ATRA Announces Virtual 25 Year Celebration

August 13, 2020

Registration opens August 25

Colorado Springs, CO—– The American Trail Running Association (ATRA) will celebrate its 25^th anniversary in 2021, and to honor this milestone, a three-tiered virtual event is planned. Runners around the globe can register and participate in a fun, virtual run challenge complete with leaderboards and weekly trail teasers to keep the audience engaged.  Registration will open August 25, for the ATRA Challenge 25, with the challenge kick-off September 1.

FitRankings will host the event and provide real-time leaderboards that will track mileage run per individual as well as by regions to encourage a “team” component during the challenge. A dedicated Facebook group – ATRA Challenge 25 – will be available for participants to interact sharing their videos, photos and stories to coincide with the first installment of the virtual challenge which runs until the end of the year. The second challenge is slated for first quarter 2021, and will have a winter theme, the third challenge is planned for second quarter 2021 with a spring theme.

One goal of the challenge is to raise funds for the many programs ATRA currently offers and as such, several registration levels will be offered. Single challenge pricing is $25, while the three-pack challenge is priced at $65. Both these levels are tax deductible. T-shirts or medals will be available for an additional fee. A custom ATRA-branded Mudroom Backpack is included with the highest level of registration at $125.

Adam W. Chase, ATRA president, said of the challenge, “To fill the void of the lack of trail races ATRA has looked to safe, remote ways to embrace our off-road running community. We are excited to partner with FitRankings to explore challenges that gamify our passion of getting out in nature and pushing ourselves physically. The bonus of fundraising for an organization that represents trail runners’ interests should only add extra motivation to join these challenges.”

Patrick Hitchins, CEO FitRankings, added, “FitRankings has been running trails, developing software, and bringing to life unique virtual fitness experiences for communities since 2015. This partnership is a natural fit for our company, and will allow our team which is made up of many trail runners to dig deep into their passion to create an experience that is authentic for ATRA and the trail running community.”

Follow ATRA Challenge 25 with timely articles and photos at trailrunner.com and on social media referring to #ATRAChallenge25. Participants in the challenge should follow their state and/or local health guidelines. Participants of all abilities are invited to join the challenge, but must be at least 16 years of age. Running, walking, and hiking can all be tracked in the challenge.

About FitRankings

FitRankings is connecting the world through fitness. Based in Austin, Texas, FitRankings is a leader in digital fitness challenges and virtual racing. FitRankings technology features a universal platform that connects to the latest apps and wearables. FitRankings provides organizations enterprise software tools, security, and support to create authentic and engaging digital fitness experiences for their communities. Learn more HERE.

About ATRA

ATRA is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 corporation based in Colorado. Founded in 1996, ATRA’s mission is to promote trail running, mountain running, ultrarunning on trails, and to provide resources for race directors and participants in our sport. Learn more about ATRA and the Event Standards Program HERE. To become an ATRA member click HERE.

ATRA will again partner with Active at Altitude for the eighth annual US Trail Running Conference slated to be held October 21-24, 2020 in Fayetteville, AR, with a hybrid option for those who want to join virtually. Additionally, ATRA is the fund raising arm for the U.S. Mountain Running Team.

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