US Trail Running Conference

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US Trail Running Conference

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For race directors, brands, athletes, and media - come learn, connect, and push trail running forward together.

November 5-7, 2026 at the Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee!

10/28/2026

USTRC Speaker Spotlight 🌟 Nancy Hobbs

When we think about who has shaped trail running in this country, Nancy Hobbs is always near the top of that list.

Nancy is the founder and Executive Director of American Trail Running Association (ATRA), the voice of trail runners everywhere since 1996. She founded the US Women’s Mountain Running Team, helped generate support for the US Worlds Team with USATF, is a Colorado Running Hall of Fame inductee, a published author, and a competitive Masters runner with multiple medals at the World Masters Mountain Running Championships. She also helped shape this very conference from its earliest days.

Nancy will be co-leading the Breakout Session: Marketing Basics for Any Budget at the 2026 USTRC, discussing social, email, and community building for race directors working with real-world budgets. We cannot wait to have her in the room.

10/26/2026

USTRC Speaker Spotlight 🌟 Kathleen

When it comes to protecting public lands, experience matters, and Kathleen Baker brings 20 years of it to the table.

Kathleen is the Executive Director of Runners for Public Lands, where she channels a career in federal, state, and local government (including two decades in Emergency Management and Preparedness) into mobilizing runners to protect the places they love. She is also a runner and the founder and race director of the Mount Laguna Trail Marathon, a grassroots community race in San Diego, California. She understands what is at stake for race directors and runners alike.

We are thrilled to have her lead a Trailside Chat on Runners for Public Lands and introduce the panel - Trails, Access & Advocacy: The Race Director’s Role in Public Lands, at the USTRC.

10/22/2026

USTRC Speaker Spotlight 🌟 aims

Trail running and climate activism aren’t separate pursuits for Aimee Kohler, but rather the driving force behind everything she does.

Aimee is a race director, climate activist, and founder of The Running Kind, one of the only Climate Neutral certified running companies in the United States. She works for Runners for Public Lands, is a member of the Outdoor Alliance Grasstops Cohort 3 training in outdoor recreation policy and advocacy, and recently placed in the top 20 at the 2026 USATF Mountain Running Championships.

She will be moderating the panel Trails, Access & Advocacy: The Race Director’s Role in Public Lands in Nashville at the USTRC, and we could not be more excited to have her lead this conversation.

🔗 Link in bio to learn more and register. Registration closes today, Oct 22!

10/21/2026

USTRC Speaker Spotlight 🌟 Oscar Camejo aka OscarSpearman

There is something powerful about someone who found running later in life and then dedicated themselves to making sure others could find it too.

Oscar Camejo discovered running and trail running in his late 40s after reversing type 2 diabetes, and that experience shapes everything about the work he does today. He is the Chief Trail Running Officer for Trail & Ultra Running Fanatics (TURF), the off-road arm of Black Men Run, and his work focuses on community-driven approaches that foster inclusion, belonging, and long-term participation in off-road spaces.

We are thrilled that Oscar will be leading a Trailside Chat on Trail Community Engagement at the 2026 USTRC.

🔗 Link in bio to learn more and register. Registration closes on Oct 22!

10/14/2026

USTRC Speaker Spotlight 🌟

Running has always been more than a sport for Harold Bennally. Growing up on the Navajo Nation in Northern Arizona, it was part of who he was before he could even articulate why. That connection to land, culture, and movement has shaped everything he has built since.

Harold is a two-time NJCAA All-American, Boston Marathon finisher, and ultramarathoner at distances of 250+ miles. He is also the founder and Race Director of Moccasin Running, a race organization promoting Indigenous cultures through running in the stunning landscape around Antelope Canyon in LeChee, Arizona.

He will be joining the panel for The Future of Public Lands & Trail Running in Nashville, and we cannot wait to hear his voice in this conversation.

Learn more + register 🔗 in bio – registration closes Oct 22.

Nashville

10/08/2026

USTRC Speaker Spotlight 🌟 Todd Janssen

The future of public lands depends on how we show up for them, and Todd Janssen has
been showing up in every detail for over a decade.

As co-founder and Race Director of Go Beyond Racing, Todd directs 35+ trail races a year across Oregon and Washington, each one built around minimizing environmental impact.
Reusable cups, cupless aid stations, composting, reused race bibs, solar and battery
power in place of gas generators. Because the trails we race on are worth protecting, and
that starts with how we run our events.

Todd will be joining the panel for The Future of Public Lands & Trail Running at the 2026
USTRC, a conversation about access, stewardship, and what race directors can do to
protect the lands we all depend on.

Link in bio to learn more and register. Registration closes October 22.

Nashville

10/02/2026

We're pleased to welcome Ashworth Awards as a Supporting Sponsor of the US Trail Running Conference!

For over 60 years, Ashworth Awards has been helping race directors and event organizers create custom finisher medals, trophies, and recognition products that athletes are proud to earn. Based in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, they bring decades of craftsmanship and a real commitment to sustainability - including Made in USA medals crafted from recycled steel.

See all our partners and register at ustrailrunningconference.com.

10/01/2026

Every finish line you’ve ever crossed started with someone saying “what if we put on a race here?” 🏔️

Someone mapped the course. Someone wrangled the volunteers. Someone stood at the aid station at 2am with quesadillas and a headlamp. This sport runs on people who show up for it, and that could be you.
Whether you’re a race director, RD-curious, or just plain love the sport, USTRC is three days built for the people behind the races. Come learn, swap stories, steal ideas, and find your people.
📍 Nov 5-7 | Music City Center, Nashville 🎟️ Registration is open, link in bio 🔗
Whoever you are in this sport, there’s a seat here for you. 🪑

Tag someone who makes the magic happen! 👇

09/25/2026

Speaker Spotlight 🏔️
Tina Muir 💚🌎🏃‍♀️ is joining the USTRC lineup!

Tina is a climate advocate and elite trail runner, a former professional road marathoner who’s now channeling that same drive into sustainability. She’s the founder of Racing for Sustainability, a nonprofit pushing the running industry toward greener practices, partnering with major events like the TCS New York City Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and TCS London Marathon.

She’s a co-author of Becoming a Sustainable Runner, a United Nations collaborator, and globally recognized for turning runners into environmental advocates.

At USTRC, Tina will lead a round table discussion on Sustainability.

See her live Nov 5-7 in Nashville. Sign up at ultrasignup.com 🎟️

09/22/2026

If you’re a longtime race director... or a race-director curious... this is your sign to stop scrolling. 👀

The US Trail Running Conference is happening November 5-7 in Nashville, TN, and it’s built for exactly you.

Three days of panels, presentations, and breakout sessions packed with real talk and real strategy for trail race directors, plus a top-level expo with vendors who actually get what you do.

Here’s what’s included:
🎟️ Access to all panels, sessions, and workshops
🤝 A curated networking app to make real connections
🎒 A swag bag stacked with trail and Nashville gear
🍽️ Lunch every day, plus snacks and drinks all weekend
🥂 An evening mixer with sponsors and exhibitors
👟 Optional group runs (bring your shoes)

And the best part? The people. Connect with race directors who get it, swap stories, and leave with a network that actually shows up for you.

Save room for one more: wrap up your whole weekend with the last Dirt Circus of the year.

Oh, and it’s Nashville. Hot chicken, live music on every corner, and a city that knows how to celebrate a good weekend.

Register now at the link in bio! 🏔️

Address

201 Rep. John Lewis Way S
Nashville, TN
37203

Telephone

+447474648250

Website

https://ustrailrunningconference.com/, https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=132185

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