It’s Still a Participation Sport

Yesterday in 90+ degree weather, mid-week through typical awful rush hour traffic I headed to Seven Hills Running in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle, Washington for UltraSignup’s annual Dirt Circus. I was joined by handful of other race directors, a selection of techs and sales reps from various shoe brands. Over 300 other runners who came – despite the heat – for an evening to mingle, win a few giveaways, and run with their community. It was hot, and it was wonderful.

Back in 2023 UltraSignup announced their new idea with the following words:

Dirt Circus is an UltraSignup event series featuring our local race directors, running stores, and celebrating our running community. This is where runners and race directors meet, kinda like UltraSignup.com, but live and in person. Come along and join the spectacle.

I was skeptical at first – “shouldn’t USU focus on upgrading their platform rather than put on roadshows” was my thinking – and I wasn’t alone. But now after having been at the event these past two years I gotta admit: I am a believer.

Dirt Circus is a simple concept that truly celebrates and showcases the best our sport has to offer: participation.

It’s a welcome reminder of what this thing we’re doing is all about. What folks love most about our sport is the simplicity. You put on a pair of shoes and go on a run. Yes, we love all that elite spectating at big races, brand’s releasing new and exciting products, the media spectacles with the podcasts and livestreams – all these things are fun and fuel our passion. But at the heart of our trail running, is the simple action of heading out the door in search for some dirt.

My days as a trail runner might be filled with high stakes conference calls, countless email negotiations, and an endless digestion of media reports, but for most folks running is a hobby that means being excited about the newest shoe drop – in their futile hope that it finally makes them faster – and the simple joy of just getting some miles in.

This is what Dirt Circus reminded me of. After coming off a few massively important days at TrailCon and Western States, and amidst the high stakes preparation of the Skyrunner World Series returning to the US, this evening at Seven Hills was a nice reprieve – despite the oppressive heat. More of this, please.

Find the next Dirt Circus event near you.