Trails and Tarmac Coaches

At Trails and Tarmac we hand pick each coach on our team with very specific skill sets in mind. These are people with significant experience in every possible facet of running, from 1 to 100 miles and beyond.

   

Ryan Ghelfi

Screen Shot 2015-10-03 at 1.58.51 PM

 

Ryan Ghelfi

Ryan has been working and playing in the mountains since he was a kid. He began pursing running seriously in high school and has never looked back. Ryan has always been a multi-faceted runner, not often focusing only on one type of racing. From short distance mountain FKT’s, to 5ks and 10ks on the track, and 100 mile trail runs, Ryan loves to do it all. He brings this passion for endurance and the outdoors to the Trails and Tarmac coaching team, helping runners achieve any dream no matter how big.

Mount Shasta FKT 1:37:05

Wonderland Trail FKT 18:27:42

  • 2019 Scout Mountain 100 mile Champion

To see pictures of Ryan’s most recent adventures check out his Strava and Instagram.

David Laney

David Laney

David Laney and his mustache make a powerful pair. A multiple-time all-American at Southern Oregon University, he joined the Hanson’s Distance Project after serving as SOU’s assistant coach in 2011. In 2013 he was signed to the Nike Trail Team, and has worked with Nike product development and testing on trail and road footwear. In 2021 David left Nike for The Craft Sportswear Elite Run Team. David works at Steens Mountain Running Camp every summer sharing a wilderness experience with high school cross country runners.

3rd at the 2015 Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc 105 Mile

2015 UltraRunner of the Year

3rd at the 2016 North Face Endurance 50 Mile San Francisco

2:17:02 Marathon PR

2019 Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile Winner

2021 Desert Solstice 100 Mile Winner

To see pictures of David’s most recent adventures check out his Instagram.

Camelia Mayfield

Camelia Mayfield

Camelia Mayfield is an Ashland, Oregon native where she grew up running in the hills of the Rogue Valley and following along on her father’s ultra marathon adventures around the Pacific Northwest. Now residing in Bend, OR, Camelia has over a decade of competitive running experience ranging from NCAA Division I Track at Portland State University (10k and 5k) to Marathon, 50k, and 100k. Her passion lies with trail races, but with a debut road marathon time of 2:47:45, she is familiar with the unique training aspects of road racing. Because of her interest in approaching new challenges with curiosity and a sense of adventure, she will help you reach your individual goals and approach upcoming races with confidence and excitement.

2016 Eugene Marathon 1st Place

Mt. Ashland Hillclimb Course Record Holder

2018 Olympic Trails Marathon Qualifier 2:42:38

2018 Western States 100m 7th Place

2019 Western States 100m 5th Place

2019 Javelina Jundred Mile 2nd Place

2021 Western States 100m 8th Place

To see pictures and stories of Camelia’s most recent adventures check out her Strava and Instagram

Brett Hornig

Brett Hornig

Brett is the kind of coach who constantly thinks about his athletes and what will make them better. He is thoughtful, analytical and likely one of the best running minds on the planet.  After a successful four years of collegiate cross country and track he got a job at Rogue Valley Runners and transitioned to the trails with dreams of black toenails and 5000 foot climbs.  He has coached individuals, teams and counseled 100’s of runners.  Brett knows the good and the bad of running, having dealt with some injuries early in his career he has a quiver of knowledge on how to successfully stay healthy.

2018 Sierra Crest 50k 2nd Place

2018 Secret Beach 50 Mile Winner

2018 Lithia Loop Trail marathon Winner

2019 Bandera 100k 8th Place

2019 Broken Arrow 52k 6th Place

2019 Siskiyou Out and Back 100k 3rd Place

2021 Peterson Ridge Rumble 36 Mile Winner

Check out Brett’s latest adventures on his Strava and Instagram

Cole Watson

Cole Watson

Cole grew up in Rogue River, OR where he won multiple high school cross country and track championships. He then spent five years at the University of Oregon specializing in the 1500m. After his collegiate career he moved back to Southern Oregon to start a cross country and track program at Rogue Community College. He also worked part time at Rogue Valley Runners in Ashland, Oregon which eventually launched him into his ultra running career. Cole currently lives in Folsom, CA and is sponsored by HOKA ONE ONE.

Recent Running Achievements:

2016 1:03:50 Half Marathon

2017 US Long Distance Mountain Team Member

2017 Canyons 50k Winner (CR)

2017 USATF Trail 50k Championships Runner Up

2018 Chuckanut 50k Winner

2019 OCC 55k 8th place

2020 US Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier with a 2:18:04 at CIM 2018

2021 Javelina Jundred 3rd Place

You can follow along with Cole’s adventures here on his Strava and Instagram.

Alex Nichols

Alex Nichols

Alex Nichols ran his first marathon at the age of 13 and was immediately hooked on running. He ran cross country and track at Colorado College and eventually became an All American in cross country and set a school record for the 3k steeplechase in track. For the past 5 years Alex has been trail running at an international level and has found success in everything from short distance European Skyrunning races to the 100 mile distance.

When not training on Pikes Peak, Alex can be found at his alma mater working as the assistant coach for the cross country and track programs. In 2013 Alex was put in charge of the women’s distance track athletes and since then he has personally coached 10+ All Conference performances, 7 individual Conference Champions, and 5 new school records. He has a passion for coaching distance runners and an ability to develop all levels of athletes. He is looking forward to combining his experience in the collegiate coaching world with his own experience in the mountain, ultra, and trail world.

2014 Les Templiers Grand Trail – 3rd Place

2015 Mont Blanc 80k Winner

2015 IAU World Championships 6th place

2016 Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile Winner

2017 Western States 100 Mile 2nd Place

2018 Nolans 14 FKT 46:41

2020 Bandera 100k 2nd Place

2022 USATF 100 Mile Road Championships 2nd Place

You can follow along with Alex and his most recent adventures on his Strava and Instagram.

Gabe Joyes

Gabe Joyes

 

Mountain runner, adventurer, family man, buckaroo. Gabe calls wild western Wyoming home and loves running in some of North America’s most remote mountains. He enjoys all distances and types of running, but especially relishes helping other prepare for mountainous 100-mile races, ultra marathons, and big adventure projects. Balancing running, work, and family life is a top priority, and he knows how to help others find the balance as well. Gabe is sponsored by Scarpa and Black Diamond.

2021 Scout Mountain 100 – 2nd place
2021 Quad Rock 50 – 2nd place
Wind River High Route FKT
2018 Bighorn 100 Winner
2018 2018 Orcas Island 100 Winner
2017 Hardrock 100 – 4th place
2016 Never Summer 100K Winner
2016 Scout Mountain 100K Winner

Follow along with Gabe’s adventures here on his Strava and Instagram

Jackson Brill

Jackson Brill

 

When Jackson Brill was turned down by the University of Colorado cross-country program at the beginning of his freshman year, he signed up and ran his first 50k a few weeks later. In spite of the first semester of college being difficult for everyone (Jackson dropped out of Calculus 3, both got and quit a job at a local running store, and had his bike stolen), the race could not have gone smoother as Jackson finished in second place. Fast forward three years, and he was being flown to Europe to compete in races such as the Zegama and Mont Blanc Marathons. Growing up in Boise, ID, Jackson complemented his cross-country and track running with lots of backpacking, skiing, and biking, which was the perfect cocktail for his immediate trail-running success. He still competes across all distances and surfaces; in 2021 for example, he ran PRs in both the 50mi and 5k.
While he might jokingly say he majored in “power-hiking” at the University of Colorado, Jackson conducted and published research on uphill walk-run gait transition, a topic that both his Undergraduate Honors Thesis and Master’s Thesis dive into. So maybe he was not joking after all. Working in the Locomotion Lab under revered biomechanist Dr. Rodger Kram,
Jackson also got to assist some groundbreaking research on road-running “super-shoes”.
Jackson has long held a passion for coaching, which he has been doing in some form since 2015
(when he was still in high school!). He likes working with a wide variety of athletes and has a
wealth of knowledge and experience despite his relative youth. Goofy and exuberant, Jackson
will help you shoot for big goals while fostering joy along the way.

Recent notable results
2017 Broken Arrow Skyrace 25k 4th place
2018 Dirty 30 50k 1st place
2018 San Juan Solstice 50mi 3rd place
2018 Pikes Peak Marathon 9th place
2018 Run the Rut 50k 1st place
2019 Moab Red Hot 33k 2nd place
2019 Marathon du Mont Blanc 18th place
2021 Quadrock 50mi 1st place
2021 Moab Trail Marathon 6th place
2021 Skyrace des Matheysins 10th place

To see Jackson’s most recent adventures, check out his Strava and Instagram

Sarah Keyes

Sarah Keyes

 

Sarah is a mountain and ultra trail runner based in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Sarah began her competitive racing career with mountain and Skyrunning. Today she competes in trail races up to the 100 mile distance. Sarah coaches athletes of all levels and enjoys focusing on women’s physiology. When not training or coaching she also works as a nurse at her local hospital and is the RD for the Whiteface Mountain Races. Sarah’s coaching philosophy is that running can help athletes become stronger and healthier not only on the trail but in life. Sarah runs for The North Face.

Recent Results
2016 US Skyrunning Ultra & VK Champion
2016 Broken Arrow Skyrace 54k Champion
2016 Cascade Crest 100 Mile 4th place
2017 North Face Challenge Ultra-Trail Harraicana Canada 125k Champion
2018 Ultra Race of Champions 100k 2nd place
2021 Black Canyon 100k 3rd place
2021 Western States Endurance Run 12th place
2022 Run The Rut 50k 3rd place

To see Sarah’s most recent adventures, check out her Strava and Instagram

Natalie Chirgwin

Natalie Chirgwin

 

Natalie approaches coaching and running with serious positivity and an openness to adventure.
She competed in Division 1 Track and Cross Country at the University of Portland, where she held the school record in the 3K steeplechase. After undergrad, she was a Fulbright scholar to Spain, where she raced Track & XC for C.E.A. Tenerife 1984. Returning to the states, she obtained a Doctorate in Physical Therapy, and entered her first road marathons and trail races. Now she races VKs to 100Ks, road marathons to rugged mountain races, everywhere from her backyard trails to international start lines. She is a volunteer coach for Ashland High School XC and an Acute Care Physical Therapist. She believes in pairing curiosity and positivity, with dedication and consistency, to help you enjoy achieving your goals.

Recent Results
2017 Mt Ashland Hillclimb 13.3 mi – 1st place
2019 North Face Endurance Challenge 50 mi – 13th place
2021 Lake Sonoma 50 mi – 6th place
2021 Broken Arrow Skyrace VK – 7th place
2022 Black Canyon Ultra 100K – 16th place
2022 Lithia Loop trail marathon – 1st place
2022 UTMB Puerto Vallarta 50K – 2nd place
2022 CIM marathon 2:43:40

To see Natalie’s most recent adventures, check out her Strava and Instagram