The Achilles Heel of Trail Running - Racial Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Group at the 2023 Trail Mixed Collective trail running retreat. Photo credit: Rebecca Ross .

Representation Matters

Why does representation matter in sports? More specifically, why should it matter to the trail-running community? It may seem odd to ask these questions. For people like ourselves, two cisgender women of color, the answer seems obvious. No complicated explanation required. It’s hard to be what you can’t see. 

However, others may feel that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have no place in sports because performance is performance. Right? The results speak for themselves! There’s a start line and a finish line. By will of mind, body, and some caffeinated gels, everyone has the potential to reach the finish line. Right?

Yes, it’s true, we all face the same physical race course, the same distance, and the same vertical gain. However, once you start thinking about what it takes to arrive at the start line, your brain can’t help but ask more questions. 

• I signed up for a race! Yay! Time to start training! Where are the most accessible trails? Will I feel safe running there? What neighborhood are these trails in? Why are there no trails on my side of town? Doesn’t my part of town have a long history of redlining? No, that couldn’t possibly be affecting us now. We’re in modern times! 

• There’s a group run this week! Great! I can feel safer and can make friends. Oh; no one here looks like me. Why am I surprised? I can’t remember the last time I saw a person with my skin color at a group run anyway. 

• I can’t wait to explore this new set of trails today! GPS says I’m just a few miles away. Wow, that’s the third house I’ve seen with a Confederate flag. This house has a “Don’t tread on me!” flag. Okay, the trailhead should be just past these homes. Wait, why is everyone staring at me like I don’t belong? 

• Yay! It’s race day! It’s my time to shine! Wait, is that a Confederate flag along the race course?! I’m running but do I ‘look’ like a runner? I just need to blend in. Does the race director know about that Confederate flag? Should I say something? 

Perhaps you’re just now realizing that “The start line is not the same. The start line is not the same! The start line is NOT the same!!!” Cue dramatic music.

Runners encounter varying headwinds and tailwinds before the starter pistol can even signal that a race has begun. Those vary according to your skin color, gender, body size, income tax bracket, citizenship status and more. This is a fact; even if you personally have not experienced any obstacles as a trail runner. To turn our heads and ignore the challenges others face is like an athlete ignoring a highly irritated Achilles tendon. You wouldn’t disregard an active injury; and you shouldn’t ignore this either.

The trail and ultrarunning community will never reach its fullest potential if it refuses to acknowledge its own Achilles heel. We aren’t all running the same race; too many of us have overcome tremendous obstacles just to make it to the start line. It’s time to consider what needs to be done to make trail running as safe, inclusive, and welcoming as we claim it to be. We have work to do.

Headwinds: Barriers to Trail and Ultrarunning

Trail running is not always as simple and romantic as lacing up a pair of shoes and going out your front door. The reality is that systemic inequality, trail accessibility, and economic barriers determine who participates in the sport. 

To clarify upfront, inequality and inequity are often used interchangeably but have distinct differences. Equality is focused on everyone having the exact same resources, even though people may have different needs. Inequality refers to the uneven distribution of resources between individuals or groups. 

Equity is more focused on outcomes and getting everyone the resources they need to achieve a specific result. Those resources may look different for different groups. In our society, we view inequities as the long-term outcomes of structural inequality. For example, resource hoarding by privileged groups over centuries has led to racial and gender inequities for those with less privilege.

The following sections call for an honest examination of the inequities within the trail-running and ultrarunning world. A one-size-fits-all approach will not address longstanding inequities in our community and it will not diversify our sport. Dismantling obstacles that disproportionately impact BIPOC, gender minority, and LGBTQIA+ communities will. 

Systemic Issues Around Safety

Let’s start off by addressing the harassment that people of color face in the outdoors. Harmful stereotypes and discriminatory behavior create a hostile environment that reduces an individual’s sense of belonging at best. The tragic and racially motivated murder of runner Ahmaud Arbery by three white men remains a grim reminder of the very real dangers faced by BIPOC in outdoor spaces. 

Outdoor activities like trail running can also expose individuals from marginalized groups to harassment and assault, a problem that often goes unreported. According to the US Department of Justice, the number of reported racially charged hate crimes increased in 2020 by 32%. Notably, anti-Black or African American hate crimes increased by 49% from 2019 to 2020, and anti-Asian hate crimes increased by 77% from 2019 to 2020, likely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the number of reported anti-transgender hate crimes increased in 2020 by 41% and anti-gender non-conforming hate crimes increased by 13% from 2019-2020. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program, of hate crimes committed in 2022, 15.7% occurred on roads, streets, and sidewalks, while 3.3% took place at parks and playgrounds. These numbers not only reveal a rise in overt hostility, but also emphasize the need for targeted interventions to safeguard the well-being of these communities in outdoor spaces. 

Despite the draw of the peaceful solitude on trails, these outdoor spaces can still reflect the larger problems in society. They often mask the challenges faced by people who do not fit the stereotypical image of a trail runner. It is important to acknowledge that the experience of trail running is not the same for everyone, and for many individuals, it involves navigating additional challenges related to identity.  

2023 Trail Mixed Collective trail running retreat . Photo credit: Rebecca Ross.

Trail Accessibility

Accessibility to trails and parks are tied to race and income. This is not by accident but rather shaped and reinforced by decades, if not centuries, of systemic discrimination (e.g. - segregation, racial covenants, redlining)—all of which continues to harm marginalized communities to this day.

In 2021, Trust for Public Land identified that in the 100 most populated U.S. cities, majority non-white neighborhoods have access to 44% less park acreage than majority white neighborhoods. Parks in communities of color aren’t just smaller on average, they serve almost 5x more people than parks in majority white neighborhoods. This disparity is further exacerbated when you look at income. Low-income households have access to 4x less park acreage than parks that serve majority high-income households.

Trail running in rural settings introduces a different set of challenges. In some cases, trail access may be easier. Undeveloped land could be an abundant source of official and unofficial trails. However, rural areas often have lower BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ populations so safety can become the more prominent concern. Limited public transportation in rural areas can also compound the challenge of accessibility. 

Trail runners need safe trails to train on, where they won’t be exposed to violence or harassment. Ultimately, trail accessibility in the U.S. is a dividing line between privileged and underprivileged groups. Some of us have access to trails, some of us don’t. Some of us feel safe while training, some of us don’t. If you think this doesn’t impact the representation of marginalized groups in trail running, please think again. This issue can be seen from our local running communities all the way up to the top performers in our sport. There is a sincere need for concerted efforts to address these disparities so that our trail running community and its professional athletes can reflect the true diversity of the broader population.

Coach Jessica discussing form cues for uphill and downhill running. Photo credit: Desiree Rossborough.

Financial Hurdles

Each step towards the starting line demands significant investment of time and money, but let’s talk about money for a moment. Footwear, apparel, hydration systems, and other essential equipment come with high price tags. The race fees, travel expenses, childcare—even taking time off work to get in the necessary training to compete, all adds up.

There are also disparities in advertising and marketing within the running industry. Oftentimes, mostly white marketing teams overlook BIPOC runners and their needs. We’ve seen the marketing campaigns that exclusively feature thin or mid-size white runners. This reinforces the message that trail runners have to look a certain way. If only certain groups of people are featured in advertising are we truly uplifting the whole sport? 

While marketing has improved, professional team rosters have not, reminding us that tokenism is not inclusion. BIPOC runners are more than marketing campaigns that check the right boxes. Savvy marketing is not the same as genuinely valuing a racially diverse roster of athletes and ambassadors.

Lastly, coaching, while not obligatory, often separates top-10 finishers at major ultramarathons from the rest. Success at major ultramarathons often determines which athletes secure sponsorships and can greatly influence the trajectory of athletic careers. However, professional coaches can cost athletes upwards of $150 to 300 per month, representing yet another financial hurdle for runners.

Race Lottery Systems: a Headwind or Tailwind and for Whom?

How diverse are trail running competitions, especially popular, closely-followed events such as Western States, UTMB, Leadville 100, and Hardrock 100? These races use a lottery system. While lotteries are often considered a “fair” way to distribute race entries, they may not be as equitable as they seem. 

Lottery systems favor individuals who acquire more lottery tickets. This means that individuals who can afford and have the time and means to run multiple qualifying races have a greater probability of being selected. Another point of consideration is the time it takes for the average person to get into a race through a lottery system. In popular races with lottery systems, it can take years for a runner to get into a race through the lottery. With that in mind, it would likely take years to see more diversity at trail races through the lottery system alone, assuming they are entering through the lottery system in the first place. 

In 2024, Western States allotted four complimentary entries for BIPOC runners. While this was a step in the right direction, it does not address the deeper issue at hand: BIPOC individuals are not getting into races through the lottery system due to systemic inequities prevalent in our trail and ultrarunning spaces. Systemic change will only come when athletes from marginalized communities are actively participating and succeeding in the lottery system, minimizing inequalities at the entry point. 

An example of an inclusive lottery system that was recently modified in order to create change is the Lake Sonoma 50 Mile race. In 2022, Lake Sonoma implemented a 50/50 male/female lottery system to increase the prevalence of women at the start line. Typically, women only comprise 23% of participants at trail and ultra-races, and that number drops down to 16% at distances over 50 miles (link). Looking at Lake Sonoma 50 Miler’s gender-specific lottery, we witnessed how a lottery system can create a more equitable race day community. 

The suggestion of a race-based lottery system appears “controversial” but this begs us to question why gender-based lotteries don’t elicit the same uproar. If lottery systems are willing to uplift women in sport, what about other marginalized groups? What is the difference? Is there a difference?

Trail running skills workshop with Trail Mixed Collective. Photo credit: Desiree Rossborough.

What Gets Measured Gets Managed

Now, imagine that your Achilles is torn but you are given no information on how to help it heal. Your doctor gatekeeps all the information that could help you recover. This is like trying to improve diversity in trail and ultrarunning.

A prominent challenge in improving racial equity in trail running is that race and ethnicity data either doesn’t exist, is not consistently collected, or is not publicly accessible. On the one hand, it’s impossible to gather demographic data on every person that trail runs. On the other hand, as Emily Benton noted in a Trail Runner article, “one can easily infer what the demographics are by following these races in real-time.” What we observe confirms that the trail and ultrarunning community is mostly white and male.

However, the Running Industry Diversity Coalition’s research findings show that U.S. demographics are changing. Most states are becoming more racially and ethnically diverse and this is driven by BIPOC youth. Currently, Hispanic youth (11 to 17 years old) and young adults (18 to 24 year old) are the largest ethnic group represented amongst BIPOC runners. It would be in the best interest of the trail running industry and community to recognize, adapt, and welcome the changing demographics of runners and potential runners. 

We can do better. For example, race registration websites could include the option for runners to fill in race and ethnicity information in the same way we answer questions on age and gender. Recently, Ultrasignup.com initiated a multi-phase plan to integrate gender identity and a non-binary category as part of a runner’s profile. This is a great example of how the community pushed for change to support gender equity. We recommend acknowledging our intersectionality and extending that same level of empathy to advancing racial equity within our sport. 

Interestingly, running brands and companies and even local race directors often say publicly that they support DEI but…what are they actually doing? 

DEI statements are well-intentioned but if there’s no action behind it…then what is the point? Let’s hope these declarative statements are not purely for optics but rather come from an authentic desire to support people of all races and genders that want to grow and develop as trail runners. 

There’s a saying that goes, “What gets measured, gets managed”. If brands and companies are serious about their DEI efforts, we think that step one is capturing racial demographics where possible. Step two is to publicly share that information so we can all learn and grow. Those in the running industry can survey their customers, subscribers, and athlete rosters and then make that information publicly available. It doesn’t have to be perfect by any means but it’s a start. Step three would be to take action and address many of the things we have highlighted throughout this article. 

SUMMARY

So we’ve talked about some of the many tailwinds and headwinds runners face on the trail and in ultrarunning spaces. Marginalized communities face more headwinds (e.g. - obstacles) while privileged runners encounter more tailwinds (e.g. - access and advantages).

To pretend that trail and ultrarunning is welcoming to all is the same as racing with a torn Achilles. You wouldn’t do it. The world has an ugly history of colonization and white supremacy. Trail and ultrarunning does too, because it exists within the broader framework of society, not apart from it. 

So when it comes to racial justice, we urge you to take meaningful action so that our trail running community can continue to grow and build deeper and more meaningful connections. Let’s envision a trailhead bustling with a diverse community and a race line up with many new faces. Let’s uplift each other and strive for our fullest potential, together. 

We said what we said.