If you’ve been following the news in our sport during the past few months, you might feel inclined to believe that trail- and ultrarunning as we know it is under attack; that the foundation of our sport and its culture are crumbling beneath our feet.

You see, UTMB/Ironman is taking over. If you believe the headlines, the Big Bad Wolf will soon blow down all that generations of runners have built, steamroll the values that have been cultivated and passed along for decades, and render the sport unrecognizable. This worry was placed front and center by professional ultrarunner, race director and widely recognized good guy of the sport Gary Robbins on October 26 when he published a blog titled “What Really Went Down in Whistler with the WAM Races” that laid out the challenging relationship he had with Vail Resorts in obtaining permits for his previously established Whistler Alpine Meadows Races; UTMB/Ironman’s outreach to Robbins and his Coast Mountain Trail Running (CMTR) business partner regarding the potential purchase of one of CMTR’s other popular events, the Squamish 50; and ultimately UTMB/Ironman’s announcement of a new event in Whistler on the same weekend the WAM races previously took place. It’s easy to infer that collusion between Vail Resorts and UTMB/Ironman took place behind the scenes to force out WAM and its small, local business organizer and let UTMB/Ironman take over without having to purchase a pre-existing race, even if there is no concrete public evidence of that at this point.

Robbins’ willingness to speak up and publicly pull back the curtain on some of UTMB/Ironman’s unsavory business practices is important for our sport and should neither be ignored nor taken lightly. After all, Ironman strong-armed the sport of triathlon into becoming a massive money-making machine for the Ironman brand, ruining the sport and making it unaffordable in the eyes of many while at the same time making the brand name and the sport synonymous. Therefore, it was no surprise that soon after the folks from the UTMB Group got into bed with Ironman they announced plans for a UTMB World Series format that abandoned many of the smaller, local and regional races that used to award UTMB qualifying points and instead purchased a few pre-existing races, created a few new ones, and slapped on the “by UTMB” branding, establishing an exclusive, for-profit platform requiring runners who dreamed of racing in Chamonix to pad the UTMB/Ironman coffers several times over just to have a chance to possibly – if the lottery also goes their way – get to the starting line at the main event.

It’s important that we are clear-eyed and see this for what it is – an attempt to establish a trail- and ultrarunning money funnel similar to what Ironman created in triathlon while squeezing out the little guys. The framework is now in place for that to happen, and it will work as long as runners show up to race and volunteers provide the free labor that corporate ownership is counting on to minimize expenses and maximize profits. It’s a cutthroat business strategy, plain and simple.

I see this happening and I don’t like it, but it’s not my greatest concern when it comes to the corporatization of our sport. My concerns in the months and years ahead have less to do with specific events existing and more to do with how the media in this sport chooses to present their importance.

As our sport grows and professionalizes, increasing numbers of people are learning about the sport through the media in its various platforms, be it magazines, websites, podcasts, films, and more. What stories we chose to tell and where we give our time and attention matter.

There is no question events like UTMB, Western States, Hardrock and the Barkley, among others, have produced some great performances through the years and have historical significance in the sport. They’re also events that most folks in this sport will never get to participate in, be it because they are so exclusive, require such deep pockets, or a combination of the two. At the same time, they have become events where for media folks it’s as much about being seen there as it is about covering the event itself. It’s about podcasters hobnobbing with brands, publications playing up events where they have business arrangements, and media folks interviewing the same handful of elite athletes over and over again – even when they have nothing new to say – because certain names and events get more clicks and downloads. If you grew tired of Outside Magazine regurgitating the “Everest is as crazy as ever” stories year after year while largely ignoring climbers’ incredible feats on other peaks because … Everest … you catch my drift.

If new members of our sport learn from the media that a select few big-money or ultra-exclusive events are what the sport is all about, or are led to believe that you must strive for and experience those events to really be a part of the sport, that’s a problem. That’s not UTMB/Ironman’s fault. They’re big business; it’s what they want. They’ve sensed an opportunity to make a fortune, and they’ll happily take it to the bank with the help of any media outlet that’s willing to place a higher value on their events and minimize the competition.

All of this is to say that if you believe the headlines about the sport being under attack and the culture crumbling, you can do something about it. You can choose where to spend your dollars on entry fees, and you can choose what to click on or download. You can also do the most important thing of all: take ownership of how the sport and its culture are taught in your community.

As runners, as participants, as volunteers, as coaches, as race directors and as group run leaders, we are the caretakers of the culture of the sport – every single one of us. We determine if it survives, how it is taught and in what ways it evolves over time. That’s a powerful position to be in, and we need to understand it and take it seriously.

There are simple actions that all of us can take to do our part. We should all ask ourselves the following: Are we welcoming and inviting of newcomers? Are we working to make the sport more accessible? Are we modeling good behaviors, such as trail etiquette and leaving no trace? Are we sharing knowledge we’ve gained and lessons we’ve learned with new runners? Are we giving of our time for the betterment of the community? Are we being good stewards of the trail?

These are all actions that other people did for us when we were newcomers to the sport, be it several decades ago, just a few days ago, or in my case 13 1/2 years ago. These are all actions we can take now, and in the days and years ahead, to preserve the culture of the sport and help sustain it in the decades to come.

When I look beyond the national and global headlines and look at our local community here in Massachusetts and throughout New England, I don’t fret about the future. I feel a sense of calm and comfort that the sport and its culture are going to be ok because I see so many people putting in this work at the grassroots level.

I see the work being done by Northeast Trail Crew, the trail-running social club that has welcomed countless new people into the sport, preaching inclusiveness and volunteerism while celebrating the “party pace” in addition to accommodating those with a need for speed.

I see it in the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service, whose many time-based events are welcoming to participants of all abilities and who emphasize using running as a vehicle to make a difference in the world.

I see it in Amy Rusiecki’s Beast Coast Trail Running Series, where the top priority is making the trails inviting for people of all abilities and identities.

I hear it on the CULTRA Podcast, where the crew from Connecticut uses their platform to talk about local events, tell local stories, and talk to local runners with interesting stories regardless of pace.

I see it at the Womp Romp Trail Race and group runs, where Matt Hoadley and Robert Jeffers are building a welcoming community at a place with trails that are challenging enough for veterans but inviting enough for newcomers to learn and grow in the sport.

I see it with the Trail Animals Running Club, whose group runs bring together long-timers and first-timers to explore the trails at local reservations, and whose events remain no-frills and low-cost so nobody is priced out of participating.

I see it in so many other clubs and events throughout the region, where the underlying goal remains the same as it has been for years: to bring people together to run on trails. No entry fee required; no brand loyalty needed; no need to ever participate in a race. Just show up to the trailhead and run.

This is the foundation of the sport and of our community. As we close out 2023 and look ahead to 2024, it is clear to me that our foundation remains strong. It’s up to all of us to keep it that way.

The culture of the sport will be on full display at 8 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, when the legendary Gil’s Athletic Club plays host to the 24^th annual GAC Fat Ass 50K at Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield. It’s free to participate – just bring a new article of clothing to donate to a local charity or some food or drink to share if you can – and everyone is welcome to run or walk between one and five loops of a 10K course. Nobody will really care if you’re fast or slow, or if you run a 50K or walk a single lap. They’ll just be happy you’re there and want to be a part of the fun. That’s what it’s all about.

The GAC Fat Ass 50K will also mark the beginning of year nine of local ultrarunning coverage at MassUltra. I’ll see you on the trails in Topsfield.

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