NIENKE BRINKMAN: "I WANT TO DO MARATHONS AND THE GOLDEN TRAIL SERIES!"

After finishing 3rd at the European Championships – Marathon, Nienke Brinkman is now targeting the Golden Trail World Series podium!

Not so long ago, nobody had heard of Nienke Brinkman (Team Nike, The Netherlands) and she sprang to the forefront of running when she finished with an astonishing second place at Sierre-Zinal in 2021. Since then, nicknamed "The Flying Dutchwoman", she never stops surprising! Last season, victorious at Chiemgau, and then at Skyrhune, she finished second at the Golden Trail World Series 2021 just behind the powerful Maude Mathys (Team Salomon, Switzerland). In 2022, Nienke Brinkman crossed a new threshold… After beating her Swiss rival at the legendary Zegama, where she smashed the record, she just won a podium spot at the European Championships – Marathon. So, what are her ambitions for the end of the season?

From hockey to running

Nienke Brinkman was born in Indonesia to Dutch parents and now lives in Zurich where she is doing a PhD in geophysics. This multi-talented traveller has always been a sports fanatic. "I’ve always played field hockey, " she explains. "You need to run a lot in this sport, which explains why I’ve always loved it so much." When she moved to Zurich for her studies, she began taking running more seriously. She joined several university sports clubs, including a running club. "Here I realised that I was pretty good at it because they put me in the best group, which was only boys, and even despite that I wasn’t the slowest!" So, she decided to do a crazy challenge: run the Amsterdam Marathon. "It was a challenge we decided to do with a group of friends, but then Covid knocked on the door and I couldn’t take part for real, so I decided to do it virtually." Her time was 2h41! Easy to see from that how good she was. 

The revelation

After that she took part in the Zermatt Marathon, again with her running friends. She finished 6^th and received an invitation to Sierre-Zinal. "I was really pleased to get this invitation but then, when I saw the list of athletes going, I didn’t dare accept it," she confides. "But as the organisers were insistent, I ended up going. To be honest I didn’t know anything about the Golden Trail World Series, but I did know about Sierre-Zinal!" She finished second just behind Maude Mathys and in front of some of the world’s best trail runners. "I knew I was strong in the uphill, so I gave it everything I could there and then no one caught up with me."

Nienke Brinkman flew through the rest of the season winning the two stages of the Golden Trail World Series that she took part in. At the final on El Hierro, she found herself face-to-face with Maude Mathys. "Before the race I thought maybe I could stick with her, but she was way too strong! She finished third overall! It was impossible for me!" She nevertheless finished the GTWS 2021 season in second place.

Running the road and the trails

In 2022, Nienke Brinkman decided to simultaneously aim for the podium at the European Championships – Marathon and at the Golden Trail World Series. To qualify for the Championships, she ran the Rotterdam Marathon where she scooped a new Dutch record in 2h22. This incredible time placed her as a favourite at the European Championships, where she finished third after an incredible sprint finish. "I had stomach issues on the race, as you do in a marathon. It’s not an excuse! But I learned that if you want things to work in a race, everything must be in synch! That day it wasn’t the case. But I’m nevertheless thrilled with this third place. It was an honour for me to wear the National colours." Now focused on the end of the season Nienke is wary about her goals. "This year, the women’s level is impressive," she explains, "and I don’t know if it’s possible to win the two American races. I’ll do my best and we’ll see. If at the end of the season I manage to finish on the Golden Trail World Series’ podium, I’ll be happy." A modesty in complete contrast with this new running gem’s performance level. The Nike athlete may be making it clear she wants to qualify for the marathon distance at the Olympics – "That’s definitely my goal until 2024, and if I go there, I’m going there to perform, which means I’ll have to do even better and train better" – she explains that despite everything she doesn’t want to give up trail running. "For now, I can do both and I love that. I want to carry on doing both road marathons and the Golden Trail Series. I think you can benefit from both sports and as long as I can do both disciplines, I’ll keep doing them. People are always asking me if I had to choose between the two disciplines, which one would it be, I’d like to say: "If someone gives me gin on one side and tonic on the other, and people ask which I prefer, I think it makes much more sense to mix them together!" That says it all!