I read this and had to sit with it for a day—it deserved more than a quick reply. Curious before certain, always! I love that, and the journey (sorry if that word is cringe) you go on in this piece.
But where I land is simpler than where your essay does. The stuff that actually builds an inclusive running culture isn't complicated: honor the land, invite people out, build community, show up for your local races and the volunteers who make them happen (also, BE A volunteer). And don't be an elitist prick. In my mind, that's what it comes down to.
The one place I'd push is your take on what the newcomers owe the culture. I'd flip some of the responsibility back onto us. The people who are already here—people like us—help create a better scene by being generous enough that the newcomers curiosity has somewhere to land and grow.
I think the biggest risk to a culture I love has never been the earnest newcomer (although I know that's not exactly your target here); it's the old timer who forgot he was new once too.
Thanks Elizabeth! I’m very much with you on this. Especially on shifting some responsibility back to those of us already here. Curiosity only gets you so far if the culture you enter is closed, arrogant or unwilling to make space for new people. And yes, the old school folks who forgot what being new felt like is probably at least as dangerous as the newcomer who doesn’t care enough. That’s a good addition to the piece, could even be an article of its own!
I feel your pain my friend. I have those “ get off my lawn” moments too from time to time. I try to check myself but sometimes it slips out. Thanks for the ministry tune I hadn’t heard that or seen the video in years. I was more mosh pit than punk but a few of those bands could pull off the cross over.
I'm looking forward to speaking with you next month on the Earthmover Podcast. I have to continue to pushback against this idea that trail running culture of old is worth preserving. I'm writing a brief reaction piece here on Substack. Trail running culture is rooted in white supremacy and dominance and I don't think that's worth preserving.
Yes, I’m looking forward to the conversation too! I think we’re using “preserve” differently. I’m not nostalgic for some supposedly old / original trail culture, and I certainly didn’t like everything I found when I entered it. Which, by the way, wasn’t that long ago, I’m almost still new to this myself.
Change is essential. I did exactly that in punk and hardcore: brought in my own ideas, broke with conventions and challenged things I thought were outdated or straight up stupid. I’ve tried to do the same in running with my brand Willpower.
What I’m criticizing in the piece is something else: people bringing self-promotion, commercialization and personal branding into the sport while showing little interest in nature, community or the actually totally unglamorous, introverted side of trail running. And yes, that "community" itself still has a lot of inclusion work to do.
I’ve written about the “gym brofication” of running before, although that’s obviously only one facet and shouldn’t be generalized. But I do see some ugly values traveling with the current boom in trail & ultra: exaggerated masculinity, elitism, egocentrism, misogyny, and a running culture that still attracts a 98% white and male crowd.
So I’m not interested in protecting the past. I’m interested in being selective about what we leave behind, what we actively change, and what might actually be worth carrying forward.
Thanks for clarifying. I knew that your critique was focused on this new subset of trail runners but I believe trail running of old carries those same ugly values - elitism, egocentrism, misogyny, and white supremacy. Looking forward to chatting more about it all!
"There is something essential about entering a culture without immediately making yourself its center."
Perhaps a symptom of social media, a world in which we're encouraged to put ourselves front and centre, be the 'main character' and bring our 'followers' along for the ride?
Totally agree. Social media and how we ended up using it (or the other way round) plays a key role in this. And I must admit, as soon as I switch off the internet, my (running) world gets a lot better. I'll keep this magic trick up my sleeve for really bad days haha ;-)
Man I love your brand and I read a lot of stuff you write and I think you are too much on the fucking internet. I don’t know or never heard of half of the stuff you are talking about and I’m very much a trail and ultra runner, organize a group run here and there, do races, listen to 5-10 different podcast about the sport and so on..
Is it really the sport you are writing about or is it instagram?
I think it's no small coincidence that the Sports and Music sections in every bookshop are next to one another, usually tucked away on the 3rd floor.
Haha last time I tried to find my own book in a bookshop it was exactly there.
I read this and had to sit with it for a day—it deserved more than a quick reply. Curious before certain, always! I love that, and the journey (sorry if that word is cringe) you go on in this piece.
But where I land is simpler than where your essay does. The stuff that actually builds an inclusive running culture isn't complicated: honor the land, invite people out, build community, show up for your local races and the volunteers who make them happen (also, BE A volunteer). And don't be an elitist prick. In my mind, that's what it comes down to.
The one place I'd push is your take on what the newcomers owe the culture. I'd flip some of the responsibility back onto us. The people who are already here—people like us—help create a better scene by being generous enough that the newcomers curiosity has somewhere to land and grow.
I think the biggest risk to a culture I love has never been the earnest newcomer (although I know that's not exactly your target here); it's the old timer who forgot he was new once too.
Thanks Elizabeth! I’m very much with you on this. Especially on shifting some responsibility back to those of us already here. Curiosity only gets you so far if the culture you enter is closed, arrogant or unwilling to make space for new people. And yes, the old school folks who forgot what being new felt like is probably at least as dangerous as the newcomer who doesn’t care enough. That’s a good addition to the piece, could even be an article of its own!
I feel your pain my friend. I have those “ get off my lawn” moments too from time to time. I try to check myself but sometimes it slips out. Thanks for the ministry tune I hadn’t heard that or seen the video in years. I was more mosh pit than punk but a few of those bands could pull off the cross over.
Thanks, I'm glad you can relate, makes me feel less bad about myself when being grumpy again haha!
I'm looking forward to speaking with you next month on the Earthmover Podcast. I have to continue to pushback against this idea that trail running culture of old is worth preserving. I'm writing a brief reaction piece here on Substack. Trail running culture is rooted in white supremacy and dominance and I don't think that's worth preserving.
Yes, I’m looking forward to the conversation too! I think we’re using “preserve” differently. I’m not nostalgic for some supposedly old / original trail culture, and I certainly didn’t like everything I found when I entered it. Which, by the way, wasn’t that long ago, I’m almost still new to this myself.
Change is essential. I did exactly that in punk and hardcore: brought in my own ideas, broke with conventions and challenged things I thought were outdated or straight up stupid. I’ve tried to do the same in running with my brand Willpower.
What I’m criticizing in the piece is something else: people bringing self-promotion, commercialization and personal branding into the sport while showing little interest in nature, community or the actually totally unglamorous, introverted side of trail running. And yes, that "community" itself still has a lot of inclusion work to do.
I’ve written about the “gym brofication” of running before, although that’s obviously only one facet and shouldn’t be generalized. But I do see some ugly values traveling with the current boom in trail & ultra: exaggerated masculinity, elitism, egocentrism, misogyny, and a running culture that still attracts a 98% white and male crowd.
So I’m not interested in protecting the past. I’m interested in being selective about what we leave behind, what we actively change, and what might actually be worth carrying forward.
Thanks for clarifying. I knew that your critique was focused on this new subset of trail runners but I believe trail running of old carries those same ugly values - elitism, egocentrism, misogyny, and white supremacy. Looking forward to chatting more about it all!
"There is something essential about entering a culture without immediately making yourself its center."
Perhaps a symptom of social media, a world in which we're encouraged to put ourselves front and centre, be the 'main character' and bring our 'followers' along for the ride?
Enjoyed reading this one, Chris - thanks.
Totally agree. Social media and how we ended up using it (or the other way round) plays a key role in this. And I must admit, as soon as I switch off the internet, my (running) world gets a lot better. I'll keep this magic trick up my sleeve for really bad days haha ;-)
Man I love your brand and I read a lot of stuff you write and I think you are too much on the fucking internet. I don’t know or never heard of half of the stuff you are talking about and I’m very much a trail and ultra runner, organize a group run here and there, do races, listen to 5-10 different podcast about the sport and so on..
Is it really the sport you are writing about or is it instagram?