top three, or even win if possible. But most importantly, I want to have fun and not take it too seriously – that’s ultimately how I make progress.

“I think the best way for me to achieve that is by taking each race one by one, giving it my all. So, that’s what I’ll do at Mill Valley, at Mammoth, and at the GTWS final [in Switzerland in October].”