Trail Use: Our Philosophy
We are eco-centric engagers, not ego-centric users.
We adjust to nature. We do not expect nature to adjust to us.
We do not modify nature in any way, shape or form.
Rather, we raise our fitness levels to meet the rigours of the trails, leaving them exactly the way we found them.
We are trail stewards, committed to nature's conservation and sustainability.
Below are some tools and tips to remember as you attack the trails with a vengeance. For a good article on trail running etiquette, click here.
- Be aware of your surroundings.
- Yield to others. Hogging the trail or making it difficult for someone to pass is a jerk move. Don't be a jerk.
- Announce your presence. Call out "passing on your left" let someone know what you intend to do. Elbowing past a runner is also a jerk move.
- Show gratitude and encouragement.
Trail Respect
One of the reasons we don't use the same course every year is so that we don't wear down the trails through overuse. It is a privilege to have the natural environment we enjoy inside city limits. We want to enjoy trail running for generations to come, which means we have to respect how we use the space now. Below are guidelines that will support good stewardship of the trails and surroundings on race day:
- Wear proper trail shoes or grips. Slipping and sliding all over the place only ruins the trails for others, particularly those behind you, and increases human impact well beyond race day. We can enjoy the trails without destroying them.
- Stay on the trail.
- Don't cut corners. This is not only bad for the environment: It's cheating.
- Carry out what you carry in. Doesn't matter if it's biodegradable. If it wasn't there before, don't leave it there now.
- Respect wildlife. Keep your distance. Don't feed or photograph up close. Treat their environment with respect - you're in their home.