In 2020, Sabrina Pace-Humphreys, together with seven other black and bi-racial founders, set up Black Trail Runners. Their mission is to increase the inclusion, participation and representation of black people in trail running. We caught up with Sabrina to find out more.
Tell us about Black Trail Runners, how did it come about?
Black Trail Runners is a community and campaigning group that seeks to increase the inclusion, participation and representation of black people in trail running.
The community was conceived and launched by a group of Black trail runners and outdoor enthusiasts, me being one of them, that participate in trail running and over the years have become all too aware of the lack of diversity in the sport.
A pivotal moment for all of us individually was the murder of a Black man in the US called Ahmaud Arbery. This young man was out running in his hometown when he was shot and killed by two white men. Why? For no other reason than the fact that he was a black man running. For me, that was a moment, a time to make a stand. A time to think about how best I could make change in a sport and hobby that I feel so passionate about. A sport which I want to see more members of my community experience in an encouraging, safe way.
When you feel so passionate about a cause you become open to others who speak your language and lead by example. This is how I connected with my co-founders and, once we came together, we saw an opportunity to launch a community which, until that date, didn’t exist.
What are the main goals of the organisation?
Our goal is to increase the inclusion, participation and representation of black people in trail running. In order to do this, we believe there are three key areas that must be addressed – Access, Skills and Representation. From day one we have worked to address each of these areas. Some examples of the work that we have done include:
Trail Taster Days – Our first TTD took place in Wendover Woods last year and was possible due to the support of Centurion Running – an event partner who specialise in trail ultramarathon events. We worked with them to source a location, a base camp, to plan run sessions and to host skills sessions etc. To see our community come together in this way, to have access to and work on skills for trail running, was a beautiful thing. Our next TTD is planned for May and will take place in The Malverns.
We want to work on many more face-to-face community events in 2021/22 and – with the support from brands who specialise in outdoor events – we know we can make this happen.
Skills – There is real anxiety about getting lost on trails and we believe that it’s imperative for our community to have a good basic grasp of map reading. We have to date held - supported by INOV8 - two online navigation sessions for our members. The feedback on these has been very positive and we are looking forward to putting skills learnt into practice at a face-to-face event in 2021.
Representation – Last September at Ultra X England 125 & 50K we had, as far as a we are aware, the most Black trail runners represented at a UK race of its kind to date. Why? Because Ultra X are a supporter of our mission and, due to this, we are happy to promote their events to our community. We wanted better representation and we have started – albeit in small numbers – to achieve that.
To stand on the start line, look around and see people who look like you was a moment, and one we want to facilitate time and time again in the future. We have an initiative for 2021 called ’21 in 21’ - a challenge to get 21 Black trail runners to attend a UK event. Due to lockdown, it’s somewhat hampered our work to do this, but we will continue to work to make this a reality and continue to represent at UK events that support our mission as ‘meet up’ events.
What do you see as your biggest challenges in achieving them?
Ignorance and a reticence to listen to the lived experience of Black and brown people is a massive challenge.
As a community we have lost count of the number of times we’ve heard or read that trail running is an inclusive community. This type of reply to our work is right up there for us along with the response of ‘the trails are open to everyone’ or ‘all you need is a pair of trainers’. The truth of those statements is based on repetition rather than evidence and is almost always spoken from a position of white privilege.
Another big challenge for us lies in performative ally-ship. Last year, in the wake of the 2020 BLM protests, many brands, event organisers and media outlets spoke up on social media and pledged to be more inclusive and more representative. They committed to work with groups like ours to make trail running more inclusive, to work to represent us as a people, to work to create more equality and equity. Some brands, many of whom we currently work with – like INOV8 - have done this, but many have not.
What senior decision makers need to realise is that the work of Black Trail Runners is a movement, not a moment. By not engaging with groups like ours these brands are missing a real opportunity to capitalise on a community of runners who could be key stakeholders and – for the youngers and adult rising stars in our community – future elite athletes.
How have you gone about fighting the lack of representation in the sport to date?
Our community continues to represent on the trails all day, every day. Whether that is through the sharing of a video clip of us running, a picture which grasps the joy of a day out in the countryside or an interview on a national news channel. Part of our role is to amplify our mission in every way that we can.
We work with supporters who really want to work to elicit change. As discussed earlier we create events, we take part in seminars and panel discussions, we create content that shows us doing what we love. We are out there walking it and talking it. If our work convinces even one Black person to either try trail running for the first time, or venture to a trail they haven’t run on and feel safe doing so, job done.
What are your plans for the future?
There is so much to look forward to. As our community continues to grow, our reach widens, and our collective voices cannot be ignored. COVID-19 and lockdown has meant that we haven’t been able to have that face-to-face connection that, as a community, is important for us. That will be remedied in the medium and long term.
We are in the process of registering to become a charitable organisation, a UK Athletics Run Club and, this year, various teams of Black Trail Runners will undertake challenges and races such as the Ramsay Round and The Highland Ultra to name but a few.
We are also in conversations with overseas brands and event organisers who see what we are doing, see that our community consists of global members and want to work with us. These are exciting times and we continue to work to ensure the right opportunities are worked upon which ultimately address our mission.
What more would you like to see brands and organisations do to address the lack of representation in the sport?
Take an honest look at themselves. This often starts at the top. Brands and organisations need to ask themselves ‘How many people of colour do we have employed in our business? How do we go about decision making on products and services we market to diverse communities? How are the views of people of colour taken into consideration when making these decisions? Are we ready to make a serious commitment to do this work?’
Accept that this process is probably going to be uncomfortable. But know that it's in asking these questions, and not just asking them but starting to work to act on them, that change can start to happen.
Don’t say you want to be diverse and then ignore groups such as Black Trail Runners and the like. Engage with us. Take that step. But don’t expect us to do the work for you.
Who are the current trail blazers in the community?
In the UK trail running community it’s us. Further afield it’s road, trail and mountain running athletes and activists such as Alison Desir, Jordan Daniel, Joseph Gray, Mirna Valerio, Knox Robinson and Mireille Siné.
All of these names, as well as being inspirational athletes in their own right, constantly work to amplify the needs for more equality, diversity and inclusivity in running. They use their platforms to amplify for marginalised voices. To me that is important – using your platform for social justice – it's not about sponsorship deals, filtered photos and what you’ve had for breakfast.
What would you say to someone from a black or minority group that is looking to get involved in trail running but scared to take those first few steps?
Come and join Black Trail Runners. The community is strong, engaging and super supportive. We will walk or run with you – either virtually or in person – and are here to ensure your experience of trail running is a positive one. We have people from all abilities in our community. There are no egos here. Just black people, and white allies, who are pushing for the same end goal. To increase the participation of black people in trail running.
Where can someone go to find out more about Black Trail Runners?
Visit our website. Join our mailing list to be kept up to date on what we’re up to and how you can get involved. Join our private Facebook community and be inspired, educated, learn new skills and make loads of new trail running friends. And follow us on Instagram and Twitter
