The University of Central Lancashire recently published a 46-page report titled, Trail and Ultra Running: The Growth of a Sport, Culture and Community. The survey report was based on data from a six-month survey, covering a primary racing season, and has 1019 respondents, mostly from North America and the UK, as well as 28 other countries. The survey is part of a larger project seeking to map and understand the astonishing growth of trail and ultra running witnessed in the last decade.
Here are some interesting findings from the survey:
- The gender split in trail and ultra running is roughly 60/40, with women slightly more likely to be members of running clubs, at 54% vs 45%.
- Women place more emphasis on the social aspects of running than men (38.9% important or very important for women, 30.7% for men).
- The sport, like many other outdoor activities, lacks ethnic diversity, with more than 95% of runners being white.
- A large number of runners are middle-aged, with 64.4% falling between the ages of 35 and 54.
- There is limited appeal among young adults, with only 1.3% of respondents between 18 and 24 years old.
- The majority of runners identify as heterosexual (94.6%), and 99.2% of runners identify with the gender they were assigned at birth.
- The survey found that 65% of runners have children.
- Education levels are significantly higher than the general population, with 82% of respondents being degree-educated and 43.5% having a postgraduate degree.
- The average training volume is between 41km and 60km per week, covered in 3-4 runs.
- Volunteering is an important part of the sport, with the majority of runners motivated by supporting the sport and engaging with the community.
- Elite female athletes are as likely to be sponsored as their male counterparts.
- The most inspiring race for UK respondents is the Spine Race, while for North American respondents, it is the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc.
- The top three most inspiring athletes in North America are Courtney Dauwalter, Kílian Jornet, and Jim Walmsley, while in Britain, they are Jasmin Paris, Kílian Jornet, and Damian Hall.
The report makes interesting reading for anyone involved in running, from those who run community groups to race organisers and those who work in marketing with running brands. For this month’s newsletter we brought together just such a group to see what they make of the report, and what we can all learn from it as we look to capitalise on the sport’s growth to make it more inviting, more accessible and more sustainable in the long term.
OUR PANEL:
Dora Atim – community organiser and founder of Ultra Black Running, who is working to make trail running more diverse.
David Bone – founder of Camino Ultra and an accomplished ultra athlete.
Layla Smith – Managing Director of Aspire, working with some of the world’s greatest sports and outdoors brands.
Running is booming in cities and there’s obvious interest in trail races among the growing younger demographic, but in this report there are very few younger respondents. Is that an issue of timing – the research was conducted in 2022 – or is something else at play?
David: What’s exciting is that we are in the proverbial ‘hockey curve’ in terms of the explosion of trail races. So yes this report is way out of date and no doubt if they did it again it could throw up a whole new set of data and trends. One of the challenges we’ve seen in London over the past couple of years is the explosion of the running crew/community vs the traditional run club. They are struggling to cope with one another, so any report like this has to be very careful where it goes to get its responses. New crews aren’t on old social channels and run clubs tend to be wedded to some archaic practices but typically way more receptive when it comes to responding to University surveys.
Dora: Outdoor activities have a big appeal to a younger audience, especially with outdoor gear being trendy, but trail running often requires planning and specialised equipment. Catering to the lifestyles of young people could help boost participation, so they are not made to feel that they are sacrificing their social life to take part in trail and other outdoor activities. Having multiple distances, or team-relay options could also help boost the social element for young people looking for a mix of enjoyment and adventure, as opposed to the traditional ultra marathons that still dominate the trail event space.
Layla: When does ‘trail running’ become a recognised activity for younger people? Cross country is often introduced in school but can carry a negative association for kids who don’t see themselves as natural runners. For many, trail running might only be discovered if their parents are enthusiasts and actively participating. Currently, the pathway to trail running seems to come via road running or through community run clubs/crews. It feels like trail running isn’t yet integrated into the existing ‘running’ framework for young people, which means it may take time for them to discover and embrace it.
Of 1019 respondents, 95% are white and not one identifies as Black. How surprising is that and what can the sport do to make itself more attractive and inclusive to a more diverse group of people?
Dora: For trail races to be more attractive and diverse, organisations will need to include new initiatives and work towards becoming more culturally relevant. Hosting community events can often help with this by including something like a mentorship programme that hosts taster runs for beginners. They can also include various distances – Maverick is an organisation that does this well, they have a range of races, some being less technical than others, which can broaden the ability levels of runners that sign up. Inclusive marketing is also important. To begin with, organisations should partner with local communities that they are trying to reach and can include taster days/educational pieces about kit and equipment as this is also a barrier to entry.
The report suggests that runners tend to come from two groups: outdoor enthusiasts or road runners. What other groups do you think the authors have missed? Do you think crew runners are categorically different to eg club runners?
Layla: Running crews and community clubs definitely stand out as another significant group. These groups often provide immense support and encouragement, and beyond running, they foster a strong sense of members coming together to share experiences and support each other. That sense of camaraderie and connection is beautiful, and possibly not always recreated in more traditional clubs.
Dora: A big part of crew running is the social community aspect. I think if more crew runners are engaged, then the possibility that you will reach a wider audience from road runners, to everyday runners, those who dabble and those who are seasoned runners.
David: There are tribes of runners (and we now need to think of hikers and ‘sexy’ paced groups) that exist in a variety of ways, so that new list is vast. Even in the growing space of inclusive and diverse run groups you will find Black Trail Runners, Black Girls Do Run to Muslim Hikers and Flock Together. They all are providing beautiful support and access but would probably have a massively different input to trails and events. So in a big nutshell yes, the crew vibe and the run club scene has typically been poles apart. In terms of this report we can see some major improvements in the past year and a growing trend (especially) for run clubs to open themselves up to the things run crews have offered successfully for many years.
Volunteering is an interesting element of the report. People want to be involved in growing the sport and giving back to their community, which is great. How do you think trail running could capitalise on that interest in volunteering to make the sport more accessible and sustainable?
Dora: Volunteers play a crucial role within the trail running sport. It can also lower barriers to entry as some organisations offer discounts or free race entries as compensation for volunteers. Mentorship programmes are often formed by expert volunteers, and this could help welcome newer audiences into the trail space. While this is a huge part of the planning process for organisations, it is crucial volunteers are celebrated for their contributions in order to continue growing that deep sense of community.
David: I have mixed feelings about this. The evidence of parkrun would show that there is a trend to cancel their events due to the increasingly poor numbers of volunteers. It is astonishing how many runners have never volunteered. We almost have a professional volunteer scene in the industry with many events existing on paying people. At Camino the volunteers are Camino. We thrive on our trail and ultramarathon runners giving back by being volunteers and we all benefit by having such passionate and knowledgeable runners supporting others inside our trail events.
Some race companies like Centurion and Spine are great examples of doing the volunteer programme superbly. Volunteering is seen as a great way to learn about the event and being a way to get a free race place when often costs could be seen as prohibitive. By being a volunteer first you gain real respect for the logistics and the possible sustainability of the trails and so when you find yourself on there as a runner you can be much more mindful of your own impact and of course attempt to give those volunteers a big thank you on route.
Layla: Volunteering is a fantastic way to engage young people in trail running, exposing them to the sport while building valuable experience. Race organisers could incorporate this into their CSR strategies by partnering with local communities to create initiatives that encourage youth involvement. This approach would not only support the growth of the sport but also foster stronger community connections and long-term sustainability for trail events.
Are there any findings in the report that surprise you? And is there stuff in there that will impact how you engage with the sport in your work?
Layla: The lack of diversity was the biggest surprise for me. While it’s something you notice at races and events, seeing that more than 95% of participants are white was still shocking. The data also reinforces the opportunity to introduce trail running to people from all walks of life at a younger age. How can we shift the perception and experience of running at school from something that is a once-per-year competition to something that is more of a daily practice and a habit that kids might keep up in adult life? The fact is, trail running is joyful and liberating and something that doesn’t have to be athletically demanding all the time. It creates a cascade of positive impacts, and it’s something I believe we should introduce kids to at an early age.
Dora: It shows that the work that is being done in the field for marginalised groups and younger audiences is still crucial. Organisations and media platforms need to think outside the box for there to be a more inclusive and diverse trail running environment – this study will help me shape how I approach this moving forward, also including members of the community to support this mission. How studies like this are conducted will also need a deeper dive – to have over 1000 participants and none identify as black is a big issue, especially post pandemic. This was one of the findings that surprised me the most. As an individual who focuses on action, this has given the insight needed to motivate further streams of work to include wider audiences in the trail and outdoors.
David: Overall the report feels old and in many ways conservative. Their ‘top lists’ contain what have been seen as the obvious names for a decade or so. However in the explosion of the sport there are so many new names (runners/ races/ alternatives like Backyards and mixed gender events) that this report doesn’t seem to have been part of capturing some of those trends in the early stages. Still really fascinating and we will forgive them for omitting Camino Ultra!!!!!!
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