How long have we been practicing trail running?

The Braemar Gathering, the father of modern trail running?

We talked about it in this article , the practice of trail running probably goes back as far as there have been trails and men to walk them.

However, trail running as it is practiced today, particularly in competition, remains a relatively recent practice.

When it comes to setting a date for the first trail running race, some people cite the date of 1832, in reference to the first edition of the Braemar Gathering, a traditional Scottish event organized each year in the town of Braemar in Aberdeenshire. , in Scotland.

The event features a variety of games and activities in the Highlands, including caber toss, hammer toss and... a hill race! Organized by King Malcom in 1832, this event was to serve to designate the king's messenger.

Saint-Lyon, 1951

In France, the oldest trail runner seems to be SaintéLyon. Initially designed by cyclists keen to exercise despite the arrival of frost and snow, it was in 1951 that the first timed edition saw the light of day. If the first editions were done by walking and over two days, the race quickly evolved towards its current format, part of which is carried out off-road.

The Western States, 1977

It is also believed that the first organized ultra trail race in the modern sense was probably the Western States Endurance Run, first organized in 1974 in the United States.

Initially a 100-mile horse race, in 1977 it became a man vs. horse challenge after one of its participants had to complete a large part of the race on foot after his horse was injured.