Trail running is a diverse, inclusive, open, and accessible sport. It can be enjoyed almost anywhere in the world, in fact it is popular on all continents, in a variety of different styles and with a variety of different origins. Perhaps because it is a new sport, it is not burdened by the past, so we can congratulate ourselves on the fact that it is a relatively inclusive and accessible sport.
Today is a good day to remember that women are as much a part of the sport as men. It is good to remember that the prizes are almost always equal, that the same terrain and distances are run at the same time, that the recognition is relatively even. This is trail running today in most parts of the world. Other walks of life would like to be like trail running is today. But we should not be complacent either, because there is still work to be done.
We can all do more and do it better for the sport in terms of equality, so can World Trail Majors. One of the things we miss is participation. Our races are long, hard, demanding but not impossible, but is there a reason why we cannot attract women to the long distance as well as men?
We have the same prizes, we consider our races to be safe environments, the live streams and media give equal coverage, but we still have a long way to go, apart from the social and cultural progress that is progressing. We can and should celebrate the equality we have achieved but at the same time we must work to make that leap to achieve full equality. Last week we talked with the PTRA (Professional Trail Running Association) and SheRaces, both organisations are working to improve women’s participation in mountain/trail/ultra running and sport in general. Fortunately, we met most of the “requirements” that they presented, but we still have room for improvement.
Trail/ultra running and Gran Canaria World Trail Majors is and will be better with more women, there are barriers that will fall and we are committed to helping them fall. We are committed to doing what we can to keep moving forward and it is an issue we take seriously.
In the meantime, let us celebrate what we have achieved, let us enjoy the mountains, let us enjoy running, let us enjoy sharing common passions together, because trail running is awesome!
