ATRA Founder Nancy Hobbs on Whether Trail Running Belongs in the Olympics
About this episode
Nancy Hobbs discusses the governance of trail running and the potential for it to be included in the Olympics.
Nancy Hobbs founded the American Trail Running Association in 1996, helped establish USATF's Mountain Ultra Trail Council and chaired it for decades, and has served on the international boards governing trail and mountain running for some thirty years. Buzz and Nancy get into the underbelly of the sport: the governance. They cover how the USATF Mountain Ultra Trail Council grew from a $750 annual budget to six figures, what a membership fee actually buys you (secondary medical insurance and drug testing, not just a warm fuzzies), why the biggest races, UTMB, Hardrock, Western States, aren't the official championships and what that imbalance does to the sport, the women reshaping who shows up on the start line, and the question Buzz keeps poking at: does trail running belong in the Olympics, and would it survive the trip? Also: a throwdown, a postcard, and a hard-won case for permission to walk. The Buzz is brought to you by Wahoo treadmills, and VKTRY insoles. The Buzz is part of the UltraSignup Podcast Network.
Sponsors
Wahoo, VKTRY insoles
More episodes of The Buzz
- Dean Karnazes on Greece, the First Ultramarathon, and Running Strong at 63
- Mountain Photographer Dan Patitucci on the Best Trail Running in the Alps, Nepal, and the Eastern Sierra
- Hunter Leininger: From 7-Year-Old Adventure Racer to Pro FKT Athlete
- Adventure Racing Legend Danelle Ballengee on a 60-Foot Fall, Two Freezing Nights, and the Dog That Saved Her Life
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Buzz podcast page.