Trail Running Analysis and Studies

Summary:
Low Overall Participation: Women made up only 41.6% of participants in Aotearoa trail races over the past decade, with participation dropping to 36% when excluding four major events (Tarawera Ultra, Shotover Moonlight Marathon, Motatapu, and Taupo Ultra).
Event Characteristics Matter: Races with runnable terrain and distances between 20-30 km saw the highest female participation rates, with 45.7% of runners being women. Steeper and longer races saw participation rates for women decline.
Decline in Ultra-Marathons: Women’s participation drops dramatically in ultra-marathons with gradients steeper than 5%. Only 23.8% of participants in such races were women.
Social Media and Storytelling Impact: Events that effectively use uplifting social media and storytelling to engage runners saw significantly higher female participation rates. The most successful events had nearly 57% women.
Majority of Races Lack Gender Parity: Over 55% of trail races in New Zealand have less than 40% female participation.

Download the full analysis below…