The power of the trail and ultra running community

(Top photo by Sidney Lewis. Panel photo by Joshua W. Strong. Running photo by Tony DiPasquale.)

By Henry Howard

I’ve thought a lot about the trail and ultra running community since attending a Common Ground panel discussion at the Canyons-UTMB race weekend.

Moderator Corrine Malcolm, a pro trail runner, led the panel of women trail runners through a wide-ranging discussion. The panelists addressed the importance of community in trail running, how relationships form around shared experiences, how the community welcomes newcomers despite the sport sometimes feeling intimidating and more.

The panel emphasized how knowledge is passed down from experienced to new runners, and how people can remain part of the community even when not actively running. For example, through volunteering.

Oftentimes, runners may feel intimidated because they are unsure about some of the differences in running trails vs. roads. Panelist and pro ultra runner Katie Asmuth also had those concerns when she made the transition.

“I wanted to meet everyone and I really got to know the trails in L.A. and it was really fun,” she recalls. “But it was more than just the trails and learning about the logistics of ultra running. I wanted to know how to move your feet, how to pack a bag, the logistics of aid stations and how to fuel, how to hydrate. All that stuff was all word of mouth. It was all just asking people on the trail, how do you do this?”

When she moved to Mammoth, she even found more of a welcoming community. But no matter where you are, you can find your tribe and follow them to the trails.

“If you follow the trails, you'll find your people,” Asmuth says. “Community has really been important. We get together a lot in Mammoth and it's a really fun community, but we still hand down that knowledge. That's a big part of this sport is that kind of verbal passing on information.”

Given my work commitments and distance from trails, my community is more a combination of the athletes I coach and trail runners I know virtually. The same concept applies, other than running trails together. Knowledge is passed down and shared. Gratitude and support flow freely. Stoke levels are raised.

Getting a start in trail running

In order to grow the sport, potential trail runners need to feel the welcoming vibe even before they set out for their first foray on the dirt.

"We are brought into the sport by someone,” Malcom says. “Generally someone invited us at some point in time to go to a trail run.”

I honestly don’t remember who first put the thought of running trails into my head. If I had to guess it would be my first running coach, Angie Spencer, who at the time was getting into trail and short ultra distances.

Among the trail races she did was the Leadville (Colo.) Marathon, which I completed the year after her.

That is still one of my fondest race memories even though it was by far my slowest marathon. Starting at 10,000 feet of elevation, the race course goes up to Mosquito Pass at 13,000 feet and then back to the start.

The course was challenging, the other runners and volunteers supportive, and everything about the race itself emulated community. From there, I decided to try out ultra running and have embraced the community ever since.

It’s worth noting that when referring to the trail and ultra running community, it’s not just those who don a bib and race. It’s the race directors (check out my ongoing monthly tribute to race directors here). It’s the volunteers who patiently cater to racers’ every whim at aid stations. It’s those in the media who shine a light on the sport. It’s those who dedicate volunteer hours to caring for the trails. And the list goes on.

Many trail and ultra runners extend their participation in the sport to volunteer efforts.

"It's really cool that we can be part of the community in so many different ways,” Malcolm points out. “When you can't run, it can feel like you should maybe shy away from the community. But I would say even if you're volunteering at an aid station, it's mega important."

So, too, is amplifying the sport through various media channels. That way others can learn of why trail and ultra running is so amazing whether they listen to podcasts, cruise social media or read a web story like this.

At Canyons weekend, I was incredibly grateful for connecting with about eight other trail and road runners who share a similar passion. It was an amazing group and I look forward to continuing to grow and learn from that community.

(More coverage from the Canyons race weekend includes a review of the new Hoka Mafate X, my Canyons 50K race recap and this panel discussion involving two other elite athletes.)