Trail running

From ExtremeWiki

Trail running generally takes place on hiking trails, most commonly single track trails, although any dirt road will do. Trail running is usually a important part of off-road triathlon races, Adventure Racing, Multisport events and close "sister" to Orienteering, that is very popular in Scandinavia.
The sport is growing in popularity and is enjoyed throughout the world. As of 2006, there are over 6.7 million regular trail runners in the United States, and over 40 million worldwide.
In the United Kingdom, the British Athletic Federation authorized following definition in 1995:
In the context of athletics, trail races are primarily along footpaths and bridlepaths marked on Ordnance Survey maps as "public rights of way". They are "highways" to which pedestrians have unrestricted access in English law. Towpaths, forest drives, farm cart tracks and paths in parks etc, from which motorised traffic is excluded, are also trails when the owners' permission is obtained.

[edit] Video

Trail Running Tips: Getting Started
Top trail runners Karl Melzer and Scott Mason talk about getting started in the sport of trail running.

More Trail running tips on Trail running technique

[edit] Events

Common distances in races are 5 km, 10 km, 20 km, 30 km, Marathon (42km), 50 km, and 50 miles. Anything over Marathon distance is considered an Ultramarathon, and many "ultras" range beyond 100 mile mark.

The quintessential 100 mile trail run is the Western States Endurance Run, also known as the Western States 100.
Trail Running Series that combine multiple races over the course of the season.
New England Trail Racing circuit, called the "Grand Tree".
"Lakeland Trails" is the biggest trail running series in UK with over 3000 competitors in 2006.
Rhodes Trail Run, Drakensberg mountains, South Africa
Skyrun, Drakensberg mountains, South Africa.
Cape Odyssey, is trail running stage race in South Africa.
The 'Big Daddy' of South African Trail Running since 2000.
Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon, 7-day, 250km self-sufficiency run through the Kalahari Desert.

Trail races differ considerably from other races, since runners enjoy the solitude of nature for the bulk of these runs. In addition due to the smaller number of participants, the odds of running with no other participants in sight are very good. Similarly, runners in these events must rely on their own inner resolve, since crowd support is very limited given the inaccessibility of the courses. Trail races are commonly equipped with aid stations supplying food and beverages every 5 to 10 kilometers. Nevertheless, runners in trail races, particularly longer ones, usually carry their own water and food along the course.
During training runs, carrying one's own beverages is a necessity. Additionally, navigational skills are much more important during training runs, where one invents the course oneself, compared to organized races where the courses are very well marked (this is a matter of interpretation). Carrying maps when training in unfamiliar areas is highly recommended, as runners cover large distances and veering off course is not uncommon, especially in areas where signage is limited.