Global Running Day

Today is Global Running Day. It’s a day to celebrate the pleasures and benefits of running in all its variety. Our social feeds are full of happier than usual photos of running community friends, sharing their enthusiasm for the sport they love. Saturday is International Trails Day, and no doubt we’ll see lots of awesome photos in our feeds of woodland trails, coastal paths and mountain views.

Of course, we know that Global Running Day and International Trails Day, like countless other “Days”, are marketing gimmicks, designed to give running brands a reason to “connect” with us, to give us a reason to enter more running events and buy more running gear. Needless to say, there are less meaningful “Days” (International Astrology Day? National Ballpoint Pen Day? International Fanny Pack Day? Peanut Butter Lovers Day... actually that actually sounds quite good!), but as with any meaningful event of this kind, confining our appreciation to a single day, week or month seems somehow trivialising, if not offensive. We wouldn’t need a Black History Month if black history was taken seriously all year round. Similarly, the physical and mental benefits of running apply 365 days a year. The trails are beautiful and therapeutic every day. There’s never a day when trail running will not be good for you.

One of the reasons Black Trail Runners exists is that we want to see the physical and mental benefits of trail running equally available to, and partaken of, by black people. And not just on one day, but every day. We want every day to be Black Trail Runner Day. You don’t have to run every day, but you can support us every day, and celebrate with us every day!