[Editor’s Note: This article was written by guest columnist Clare Gunton.]
Trail runners who care about public lands access and advocacy in the United States — that should be all of us — rejoice! In a big leap of progress, the trail running nonprofit Runners for Public Lands has joined Outdoor Alliance, becoming the coalition’s 10th member and providing trail runners with a stronger voice within U.S. public lands advocacy.
Runners for Public Lands offers trail runners a way to become direct advocates of wild spaces. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Outdoor Alliance is a nonprofit coalition of organizations representing climbers, paddlers, hikers, mountain bikers, backcountry skiers, surfers, and now runners, working together to advance conservation and recreation access on public lands. Outdoor Alliance’s origins stretch back to the early 2000s, when recreation leaders from different sports disciplines first recognized the power of uniting around a common message of outdoor advocacy.
Runners for Public Lands was established in 2019 with the mission of empowering runners to learn about and advocate for the landscapes through which they run.
Runners for Public Lands has brought thousands of advocacy messages to U.S. politicians in Washington, D.C. Photo courtesy of Runners for Public Lands.
In announcing the partnership on July 20, 2026, Runners for Public Lands said runners have lacked a consistent, formal voice in national public lands advocacy despite relying on public lands for training, racing, and everyday recreation. The organization said joining Outdoor Alliance will strengthen its ability to advocate for issues affecting runners, including trail access, conservation, and race permitting, while also helping mobilize the running community around these issues.
Kat Baker, Executive Director of Runners for Public Lands, stated, “Our community understands that the health and accessibility of the places we run are not guaranteed. They require care, investment, and advocacy. Joining Outdoor Alliance dramatically levels up our ability to protect the trails and public lands that make running possible.”
The partnership comes at a time when decisions about public land management and access are increasingly shaping the future of trail running, influencing everything from where runners train and race to how they access the landscapes they depend on.
Runners for Public Lands works to raise public lands advocacy among trail runners. Photo courtesy of Runners for Public Lands.
Adam Cramer, CEO of Outdoor Alliance, welcomed Runners for Public Lands to the coalition, saying, “Runners experience public lands in a uniquely direct way. They build deep connections to trails, forests, deserts, mountains, and local parks through daily use and stewardship.” Cramer said Runners for Public Lands’ leadership would strengthen Outdoor Alliance’s collective voice and help ensure that the people who love these places have a role in shaping their future.
Want to support the work of Runners for Public Lands? You can make a donation and join its action network.
Runners for Public Lands action work includes trail work, like this project in Flagstaff, Arizona. Photo courtesy of Runners for Public Lands.
