Pierewaai Trail / Beachrun IJmuiden

The Pierewaai Trail begins in IJmuiden at sunrise, offering beach running and trail distances from 10 km to 60 km. This non-commercial event along the North Sea coast includes trail running, ultrarunning, sportive walking, and fun run options, attracting a diverse field beyond just long-distance trail specialists. The longer races, 25 km and above, are significant for runners pursuing international trail goals, as they contribute to a UTMB Index, the performance score required for UTMB World Series entry and lotteries. The routes traverse the dune belt between IJmuiden and Zandvoort, passing through dune and forest areas within the Amsterdamse Waterleiding Duinen and Nationaal Park Zuid-Kennemerland. Participants in the 15 km, 21 km, 42 km, and 60 km races must navigate using GPS, lending the event a more self-reliant trail character compared to a fully marked road race. Breakfast is provided at the finish, entries are known to fill rapidly, and the event's name originates from De Pierewaai, a building in IJmuiden that served as a venue in the event's early years.