US Trail Running Conference DEI Webinar sets high benchmark

Estes Park, CO– The second webinar in a nine-webinar series introduced by the US Trail Running Conference was hosted on Thursday, February 25. The session subject was Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), and focused on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Mirna Valerio, a certified DEI trainer and former educator, was the lead presenter for the session. The webinar also included comments from respected Race Director and photographer, Luis Escobar, who has been a leader in the industry for more than 30 years.

 The webinar was co-sponsored by Salomon and the Running Industry Diversity Coalition. Salomon covered the registration fees for any Race Directors that registered and this provided a strategic and effective move to help promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training within the sport.

“We were thrilled with the turnout for the DEI webinar and the attention paid to Mirna,” said Erin Cooper, Salomon Run Marketing Manager. “What this taught me is that the trail community is here to show up and lean in, learn, and most importantly, do the work to create the welcoming sport we all want this to be – inclusive of runners of all age, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and socioeconomic status . We look forward to many more opportunities to bring together the leaders of the sport as we continue to learn and progress forward.”

Active at Altitude, organizers of the US Trail Running Conference and the webinar series, reported that participation for this webinar outpaced expectations. More than 200 participants registered, with a live attendance of more than 120 participants. A recording of the webinar is available for anyone that missed the live session. Race Directors, organizers, coaches and interested parties from 35 states, as well as Canada, Scotland, Macedonia, Portugal and Romania were represented among the attendees. Race Directors attending represented 630,000 runners.

Valerio’s passionate delivery was engaging as she covered numerous topics to include a review of white spaces, recreation habits and culture, and commonly used terms. She provided a framework for change that included learning and acknowledgement, assessment and examination, creating and executing a plan, followed by reflection, feedback and reassessment. The ultimate takeaway goal: Make our trails accessible and equitable spaces for all.

Each webinar is presented by industry leaders in their respective fields, and offers information that can boost a race director’s knowledge and afford insight into innovative practices to implement at their events. Every participant receives a checklist resource document after each webinar that details key actionable items, while there will be an opportunity to follow up on deliverables through an online forum, and in-person or remotely at the 2021 US Trail Running Conference to be held October 27-30, in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The third webinar in the series is scheduled for March 25, at 11.00 am MST, and is focused on Growing Your Trail Running Community. Panelists for this session include Steve Schneider, partner at Rogue Trails, Michele Hartwig, owner Ornery Mule Racing, Ian Golden, owner Red Newt Racing & Finger Lakes Running Company, and Scott Gall, Race Director and owner of the Runners Flat. Race directors, event organizers and anyone interested in attending can register for the session as a stand-alone, or for the complete series at a discounted rate. The recordings of the first two webinar sessions will also be available for anyone that registers for the complete series.   

More info:

For details on the webinar series and to register, go to https://ustrailrunningconference.com/webinar-series/.

Contact Event Director, Terry Chiplin for further information, terry@ustrailrunningconference.com, or 303-304-9159

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