Field Journal

Photography by James Carnegie

A trail running relay from London to Paris marks 100 years since running off-road was an Olympic sport – and a rallying call to bring it back.

From 11th – 14th April 2024, British trail runners ran 455km from London to Paris, campaigning for trail running to be reintroduced as an Olympic sport. They ran off-road, in relay, navigating from city to city until they arrived into Paris on Sunday evening.

Runners are calling on Olympic decision-makers to include trail running at future Olympic Games, starting with Brisbane 2032, the soonest that new sports could be introduced to the programme. The campaign was instigated by outdoor footwear company, Merrell, who encouraged athletes from running clubs across the UK to unite under the banner of Trail to Paris.

Speaking from Paris after completing the challenge, Jimi Harrison, a member of the Keep On Keeping On running club, said: ‘We ran from London to Paris ahead of the Games to raise awareness that trail running continues to be overlooked as an Olympic sport. At Paris 2024, four new sports are being added that include breakdancing, surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing.’

‘We feel that new Olympic sports should reflect the trends and popularity of the current day and believe the time has come for trail running to be adopted at future Olympics,” he continued. “The last four days have been tough, but the experience has reflected the spirit of the sport – a test of endurance, a sense of community and connecting to your natural environment.’

It will be 100 years this summer since running off-road was part of the Olympics.
The last event of the cross-country running discipline took place at the Paris 1924 Games and ended in disaster. Thirty-eight people started. But a difficult course, extreme heat, and noxious fumes emitted from a nearby power plant decimated the field. Only 15 runners crossed the finish line. After the event the Red Cross and local police spent hours searching for runners who had passed out on the course.

Jan Humphrey is the granddaughter of Ernie Harper, Great Britain’s only finisher from that day in 1924. She supports the campaign and believes that we owe it to the competitors of the ill-fated race to reintroduce running off-road.

‘Ernie was a real trailblazer in every sense of the word – he was a natural runner and competitor – a true Olympian… Despite missing out on the medals and the testing running conditions, he was incredibly proud to be part of the Olympic movement. He went on to compete in two further Olympics, winning a marathon silver medal in Berlin in 1936. I’ve no doubt he’d be actively backing the campaign to bring trail running to the Olympics.’

Trail running is arguably having a moment. It’s become one of the world’s fastest growing sports, according to the International Track and Field Federation, with millions of people around the world participating in races, events, and recreational runs. Trail runners are making the news too. British trail runner Jasmin Paris became the first woman to complete the infamous Barkley Marathons just a few weeks ago, and Russ Cook completed his 10,000 mile run across the length of Africa.

As part of the campaign, Merrell has penned an open letter to representatives of the International Olympic Committee, International Trail Running Association, and Brisbane 2032.

Simon Sweeney, marketing manager at Merrell said, ‘As trail running fans, we wanted to use our platform to help mobilise the international trail running community around a common cause… One that we firmly believe has been overlooked for too long – we’re calling on Olympic organisers to end the century of hurt and give trail running its rightful place within the Olympic schedule.’