Arc’teryx Equipment, the Canadian technical high-performance apparel and equipment company based in the Canadian West Coast Mountains, has launched Groundwork, a new city-to-trail running initiative.
Running from June 10th to August 8th, 2026, Groundwork is an eight-week guided running program from pavement to trail, built around community, progression, and confidence to venture out.
The inaugural city-to-trail running concept is designed to introduce metropolitan runners to nearby trails through structured training and local leadership programming. The eight-week progressive training series will launch simultaneously across four major North American hubs: New York City, NY, Los Angeles, CA, Portland, OR, and Montréal, Canada.
Registration opens on June 3, 2026, for 600 participants in total, with a limit of 150 runners per city. The program entry fee is US$115. To represent the brand’s ongoing investment in trail footwear, all registered participants will be equipped with the Norvan LD 4 long-distance running shoe.
The program aims to empower city-based athletes with technical skills, trail safety knowledge, and terrain confidence required to transition from city pavement to mountain singletrack. Across all four cities, participants will follow a multi-phase training protocol spanning baseline foundation, strength development, and peak endurance. This will be delivered digitally via TrainingPeaks and supported by weekly educational coaching directives.
Each city features a Strava Club for participants to share routes and track progress, alongside optional weekly community runs hosted by City Run Leads and local partners. Each regional program is custom-tailored to its local surrounding wilderness:
- Los Angeles, CA: Led by Hilary Yang, with participants taking on the technical tracks of the Angeles National Forest. Weekly community runs will be hosted in partnership with Tommy’s Gift Shop as a local clubhouse.
- Portland, OR: Led by Mack Robertson, guiding participants toward the trails of the Tillamook State Forest, with weekly runs hosted out of the brand’s 23rd Street community hub.
- Montréal: Led by Nik Golymbiowsky, preparing participants for the terrain of Mont-Tremblant in collaboration with local community partners Espace and RECESS.
- New York City, NY: Led by Ashley Macha, with participants exploring city trails while building toward the terrain of the Shawangunk Mountains in partnership with Mohonk Preserve, Snow Peak Brooklyn and A-Frame Cafe.
Molly O’Connor, Groundwork Campaign Manager at Arc’teryx, said “Groundwork is built on the belief that we shouldn’t just inspire runners; we must educate them to move responsibly in the mountains. As trail running experiences an unprecedented cultural explosion, city-based communities are searching for nearby wild spaces but often lack the confidence to navigate technical backcountry safely. Groundwork changes that by providing an accessible, highly structured blueprint that safely scales an athlete’s physical capability and terrain awareness.”
The foundational framework of the program was built by Brenton Reagan, Lead Guide and Director of Marketing for Exum Mountain Guides. The curriculum features weekly community run meetups kicking off this month and culminating on August 8, 2026, with a trail finale event called ‘The Summit’. This will feature a full day of guided trail exploration, stewardship, and celebration.
Arc’teryx distributes its products through over 160 branded stores and more than 2,400 retail locations international.
events.arcteryx.com/groundwork
