Trail running loves to sell itself as a sport rooted in grit, nature, humility, and community. But step into the professional side of the sport and the picture shifts. Suddenly the “community” looks a lot more curated, a lot less diverse, and a lot more invested in maintaining the status quo.
The Pro Trail Runners Association (PTRA) was created to unify and advocate for elite athletes. That mission is solid. But when it comes to representation, inclusion, and cultural competency, the execution is falling short — not because the sport lacks diverse athletes, but because the industry keeps building structures that overlook them.
The Representation Problem Isn’t Subtle
You don’t need a spreadsheet to see it: the professional trail scene is overwhelmingly white, Western, and homogenous in its storytelling. When the PTRA says it represents “all professional runners,” but the faces, voices, and leadership remain one-dimensional, the message is clear — not everyone is actually included in the “all.”
Diversity doesn’t magically appear in systems that weren’t designed with it in mind. Representation requires intentionality, not good vibes and an occasional DEI post. Without meaningful recruitment, mentorship, or pathways for BIPOC athletes, the association reinforces the same barriers it claims to be dissolving.
Financial and Structural Gatekeeping
Trail running is an expensive sport to compete in professionally — gear, travel, fees, logistics, time off work. Those barriers don’t fall evenly across identities. For many BIPOC athletes, breaking into the pro scene isn’t about talent or ambition. It’s about resources.
The PTRA could leverage its position to create scholarship pipelines, financial assistance frameworks, or partnership programs with races and brands. But to date, the leadership has not prioritized or articulated a strategy for leveling the economic playing field.
Sponsorship Disparities
Professional running lives and dies by sponsorship. And right now, sponsorships overwhelmingly flow to runners who already dominate the spotlight. Brands love “representation” when it fits neatly into their marketing strategy, but that rarely translates into equitable contracts or real development of diverse athletes.
The PTRA has influence — enough to push brands on their values instead of simply echoing them — but so far the conversation has been quiet where it needs to be loud.
Media Visibility Shapes Everything
Pro trail media is still stuck in a narrow loop of which stories matter, and who gets the spotlight. When BIPOC athletes are missing from race coverage, documentaries, editorial features, and social campaigns, the message to the community is that they aren’t part of the sport’s core identity.
Visibility isn’t decoration. It’s opportunity. And without that visibility, BIPOC athletes remain locked out of the ecosystem the PTRA claims to represent.
Indigenous Land Is Not a Backdrop
Most trail races take place on Indigenous land. Yet in professional circles, that truth often gets reduced to a brief line in a pre-race email or ignored entirely.
True inclusion means acknowledging the land, the history, and the communities connected to it. It means partnership, not performance. It means integrating cultural competence into the DNA of the organization — not treating it as flair.
The PTRA has not yet demonstrated an understanding of this responsibility, and in a sport that moves across land once stewarded by Indigenous peoples, that gap matters.
What Real Progress Would Look Like
If the PTRA wants to be a credible leader in this space, the shift has to be intentional, structural, and sustained. That means:
bringing BIPOC athletes into leadership roles
supporting mentorship pipelines instead of assuming talent will “find its way”
advocating for sponsorship equity, not just chasing industry trends
elevating media coverage that actually reflects the community, not a curated slice of it
building authentic relationships with Indigenous communities and leaders
Inclusion isn’t complicated, but it does require action. It requires accountability. It requires letting go of the myth that the sport is already equitable.
And Here’s Where I Come In
This is the work I do — not in theory, but in practice. I help organizations, race directors, and brands rethink representation from the inside out. With Representation in Motion, we take diversity out of the PR deck and into the actual structure of your systems, strategy, and community partnerships.
If the PTRA, or any organization in the trail or running world, truly wants to build a more inclusive landscape, I can help them make that transition without the performative fluff. It’s time for real representation, grounded in real action, led by someone who’s actually been doing the work — not just talking about it.
If your organization is ready to disrupt the old model and build something that actually reflects the sport’s future, learn more about Representation in Motion and let’s build it together.