Mountain Running Legend Fights Event Overcrowding
World-renowned Catalan mountain runner Kilian Jornet is leading an effort to preserve the "essence" of mountain running by warning about the dangers of overcrowding at popular trail races. Jornet is now working with organizations to certify the sustainability of such events, highlighting growing concern about the impact of mass participation on fragile mountain environments. The campaign underscores the need for more responsible trail event management as the sport continues to grow globally.
- Trail running participation grew by 231% in the ten years leading up to 2022, with the number of ultrarunning events in the U.S. alone increasing by 772% between 2000 and 2023. - The initiative led by Jornet's foundation is called the Green Trail Concept, a sustainability certification for races co-financed by the European Union's Erasmus+ program. The Zegama-Aizkorri marathon in Spain is set to be the first event certified by the project in 2026. - Environmental concerns extend beyond crowding to include soil compaction, vegetation damage, and microplastic pollution from the shedding of shoe outsoles and clothing during races. - Jornet's outdoor brand, NNormal, which was co-founded with the footwear company Camper, is built on principles of durability and environmental responsibility to challenge overconsumption. - Other major race series are also implementing sustainability plans; the UTMB World Series' "UTMB For The Planet" program aims to have 40 environmental and social initiatives active across all its events. - Jornet personally tracks and publishes his own carbon footprint, prioritizing ground transportation over air travel for races to reduce his environmental impact. - Through his foundation, Jornet also supports other projects, including "Running Minds," which combines community runs with scientific discussions on local environmental issues, and "Restore the Trails" for trail maintenance.
