The 4th annual US Trail Running Conference wrapped up in Estes Park, Colorado, at the historic Stanley Hotel on October 1, after three and a half days dedicated to all things trail running. The program, hosted by Active at Altitude in partnership with the American Trail Running Association (ATRA), included sessions geared to race directors for the first two and a half days, with the final day focused on trail runners.
To round out the program, on Sunday, the Estes Park Running Club hosted a 5.8-mile trail race, the Estes Trail Ascent, in which many of the conference attendees participated. The course included single track trail, groomed trail, dirt roads, ascending and descending.
More than 50 race directors, representing 19 states and two foreign countries, along with more than a dozen vendors, attended the first two and a half days with haku as the presenting sponsor. For the trail runner day on Saturday, a mix of 120 runners and vendors participated.
In addition to informative sessions throughout the Conference, each morning started with a trail run at Lumpy Ridge, one of the many great trail networks in Estes Park. Friday’s run featured demo trail running shoes from Inov-8, and Saturday’s run featured demo trail running shoes from Inov-8 and Altra.
Networking evenings were hosted at the Stanley by Leslie Jordan, Inc., on Wednesday, and haku on Thursday. On Friday evening, the Colorado premier of FIFTY THE MOVIE, was held at the Reel Mountain Theater in downtown Estes Park. The film followed Mal Law’s bold attempt to run 50 mountain marathons over 50 peaks in just 50 days, all around New Zealand, in order to raise funds for the Mental Health Foundation. Law, who lives in Wanaka, New Zealand, attended the Conference with his wife Sal, and was on hand at the screening to answer questions from the audience.
A few days after the Conference, Director Terry Chiplin was still aglow with enthusiasm and said, “I am thrilled that the 2016 US Trail Running Conference exceeded expectations at every level. With increased attendance, additional expert panelists to offer a wider diversity for race directors, a focus on trail running as a healthy lifestyle option for runners of all abilities and ages, and enthusiastic and engaged vendors and sponsors, the Conference offered something for everyone participating. I am looking forward to building on the continued momentum and create an even fuller Conference for race directors, trail runners, as well as sponsors and supporters, for the fifth year of the Conference here in Estes Park in 2017.”
Added Nancy Hobbs, ATRA executive director, “Being involved since year one has provided me the opportunity to watch the Conference mature. Sessions will continue to reflect new technology and trends in the industry and keep the program relevant and fresh. This is a must-attend event for anyone involved in our sport from race directors to vendors, from elite athletes to recreational runners, from vendors to journalists.”
Dates for the 2017 US Trail Running Conference will be released soon. For a more complete Conference wrap-up, click HERE.
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