Titouan Bessire Filmmaker. Eljay Briss. Luis Escobar. Gary Hughs. Kyle LaFerriere. Getty Images.

IN THE YEARS following the Covid-19 pandemic, road running experienced a boom in participation and cultural cachet. We’re still in the midst of this, with race registrations breaking records and the zeitgeist firmly focused on the latest, greatest marathon shoes and the records that continue to fall in major races. But running isn’t only for the road. Trail running has also become much more popular over the past half decade—and appears to be growing at an even more rapid pace compared to other forms of exercise.

Stats bear this out. Trail running participation has increased 8 percent over the last five years, according to a Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) report, while running more generally has grown just .4 percent. Strava saw twice the number of trail runs logged in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2022.…