[Advendure]: Usually I’m not good with remembering names but Arduua seems to be quite catchy, so what does it mean and how did you come by it? I mean I read it but it has a deeper meaning and more like a culture behind the word. Could you please describe it?

[Katinka Nyberg]:

Arduua – the story of a name

Ardua = Steep, in Latin
Arduus = Steep, demanding, unattainable
Arduous = Hard to achieve
Arduua = The feeling of true happiness when you attain your goal

Arduua encapsulates the euphoric sensation accompanying the accomplishment of a demanding, long-sought goal, bringing forth the feeling of true happiness. Imagine standing at the threshold of an adventure you’ve eagerly awaited—an indescribable feeling. You’re primed, resilient, your heart races, and your determination is unwavering. The initial steep ascent to the race’s zenith tests your mettle. It’s formidable, but quitting isn’t an option. Hours of ascent culminate in reaching the mountaintop, unveiling breathtaking panoramas. An indescribable sensation—wow! Now, the descent. You’re skilled, swift, and as you cascade downhill, you feel unburdened, weightless, and invigorated. Finally, after hours of relentless running, as you cross the finish line, you’re infused with a belief in your boundless potential. You’ve reached your Arduua!

ARDUUA – Where the magic happens!

Camp Valle de Tena!

[Advendure]: I noticed at your website that you have been working internationally although your team is mostly consisted by Spanish trainers, how did you manage to go beyond the borders and can you tell us a bit more of your geographical expansion? How did it all started and how did it expanded? was it the plan from the start to go internationally? 

[Katinka Nyberg]: I discovered Trail Running later in life, and it quickly became my passion. I still remember the feeling of mastering my first Mountain Marathon—it was exhilarating, unlike anything I had ever experienced before. However, my body was completely worn out afterward, and I could barely walk for days. That was the moment I realized that my training preparation could have been much better. But despite the struggle, I was hooked and determined to do it again.

This pivotal moment happened around the same time I successfully exited my previous startup, Atrox, in the IT industry. After years of working hard in front of a computer screen, I felt that I had earned the opportunity to pursue something different—something I was truly passionate about. So, I took a year off to enjoy life, focus on training, and experience my first Skyrace in Madeira.

Being someone who goes all in on everything I do, I started a blog about Skyrunning and began interviewing inspiring people in the sport. While writing one of these blogs, I put out a call for athletes who had made significant life changes—just like I had. That’s how I found Fernando Armisén, now the Head Coach of Arduua. His story resonated deeply with me, and I wrote about it here: Fernando’s Trail Running Story.

Shortly after, I joined Fernando’s online coaching program, and the training completely transformed my performance. I saw firsthand how effective it was, and I knew this kind of structured coaching needed to be shared with athletes worldwide.

That’s when the business idea for Arduua was born. I put together a business plan and asked Fernando if he wanted to join me on this journey. He said yes. I then traveled to the Spanish Pyrenees to meet with him in person, and that’s where our adventure truly began.

From the start, our vision was always international. We saw an opportunity to bring high-quality coaching to trail and Skyrunners around the world, and we structured our business with that in mind. Despite having a strong foundation in Spain, where both of our coaches are based, and where we have hosted our camps, we have expanded far beyond borders—building a global community of passionate athletes.

Today, we have Team Arduua runners in more than 35 countries, lining up at different races every weekend.

For more about my journey and how it all started, you can check out this article: What You Didn’t Know About Me and Arduua.

Fernando Armisén

[Advendure]: In terms of training philosophy what is the differentiator factor for Arduua and moreover the path you chose to move? You offer different levels of coaching and even more different plans of training. Can you please tell us a bitmore of that? 

[Katinka Nyberg]: At Arduua, we coach trail runners of all levels from all over the world, whether they are preparing for a 10K race, a 100-mile ultra, or even longer distances. Our philosophy is simple: if you’re passionate about trail running and want to improve, you are welcome to be part of our team.

Our training methodology follows a structured Yearly Plan, incorporating A, B, and C races and different training phases to optimize performance throughout the season. You can read more about our approach here: Arduua’s Yearly Trail Running Training Methodology.

Whether you choose one of our coaching plans, which offer a more individualized and personalized approach, or opt for our pre-prepared training plans, you’ll still be following the same scientifically-backed methodology. We offer a range of options at various price points, ensuring that every runner, regardless of budget, can access high-quality training and be a part of Arduua’s global trail running community.

Team Arduua - Trail Valle de Tena!

[Advendure]: To offer training services at a high level is for sure challenging as part of this is not only to give a program or nutrition advice but to monitor the athletes and also to be able to support them during a hard period, such injuries or a bad race. As more like a partner and less than a coach  a close relationship has to be built and mutual trust and this can take years. How do you cope with such challenges as your work is mainly from a distance?

[Katinka Nyberg]: As you pointed out, this is a huge challenge, especially when working with athletes we have never met in person. While some of our athletes have attended international races or training camps, where we’ve had the chance to meet them, the majority train with us exclusively online.

That’s why it’s essential that our coaches have a unique ability to build strong relationships remotely—sometimes through written communication alone. To bridge this gap, we ensure that video calls are available as an option for those who want more direct interaction with their coach.

Beyond one-on-one coaching, we put significant effort into fostering our online community, helping our runners feel like they are part of something bigger.

For example, we have a common race agenda that includes all Team Arduua runners and their races for the entire season. Each week, I highlight upcoming races in our social media, mentioning every runner who wishes to be included. Since many of our athletes travel to major international races at least once or twice a year, we actively encourage them to connect with each other, share accommodation, and support one another on and off the trails.

And that’s the beauty of it—it’s not just about coaching or competition. It’s about finding like-minded people, sharing unforgettable experiences in breathtaking landscapes, and forming friendships that last a lifetime. Because at the end of the day, we don’t just run together—we grow together.

Team Arduua athletes - 2024!

[Advendure]: To train on mountains is much more complicated due to the mountain itself and all the mountains are not the same. I mean there are sometimes big differences in mountains that vary from country as the Alps are quite from the Pyrenees and for sure quite different from the ones in the UK in the North America or in Asia. Does it matter in terms of a coaching plan and do you try to include this kind of variety in your plans?

[Katinka Nyberg]: You’re absolutely right! Training in the mountains is complex, not just because of the elevation but also due to the unique characteristics of each mountain range. The Alps, for example, are quite different from the Pyrenees, and both vary significantly from the mountain landscapes of the UK, North America, or Asia.

When it comes to our pre-prepared training plans, they are more generalized, focusing on distance and experience level rather than specific terrain. These plans provide a solid foundation for trail runners but do not account for the particular challenges of different mountain environments.

However, if you choose one of our Coaching Plans, your training will be 100% individualized, allowing us to tailor it to the specific type of race and terrain you’re preparing for. While our coaches haven’t personally raced in every mountain range in the world, they have coached athletes in many of the biggest races globally, including UTMB, and have extensive experience adapting training to a wide variety of races and terrains. This knowledge allows them to guide athletes in preparing for the specific demands of their chosen events.

Trail Valle de Tena!

[Advendure]: Also as we all witness the climate changes are significant and for sure affecting most races. Is this something that you also take into consideration in your coaching or is it yet not so highly affecting it? 

[Katinka Nyberg]: Our coaching service itself is very climate-friendly, as it is entirely online and requires no physical infrastructure. However, the biggest environmental impact in trail running comes from traveling to international races—something both we and our athletes do regularly.

That said, we’ve seen many positive developments in the past five years. Initiatives like the UTMB World Series have introduced local competitions in different countries, allowing runners to qualify for bigger events while reducing the need for long-distance travel. These kinds of solutions are helping the sport become more sustainable while still offering exciting competition opportunities.

At Arduua, we are also actively trying to minimize unnecessary travel by arranging more local events and encouraging athletes within the same region to connect and race together. For example, our runners in Sweden participate in the Outnorth Trailtour, which allows them to compete closer to home while still being part of a meaningful race experience.

While climate change is not yet a major factor in how we structure training plans, we are mindful of its impact and are always looking for ways to promote a more sustainable approach to trail running.

Katinka Nyberg & David Garcia!

[Advendure]: To try and link with my previous question you have a yearly global racing plan as a team. This also includes race trips open to members of yours as an extra service or it is a way to try and meet with them in these races that your team participates?  and if so how do you come by with this racing plan? Is it more like a travel plan or purely for the race purpose?

[Katinka Nyberg]: Our international race agenda is not a travel plan, and the Arduua staff does not actively attend these races on-site. Instead, we maintain an internal race agenda where we track all the races that Team Arduua runners (those participating in our online training) are competing in. From this, we select some of the most important or well-known races to publish on our race agenda.

The purpose of this agenda is twofold:

1. Connecting Team Arduua runners at races – This allows our athletes to find teammates at events, sometimes even sharing accommodation and supporting each other. Many of our runners have met lifelong friends through this system. While we previously organized official race trips, they turned out to be too expensive for most of our runners, so we now focus on encouraging organic connections within the team.
2. Showcasing our coaching experience – By publishing the races our runners participate in, we also demonstrate to potential new athletes the events our coaches have experience preparing runners for.

For example, in 2024 alone, Team Arduua athletes achieved 294 race completions across 176 unique races in 34 countries—all guided by our expert coaches, Fernando Armisén and David García. Our team is truly making an impact on the global trail running scene!

More about our incredible 2024 season here:
Team Arduua’s Legendary 2024 Season Race Recap

Team Arduua athletes after Trail Valle de Tena!

[Advendure]: Please tell us a bit more about your racing team, present them and their scope as well. 

[Katinka Nyberg]: Team Arduua is a global community of around 100 dedicated trail runners, all of whom are part of our online training programs. While it would be too many to introduce each athlete individually, we are incredibly proud of the achievements and camaraderie within our team.

At the core of Arduua, we have our coaching staff and leadership, who support and guide our runners on their journey:

• Katinka Nyberg – Founder & Visionary of Arduua, passionate about building a global trail running community.
• Fernando Armisén Head Coach, bringing years of experience in coaching trail runners at all levels.
• David García – Coach, specializing in coaching and structured training for trail running athletes.

Our runners come from all over the world, participating in international races, from 10K mountain challenges to 100-mile ultras. What unites us is a shared passion for the sport and the strong team spirit we’ve built—even though many of our athletes train remotely.

                                   Arduua leadership team: Katinka Nyberg, Fernando Armisén and David Garcia!

[Advendure]: Have you ever participated in a race in Greece? We have some pretty iconic races with international participants that could draw some attention and add some new flavor maybe to your travels

[Katinka Nyberg]: Personally, I haven’t had the chance to race in Greece yet—although I absolutely love the country and have visited several times for vacations. However, Team Arduua is very much present in the Greek trail running scene, as we have several runners from Greece who regularly compete in some of the country’s most iconic races.

Some of the amazing Greek races our athletes have participated in include:
- Levados Trail
- Atlas Trail
- Taygetos Challenge
- Lake Plastiras Trail
- Kronio Skyrace
- Ursa Trail
- Olympus Ultra
- Apostolos Silas Trail
- Virgin Forest Trail

Plus, some of our runners have also taken part in the Julian Alps Trail Run by UTMB, which, while not in Greece, is another breathtaking event in the region.

Greece has an incredible trail running culture, with its rich history, dramatic landscapes, and legendary mountain races - so who knows? Maybe in the future, I’ll get the opportunity to experience one of these races firsthand!

Antonis Tsimpogos