Carl’s Trail Ultra Project is studying the growth and evolution of trail running in the UK and USA...
Can you tell us a little about your background in trail running, and academically?
Like a lot of trail runners, I was never a runner growing up. I’ve always had an interest in walking and mountaineering, but that gradually evolved into fell and trail running.I’ve only ever done a road run once or twice I think. My own running is all about very long distances, ideally in the mountains or somewhere else remote and beautiful. I run pretty much every day now and it’s an important part of my routine. Academically, I’ve been a sociologist for the past 12 years, based at a couple of different universities, with a broad expertise in media, culture and religion. I finished a big research project last year and was looking for something new, so I decided to combine my professional life with a personal passion for running!
What is the concept behind the project?
I’ve been fascinated in recent years with the massive growth of trail and ultra running. The number of race finishers in this category has increased by nearly 2000% over the past decade in the UK, with a smaller but still very significant rise in the US. It is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, but apart from research in the area of sports physiology there has been almost no academic work on off-road endurance running. I’ve also noticed stronger links between North American and British running, partly driven by social media, podcasts, YouTube, etc. This jumped out as a wide open field of inquiry. I’m interested in those cultural and social links. Why is the sport growing so quickly? As runners, who are we? How is the culture changing?
What does the Trail Ultra Project aim to find as a result of the study?
The project examines the story of trail and ultra running in North America and the UK, from the 19th century through to the present day. It brings together archival research, with a detailed online survey, an analysis of media content, and interviews conducted with ordinary runners and professionals working across the trail and ultra running industry. For the first time, I want to provide a comprehensive insight into the sport. As a sociologist, I’m interested in those bigger and more existential questions about our
