Over the past few months, the Green Trail Concept project has been presented at events across Europe, sparking important conversations around the future of nature-based sports and sustainable tourism. Designed as a certification system for environmentally responsible trail running events, Green Trail Concept promotes practices that protect natural landscapes while encouraging outdoor recreation.
A key moment in the project’s awareness campaign took place during Arendalsuka, Norway’s largest political festival:
Sports for Nature: Can Competition Inspire Conservation
📅 Tuesday, 12 August | 🕐 13:00–13:50
📍 Arendal, Norway
Watch the live stream recording here .
This panel discussion, organised by Green Trail Concept partners GRID-Arendal and the Kilian Jornet Foundation, explored the growing tension between outdoor sports and nature conservation.
In Norway, national parks and wild spaces are often seen as open arenas for recreation. However, as sports events grow in scale and frequency, so too does their ecological footprint. This includes risks like erosion, habitat disruption, and pollution.
The panel was asked: Can athletes, organisers, and environmental advocates work together to ensure sport respects the very landscapes it celebrates?
Moderated by Karen Martinez-Swatson, Senior Expert at GRID-Arendal, the discussion featured:
- Kilian Jornet, President, Kilian Jornet Foundation (joining online)
- Jenny Marie Gulbrandsen, Manager of Raet National Park, Statsforvalteren Agder
- Fred Arthur Asdal, Organiser, Hove Triathlon
- Preben Falck, Managing Director, Stavanger Turistforening (DNT)
- Mar Fabres, Youth voice and Hove Tri participant
The event was also the first screening of the teaser for the upcoming Green Trail Concept documentary. The teaser aims to build momentum ahead of the documentary premiere later this year at the Torello Mountain Film Festival. This documentary explores how trail running events have changed over the years, showing how certification and collaboration can create a new model for the future of the sport.
Key takeaway
Outdoor sport can be a powerful force for conservation, but only when paired with education, adaptive management, and cross-sector collaboration.
Expanding the Conversation at UTMB
📅 Wednesday, 27 August | 🕐 17:30–19:00
📍 Chamonix, France
Later in the summer, the Green Trail Concept continued its awareness journey at the heart of the trail running world: UTMB Mont-Blanc. In the afternoon, Laura Viñals from the Kilian Jornet Foundation hosted a powerful round table on sustainability in trail running, joined by inspiring voices: Dakota Jones (Normal Athlete), Louisa Moreau from Protect Our Winters France, Fabrice Perrin (UTMB’s Sustainability Director), and Christelle Bakhache from ASTERS.
Together, the panel explored how trail running can grow responsibly, ensuring that the sport we love also safeguards the fragile ecosystems it depends on. The dialogue highlighted the need for clear frameworks, innovative practices, and community-driven solutions to reduce the footprint of large-scale races while keeping the essence of trail running alive.
The premiere of the Green Trail Concept documentary at UTMB added further depth to the conversation, sparking meaningful questions: Is growth about short-term gains Oror can we move towards a regenerative model, rooted in community, sustainability, and respect for nature?
The Green Trail Concept offers a tool to help guide this transition, bridging passion for the sport with responsibility for the planet.
Key takeaway
As trail running continues to expand worldwide, the way we choose to grow will define its legacy.
Green Trail Concept at the International Mountain Conference
📅 Wednesday 17th September 2025 | 🕐 18:00-19:30
📍 International Mountain Conference (IMC)
At the International Mountain Conference in Innsbruck, the Green Trail Concept documentary was presented to an international audience of researchers, athletes, event organizers and local community. The screening was followed by a round table titled “Can Trail Running and the Outdoor Community lead the Environmental Movement?”, which explored how outdoor sports can support sustainability and conservation in mountain regions.
The discussion highlighted the rapid global growth of trail running and its potential to become more than just a sport: a cultural movement that connects communities, promotes inclusivity, and inspires climate action. Participants reflected on the balance between growth and sustainability, the economic and social benefits trail running brings to host regions, and the responsibility of ensuring that events respect the landscapes they depend on.
The round table gathered diverse voices from the trail running ecosystem, including:
- Alexander Pittl, CEO of Laufwerkstatt
- Jakob Spuller, Head of Events at Laufwerkstatt
- Isabell Bichler, local trail running athlete
- Martin Schnitzer, Professor in Sports Economics at Innsbruck University
- Lukas Kocher, athlete & organizer in the trail running sector
- Gerhard Gstetter, destination developer in outdoor sports & lecturer for alpine trend sports at the University of Innsbruck
The Green Trail Concept certification was presented as a concrete tool to help events integrate sustainability into their practices, linking sport with stewardship. By placing sustainability at the heart of trail running’s identity, the project demonstrated how recreation can evolve into a driver of resilience and positive change in mountain areas.
Key takeaways
The round table raised important questions: Should outdoor sports continue to grow, or shift toward regenerative models rooted in quality and values? How can organizers driven by profit also become stakeholders in environmental protection? And can trail running itself evolve into a catalyst for cultural change? What emerged is a strong sense that outdoor sports are not only recreational or economic activities: they should act as cultural drivers of climate action, community resilience, and sustainable mountain livelihoods.
Sport, inclusion and sustainability: Stories that inspire
📅 Friday, 26 September | 🕐 11:00–13:00
📍 Online event
Gael Joly shared his experience with the Österlen Spring Trail and presented the Green Trail Concept certification at the webinar organised by the Greenteam project entitled ‘Sport, inclusion and sustainability: Stories that inspire‘. The Greenteam project develops tools, resources and training to help clubs, federations and local authorities integrate environmental considerations into their sporting activities.
The webinar brought together various representatives from sports federations and associations. During two round-table discussions, participants shared best practices and inspiring experiences that combine sport, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability. The video of the session will soon be available at the Catalan Mountaineering and Climbing Federation’s YouTube channel.
The event was presented by Isabel Pérez from the Union of Sports Federations of Catalonia (UFEC) and moderated by Cristina Ramos and Joan Estalella from Ecoserveis. Participants included:
- Míriam González and Quim Pons, Catalan Mountaineering and Climbing Federation FEEC
- Ronalds Režais, Latvian Sports Federations Council
- Gael Joly, Österlen Spring Trail and Green Trail Concept
- David Pizà, Club Tennis Vic
- Oyvind Moltubakk, The Football Association of Norway.
Key takeaway
Together, we can turn every sport event into a step towards a healthier planet and a more inclusive society. None of the initiatives presented claim to be perfect, what they share is the desire to improve year after year, to learn and to inspire others.
