Western States vs UTMB | Former ITRA President Weighs In

Last week I argued that Western States protects trail running through constraint while UTMB protects it through growth. A few days later, Bob Crowley, former President of the International Trail Running Association (ITRA) and longtime leader within Trail Animals Running Club, sent a full Op-ed response.

In this episode, I read Bob's response in full, stop throughout to react, and explore a question that sits beneath the entire Western States vs. UTMB debate:

Can trail running culture actually scale?

Topics include:
• Western States and preservation
• UTMB and expansion
• The culture pipeline
• Local races and volunteerism
• Private equity, growth, and stewardship
• What happens when a sport becomes successful

📬 Analog Newsletter: analog.borderlands.cc
🎮 Play our free trail running games: play.borderlands.cc

Bob'e Op-ed - borderlands.cc/essays/the-trail-was-always-the-teacher

Presented by Kiprun bit.ly/kiprun_yt
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Borderlands explores trail running through culture, media, and the forces shaping it.

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