The Trail Running Sisterhood 2027
The Cairn Project is selecting 36 women across two scholarship cohorts to train for and race at Wild Woman 2027.
In 2026 the Sisterhood selected 15 women. Teachers. Nurses. Mothers. First-generation trail runners. None of them had run an ultra. Together they raised $23,600 to pay it forward for other girls and women.
Here’s what it looked like:
We’re expanding this partnership for 2027 with two cohorts:
The First 50k Sisterhood
Get the training, gear, education, and support to run your first ultramarathon (31 miles).
Coaching and training plan provided by Microcosm Coaching.
The First Half Sisterhood
Get the training, gear, education, and support to run your first trail half marathon (13.1 miles).
Coaching and training plan provided by Canyon Wren Coaching.
What Sisterhood Runners Receive
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Your race entry to Wild Woman Trail Runs is covered
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Community calls and professional resources with expert guidance and Q&A
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Customized programming to prepare you for your distance
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Trail footwear to carry you through training and race day
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The tools you need for training and race day, from sponsors who believe in you
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Free camping, post-run yoga, cold soak tubs, food from local vendors, and a full weekend of grassroots trail running retreat vibes
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Learn to share your journey and inspire others through authentic media content
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Private chat with other women with the same goal (more magical than it sounds!)
Words from The 2026 First 50k Sisterhood
“I’ve never seen myself as an athlete. I do not think I would have even made it to the start line if it weren’t for being part of this incredible group. Race weekend was so much more than the race. It was a celebration for all the training, new and old friendships, and discovering my place in the trail community as an athlete.”
“Trail running was never presented to me as an option. I grew up in a low-income neighborhood in NYC as the daughter of immigrants focused on survival. There was no representation that made trail or ultra running feel possible for someone like me. Representation is not symbolic — it is survival, it is permission, it is a mirror for the next woman watching quietly and wondering if she’s allowed to dream this big.”
“Growing up, I never saw other hijabi athletes. I remember going to cross country meets when I was a kid and looking around hoping to see other girls who looked like me. Who had on their brightly colored hijabs and long pants. But I never did, and that’s something I hope to change even if it’s a little bit.”
“The program made me a runner. It’s something that I went my whole life wanting to be but never felt like I was good enough to identify as. I feel like I’ve found a piece of my pre-motherhood self again.”
Get Out. Give Back.
The Cairn Project believes in adventure as advocacy. Your journey to your first trail race can create opportunities for the next generation of women trail runners. Each participant commits to raising $1,000 for The Cairn Project, funding scholarships that will help other women break into trail running and outdoor sports. Together, the cohort will raise $36,000 to remove barriers for future athletes.
Never fundraised before? No problem, it’s what they teach athletes to do every day at The Cairn Project! They’ll hook you up with fundraising tools, storytelling skills, and ongoing check-ins so you can feel proud about your fundraising campaign as you train for the race.
Who should apply
We’re looking for women (ages 18+) who are ready to push their limits and share their journey. You don’t need to be fast. You do need to feel inspired to run your first trail race and share your story with others.
Here’s what will strengthen your application:
You’re aligned with our mission to close the gender gap in trail running.
You’re willing to document your journey and share your story authentically through collaborative media.
You have financial or other barriers that make trail running feel out of reach.
This program would be transformative for you, opening doors you thought were closed.
You’ll fundraise $1,000 for The Cairn Project to support future scholarships.
Applications will be reviewed by a panel of volunteers from The Cairn Project, Wild Woman Trail Runs, and the 2026 cohort. We’ll select 36 women who embody the spirit of this program and who will benefit most from the support and community.
The trail ahead
Nov 2 — Applications open
Dec 28 — Applications close
Jan 18 — Both cohorts announced
Feb 6 — Kickoff call
February — Training begins
Feb to May — Coaching calls, pod runs, storytelling, fundraising
June 18 to 20 — Wild Woman weekend. 50k Saturday, half Sunday.
