It’s a question that splits the trail community down the middle.

Olympic inclusion brings funding, legitimacy, and a global stage. It also brings governing bodies, selection politics, standardization, and the kind of institutional pressure that can fundamentally reshape a sport’s culture and identity.

Trail running is growing faster than ever — and with that momentum comes the opportunity to build the sport the right way. As other sports have learned, embracing anti-doping standards early is a sign of maturity and strength.

The topic of doping — long whispered about, rarely addressed head-on like in other sports — demands a seat at the table.

David Callahan, CEO of UltraSignup, brings race participation insights from hundreds of thousands of event entries, revealing who is showing up, where they are coming from, and where they are not. Jenny Karn from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) provides the macro view, placing trail running within broader participation trends and demographic shifts across outdoor sports. Steve Holmberg of Insight Accelerator adds consumer and marketplace insight, helping explain the why behind what in the data.

Together, they will tackle the questions the industry is asking. Is growth sustainable? Who is entering the sport and who is not? Where are the real opportunities, and what is hype? And what pressure points could slow momentum?

Together, Katie and Rich represent the full spectrum of what draws people to this sport — from the podium to the profound.

Before the sport had a professional class, before GPS watches and carbon-plated shoes, before trail running was a global industry — Matt Carpenter was setting records that still stand today. Training at altitude in Manitou Springs, competing across disciplines and distances that most runners wouldn’t dare combine, Carpenter operated in a category largely of his own making.