Assorted Comments From Trail Dignitaries on Today’s UTMB Statement

Dylan Bowman commenting on Kilian’s post on Instagram:

Thanks for the leadership, Kilian!

Still no clear statement from Dylan Bowman on the developments of the last few months.

Ethan Newberry on Twitter/X:

This literally says nothing. PR shit wrapped up in glossy PR glitter with a headline that’ll appease the masses. WTAF

Ethan’s been on a tear about this for months.

Kaci Lickteig on Twitter/X:

They expect people to read the headline, not read the content, and have everyone believing they made amends with the ultra-trail community. It’s a ploy…

“It’s a ploy”… get your tinfoil hats folks.

Andy Jones-Wilkins on Twitter/X:

So there was a meeting with the guys who wrote the email and the Sith Lords and now we’re all good?

Someone wasn’t invited to the meeting.

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Look, we all get to use our social media platforms to comment and we’re entitled to our opinions. All is good. But! If trail running is supposed to be special, If there’s a precious culture that’s worth defending, or standing up for, and if said culture is supposedly been guided by well-known and accomplished trail runners/media personalities in our sport and not giant corporations, than what is on display here feels sort of not that special at all. In fact it feels small and petty. The ‘us vs. them’ mentality is tiresome and lazy. Not everything needs to be compared to going to war. And a community is not better off by rallying against an imaginary enemy.

And before you call me a shill for Big Trail I’ll add this: If we in our community cannot call each other out and hold each other to higher standards, we most certainly can’t expect ‘them’ to hold themselves to these standards.

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Francesco Puppi closing his statement on his personal Instagram:

As always, as I would like to see way more in our society, dialogue is often the solution. Simply sitting down at a table and listening what the others have to say, understand their position, show empathy.

Now that is real leadership.