US Trail Running Conference announces theme – Trail Running Communities for Climate Action and Sustainability

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Enabling long term success for trail races and a growing trail running community

Active at Altitude, organizers of the US Trail Running 
Conference has announced the theme for this year’s edition of the annual event, 
Trail Running Communities for Climate Action and Sustainability. This theme is a logical development emanating from last year’s theme of diversity and inclusion, and builds on the productive content of the highly successful 2019 Conference.

The eighth annual US Trail Running Conference will be held October 21-24, 2020, in Fayetteville, AR, and is presented by Race Roster, the fastest growing endurance registration website in North America. The Conference is also held in partnership with the American Trail Running Association (ATRA). The Conference is held in two segments. The first is focused on trail race directors, and is held Wednesday, October 21, to Friday October 23, while the second segment focuses on trail runners, and takes place on Saturday, October 24.

For trail race directors, the theme will be delivered by a combination of expert 
presentations and speaker panels that will cover how trail races can introduce effective educational components to empower their runners to engage in climate action. 
Presentations and speakers will also be featured in sustainability sessions that 
comprise practical steps that race directors can take to increase attendance by 
welcoming runners from groups that are currently under represented in trail running races. This will include women, various racial and socio-economic groups, youth, LGBTQ and intersex runners, as well as blind and adaptive runners. Further sessions will cover sustainability initiatives that will include information on race budgets and 
finances, sponsor partnerships, social media and digital marketing, trail accessibility and permits, as well as how to strive for zero waste. The Conference will provide a takeaway document for each registered trail race director offering a list of actionable items that will deliver proven results to grow trail race participation.

An expo is an integral part of the program and will offer race directors innovative 
products, systems and services that will help them differentiate their races in a highly competitive market place, further assisting races to create new business opportunities.

For trail runners, expert presentations and speaker panels will cover subjects like women on the trails, trail safety, healthy training and racing, nutrition, and more. The trail runner expo features the latest offerings in the trail running market, with shoes, 
apparel, hydration, nutrition, and more.

Event Director Terry Chiplin comments: “We are very excited to announce this year’s theme for the Conference. Climate change is possibly the most important crisis facing this planet and our species, and it makes sense to create actionable items that race 
directors and trail runners can take that can help to stop or reverse the worst impacts of climate change. I look forward to developing an education road map from the 
Conference that can be used by race directors across the United States. Trail runners are hugely passionate about the environment, and we believe this focus will be one that is met with positive engagement and action by everyone in the trail running community. Furthermore, the depth of expertise, knowledge and experience that our speakers, sponsors and exhibitors bring to the event is unrivaled in the trail running market, 
making this a must-attend event for both trail race directors and trail runners.”

ATRA President, Adam Chase, comments: “I’m excited to attend this year’s US Trail 
Running Conference in Fayetteville, especially with the meaningful and timely theme the conference selected. We, as trail runners, have to step up and own this dramatic 
environmental situation and do what we may to slow or, hopefully stop and reverse, the current trends of climate change. We owe it to our trails and our children.”

Conference registration is open and includes options for race director days as well as trail runner day. Details at http://ustrailrunningconference.com/register/
For additional details contact Event Director, Terry Chiplin, terry@ustrailrunningconference.com, or 303-304-9159.

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