UTMB’s Version of ‘Leave No Trace’

For the upcoming Finals in Chamonix UTMB announced a new campaign that can be summarized to the US crowd succinctly with their version of “Leave no Trace”:

Runners, supporters, spectators: everyone has a part to play. The places we love, we protect. The people who bring them to life, we respect. A responsibility we all share. Here are the actions that come with it.

This is actually, un-sarcastically, a really good thing. UTMB draws thousands of folks from other parts of the world to its trails and mountains. It’s paramount to “teach the ways of the locals” as it comes to respecting the environment and the neighbors. And I’m not saying this because “foreigners are savages” or whatever xenophobic crap one might think, but when away from home, especially with a huge goal in mind, surrounded by likeminded folks one can sometimes forget themselves. It’s easier to leave the proverbial dropped litter if it falls not in your own backyard.

A couple of weeks ago with international runners lining up at ‘Beast’ I stressed the importance of staying on the trails, especially in the high alpine region. This is something that’s (mostly) pretty well understood over here among trail runners, but there are regions in the world where there are fewer defined trails on rocky terrain and folks are allowed to just sort of cut across. I wasn’t going to get in trouble with the National Forest Service over this and possibly lose my permit for the coming years. So, I very much understand where UTMB is coming from with these announcements.

Volunteers, residents and staff bring this event to life. They deserve the same kindness we give the runners.

Reminding everyone that in the end, while a lot might be on the line, we’re humans, we’re people, we’re brothers and sisters, and that is what matters. What a perfect message for UTMB to have their Finals imbue out into the rest of the world.