The All American Trail Running Association, AATRA, was formed in mid-1996 as a Colorado
not for profit corporation to serve the trail and mountain running community. Our mission
is to represent and promote trail and mountain running. We offer individual, club, race
and corporate memberships. One of our primary benefits is our quarterly newsletter, Trail
Times. Our newsletter includes a national events calendar, thoughtful articles, and
timely information about our sport.
Although most runners consider trail runs to be strictly an off-road and primarily a
mountain experience, our definition of trail runs is fairly broad based to include not
only mountain single-track trails but to encompass the oft paved pathways in rural and
urban areas. We wrestle with the idea that a trail must deny motor vehicle access for
consideration by our association since many out of the way places in the mountains have
jeep or four-wheel drive access.
For instance, the Imogene Pass Trail Race held each September is run almost completely on
a jeep road with a start and finish on paved roads which flank the pass from Ouray to
Telluride, Colorado. However, all who run certainly share the "trail
experience." Perhaps then, a trail run can be best defined through the experience one
realizes during the activity. After a race such as Imogene, participant comments range
from discussing the breath taking scenery which includes the awe-inspiring vistas from the
summit located at more than 12,000 feet, to the gnarly terrain and unpredictable weather.
Trail runs in rural or urban areas can be equally gratifying for the participant as he or
she moves away from the highways and traverses areas that are usually near rivers (like
the American River Trail in Sacramento), waterways (like the waterfront area in Chicago),
parks (Central Park in New York closed to vehicular traffic on weekends and sporting a
little trail jaunt off-road around a reservoir), or lakes (consider the numerous pathways
around the lake system in the Twin Cities).
With federal grants, many communities are building new trails in their cities or adding to
existing trail systems. One no longer has to drive great distances to achieve the trail
runners' experience previously offered only in the mountains and out-of-the-way places.
Communities are working to make existing trail systems more accessible, and better
maintained to include signs and trail markers. Many urban trails offer an alternative for
the highway commuter who would rather ride a bike to work or even run a few miles to the
office. We are encouraged to see communities offering and supporting trails that can be
enjoyed by varied user groups and we hope to secure positive alliance with the varied user
groups through the All American Trail Running Association.
We hope that you will join us in our efforts to reach our goals:
· To insure that organized trail runs are conducted in a fun, safe and enjoyable manner.
· To provide a forum whereby the business of the sport can be discussed and organized.
· To create and nurture alliances with other associations.
· To be sensitive to the environment.
· To be the clearinghouse for the sport.
· To educate and provide publications and information about our sport to the rest of the
running and outdoor community, to the media and to non running entities that have similar
goals and objectives.
· To develop recreational participation in the sport.
· To provide opportunities for families to enjoy our sport as a group through events and
clinics.
· To develop a trail-running circuit in the U. S. and a competitive athlete program.