Trail Runners Don’t Have a Race Problem. They Have an Identity Problem.

Trail runners are addicted to races, not to running to races.

We make everything about races. We listen to podcasts, read books, and follow elite athletes in the hope of feeling seen. In the hope of feeling the achievement of finishing a race. A UTMB race.

I went through a stage where I was constantly racing. It was addictive. I realised I wasn’t really racing for the challenge, I was racing to be seen, to be validated.

After years of therapy and self-reflection, I understood that I don’t need races to feel that way. I can go to the trails any weekend and do long runs for three days in a row, with a friend or solo.

Recently, Ultra Trail Snowdonia (UTS) announced they changed the route for the 100km race, and people went crazy, like outrage everywhere on social media.

Of course, it’s absurd. They sold you one thing, and eight weeks before the race they changed it because they want to “preserve nature.” The new route has less elevation: 4,633 meters instead of last year’s 6,494 meters. The cut-off time also changed to 30 hours instead of 32.

What they did isn’t fair. But I’m not surprised.

I ran the race two years ago and was deeply disappointed. They ran out of water. The organisation was chaotic and back then I told myself I would never run it again.

The pattern was obvious: this company is profit-first, not athlete-first. After changing the route this year, they realised they could sell even more bibs, so they added a new 80km race.

But the real problem isn’t the race, it’s us, trail runners, consumers. Racing has quietly become a status game.

Stones for UTMB.

Medals on the wall.

Finisher photos on Instagram.

The real problem is our behaviour and our addiction to races. Our identities become tied to racing.

We justify it logically because we say it’s a challenge, it’s social, it’s a way to explore nature…

But trail running is not about racing. Trail running is much more than a finisher T-shirt or a medal.

Yesterday I spoke with a client I coached last year. He said something many runners can relate to:

“I can’t just stop running for a week.”

I suggested he take a break because he had minor shin splints and needed to recover before we worked together again.

This is not a running problem man, this is an identity problem.

Races give us opportunities to challenge ourselves. They allow us to travel, explore, and take a break from routine and they can be great.

But if our identity becomes tied to racing and the idea of not racing creates anxiety then we have a problem, Houston.

We need to reset, we need to pause and reflect on what racing is doing to our nervous system.

If not racing creates anxiety or disappointment, then we need to have an honest conversation with ourselves.

Trail running should bring joy. No race organisation should have the power to create that much disappointment in our lives.

If you raced UTS before and still signed up again, you already knew what you were buying. There shouldn’t be a surprise.

You can’t complain if you repeat the same pattern.

If you see a toxic woman and ignore the red flags, whose fault is it? At some point we have to stop blaming others and look in the mirror.

If a company mistreats you and focuses more on taking photos for marketing than inspiring runners at the start line, their priorities are obvious.

I understand why UTMB in Chamonix looks exciting. I’ve raced there and it’s incredible.

But chasing stones just to experience it isn’t the way forward.

There are countless races across Europe worth exploring. Or maybe, just maybe, the better option is to stop racing for a while and detach from it entirely.

Maybe it’s time to work on identity instead or maybe it’s time to assess your fitness honestly.

Maybe the priority isn’t another race. Maybe it’s becoming leaner. Maybe it’s longevity. Maybe it’s mobility.

It all depends, I always say that fitness and running has a lot of nuances.

Trail running existed long before race bibs.

And it will exist long after them.

Maybe the most radical thing a trail runner can do today…is stop racing for a while.