ATRA Announces 2021 Theme: Resilience

February 4, 2021

Responding to challenges and reflecting on self care

Feb. 4, 2021. – The American Trail Running Association (ATRA), announces “Resilience” as our theme for 2021. This important topic follows our recent annual themes including last year’s Climate Action, 2019’s Trail Running Responsibly, 2018’s Trail Stewardship: Leaving a Lasting Legacy, and the 2017 theme, Community: Building Trail Running Connections.

At ATRA, our mission is to represent and promote trail running, mountain running, and ultra trail running. This covers not just racing but trail running as a way of life — a healthy, outdoor activity for all age groups and ability levels. As part of our mission we also encourage trail maintenance, access to public lands, respect for all trail users, embracing the diverse community that makes up our sport, and sustainable land use.

Our theme of Resilience responds to the current state of our nation and the challenges many of us have experienced not only in sport, but in our daily lives since the onset of the pandemic over a year ago. While we are not yet “out of the woods,” there is hope that this global crisis will be mitigated over the coming year and hopefully eradicated in the near future.

Says Adam Chase, ATRA president, “Resilience captures the solid ground of being safe and trusting science so we can be cautiously optimistic and rational as we weave outdoor adventures into 2021.”

Some of the ways ATRA will weave this theme into content and programming in the coming year includes: sharing articles that showcase the safe, creative and innovative ways race directors are staging events in 2021; creating partnerships with other organizations to achieve positive outcomes for under-represented groups in our sport; responding to challenges and change with positive messaging; profiling and featuring athletes, events, and clubs with a focus on how they are dealing with the new realities we are all facing.

Nancy Hobbs, ATRA’s executive director said, “Through ATRA’s various programs, platforms and resources, we will provide ideas and tools for our constituents to create, achieve, partner, face fears, learn, share, prepare for challenges, and collaborate.”

In addition to formulating our theme, it has been a busy few months for ATRA. As we enter 2021, we celebrate our 25th anniversary and recently shared our new brand identity which launched in January on our website and across our social platforms. This signifies a “new beginning” in some respects with a crisp and sharp appearance, but even amid growth and change, we remain true to our roots and founding that will take us well into the next 25 years. We invite you to join us on our journey.