Some of America’s best trail and mountain runners will be at the third annual Estes Trail Ascent – Trail Running Conference on 7-10 October 2015. Taking place at the historic Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado, the conference is held in partnership with the American Trail Running Association (ATRA).
The Conference spans three and a half days, featuring a segment for Trail Race Directors on the afternoon of Wednesday 7 October, and a full day on Thursday 8 October.
Attendees include race directors from across the US, as well as Iceland and South America. Race directors will enjoy interactive speaker panel sessions with a panel of top expert trail race directors, a networking evening, and a varied expo covering providers of services and products that are ‘critical for directing successful and sustainable trail races.’
Friday 9 October and Saturday 10 October are for trail runners, and activities include speaker panels, interactive workshops, fun runs with demo shoes from Pearl Izumi, Altra and Icebug, and demo GPS sports watches from TomTom, and an expo that includes providers of services and products for trail runners.
On Saturday 10 October, there is a separate track for ‘newbie’ or beginner trail runners. Here, presenters will cover sessions specifically for beginner trail runners, dealing with trail running truths, how to start trail running, and advice on techniques, gear, etc.
Registration is open at estestrailascent.com, or visitors can register at the door during the conference. The cost is US$45 for one day, or US$80 for both days.
Media leader Trail Runner Magazine will also have a strong presence at the conference, with three members of the production team in attendance – Trail Runner Magazine is the Official Media Partner for the conference.
Retailers Boulder Running Company and Fleet Feet Sports Boulder will also be represented. Advocacy and sustainability groups IMBA (International Mountain Biking Association) and Leave No Trace will also be participating.
The conference includes a Trail Running Film Festival on Friday 9 October, at the Reel Mountain Theater in Estes Park. Two films are featured, ‘Finding Traction’ presents the inspirational story of ultra runner Nikki Kimball and her quest to become the fastest person in history to run America’s oldest hiking trail, and ‘Mountain of Greatness’ is focused on five international and five local Tanzanian endurance athletes who became the first people to circumnavigate the tallest free standing mountain in the world on foot.
Profits from the film festival will go to ATRA and Estes Valley Parks & Recreation District to help rebuild trails damaged after the 2013 floods.
The Estes Trail Ascent – Trail Run takes place on Pole Hill, Estes Park on Sunday 11 October, starting at 10.00 MT. The race is 5.8 miles in length, and is presented by Estes Park Running Club, who also put on the Estes Park Marathon races and other races in the Estes Park community.
Terry Chiplin, Event Director, and owner of Active at Altitude, said “We are delighted that the third annual conference has attracted both top level trail and ?mountain athletes, trail race directors, and sponsors, and look forward to an exciting event that will help grow the exciting sport of trail running in this country.
“We look forward to the opportunity to attract trail runners of all levels to Estes Park, one of the top athletic destinations in the USA.”
www.estestrailascent.com
www.epmarathon.org
