18/06/2026
Four Years of the Trail Running 2032 Campaign: Navigating the Mountains Behind the Scenes
Four years ago this month, fresh off the trails of the Western States Endurance Run, and inspired by conversations with some of our sport's truest stalwarts, we launched the Trail Running 2032 (TR2032) campaign. The vision was bold: to bring trail running to the global stage, in Brisbane.
Since June 2022, we’ve crossed some incredible checkpoints. We’ve elevated and progressed the discussion globally alongside brilliant partners at TRAQ - Trail Running Association of Queensland, ITRA - International Trail Running Association, World Mountain Running Association and IAU - International Association of Ultrarunners.
But if you’ve ever run an trail, mountain or ultra endurance race, you know the terrain changes.
The last eight months in particular have been a rollercoaster of immense support and deep challenge. To be completely transparent and skip the sugarcoating: we haven’t achieved our next major checkpoint, and it is most likely we won't by the end of 2026 as planned.
A Failed Goal, But a Learning Opportunity.
In endurance sports, a missed split or an unexpected event isn't the end of the race; it's data. It's a learning opportunity.
Trying to navigate the "mountains" of a highly complex, politically charged sporting environment to achieve something that has never been done before is a massive undertaking.
Where we stand right now: Our team is still pushing on, but a significant portion of the process is currently far outside our sphere of control. The behind-the-scenes processes need to play out, and the right stakeholders need to come together to make the definitive decisions.
The Race Isn't Over.
We aren't done yet. We will continue to push forward where and when we can, even if our updates are a bit quieter for a while.
To everyone who has backed TR2032 over the last four years: thank you. This has been an incredible adventure of personal and collective growth, learning, and resilience.
You will hear from us again, either when the next mountain is ready to be run up, or when we’ve gone as far as humanly possible. Until then, see you on the trails. 🌲🏃♂️