Spring 2017 Trail Running Survey Results

Several times a year the American Trail Running Association (ATRA) conducts surveys to understand trends within our sport, demographic profiles of its participants and their preferences.

Complete survey results are made available to corporate members at the Switchback, Steep & Rocky and All-terrain levels. The following selected outtakes are from our most recent trail running survey conducted in May/June realized nearly 800 respondents.

Survey participant profile:

58% male; 42% female
29% ages 20-39; 58% ages 40-59
38% have been running more than 10 years
47% run 3-5 days per week
44% run 6-20 miles per week; 5% run more than 50 miles per week
59% mix it up, some days preferring gnarly, some days gentle trail
49% list single-track as their favorite type of trail; 45% list a mix of single track/wider paths/meadows
83% prefer a mix of ascending and descending
63% will run 1-5 trail races this year
9% will run more than 10 races this year
43% prefer racing 50K or longer
9% prefer racing 10K or shorter

Activity trackers:

50% record their trail runs with a Garmin
17% don’t use a watch, or tracking device

Running shoe and hydration preferences:

81% wear trail-specific shoes when training on the trails
82% wear trail-specific shoes when racing on the trails
In choosing a shoe, comfort and fit rank highest, followed by traction and breathability
68% wear a hydration vest when training or racing
8.5% only hydrate before or after a run
In choosing hydration, comfort and fit rank highest, followed by pockets and storage.

Running shoe brand preferences of survey respondents: