Running News Daily

Spanish UTWT race launches campaign to get trail running into the Olympic Games

The organizing team of the Penyagolosa Trails race in Castellón, Spain, has launched a campaign titled Make Trail Olympic in an attempt to get the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to add off-road running to the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Organizers of the race, which is a stop on the Ultra-Trail World Tour, have written a manifesto in which they include eight reasons why trail running deserves a spot in the Olympic program, and they have also created a petition that they hope will sway the IOC.

The Penyagolosa Trails team introduced this campaign on Thursday, three years to the day that they hosted the Trail World Championships on their home course in Spain. In their manifesto, the team notes that trail running not only deserves to be included in the Olympics, but that it meets the IOC’s requirements for a sport to be added to the Games.

Trail running “is present in more than 75 countries and five continents,” the manifesto reads, adding that the sport has an established world championship system, which as another important note for the IOC. They add that trail running represents the “core values” of the Olympics, which are “excellence, friendship and respect.”

On the more technical side of the Games, doping control is mentioned. “Trail running fights against doping through the global anti-doping system based on the intrinsic value of sport, which is often referred as ‘sportsmanship,'” the manifesto says. “Anti-doping programmes are designed to protect the health of athletes and provide them with the opportunity to pursue excellence without the use of prohibited substances or methods.”

One of the most important parts of the manifesto (and perhaps the point that would have the most impact on the IOC if they view this petition) quickly dives into the popularity of the sport. As the authors explain, there are millions of trail runners worldwide, and the sport has seen tremendous growth in recent years. This growth isn’t slowing down, and trail running sees more and more new members each year, as well as new deals with major athletic brands.

he U.S. is a country where trail running is extremely popular, which is why the team from Penyagolosa Trails say the 2028 Games will be a perfect time to add the sport to the Olympic program. “The United States has a great history in organizing ultra-trail races,” the manifesto says, “and California hosts the world’s oldest 100-mile race, which in turn is one of the most prestigious: the Western States Endurance Run.”

It might be a long shot to get another running event into the Olympics, but the Penyagolosa Trails organizers make some valid points. It’s certainly fun to imagine an Olympic trail race, and if that one day becomes a reality, it will no doubt contribute to the already booming sport. To view the full manifesto and to sign the petition to have trail running added to the Olympics, click here.