When we talk about inclusion in running, getting more people to the start line is often treated as the goal. It is an important goal, but for para athletes, I believe it is only the beginning.

I was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa in 2011 and am now legally blind. My vision has progressively deteriorated since my diagnosis, particularly over the past five years. Low light, changes in grade, branches, rocks and even uneven footpaths can be difficult for me to navigate. I’ve learned to adapt by positioning myself carefully when running in groups and I’m fortunate to have mates who will run ahead and call out obstacles. There are also things I no longer do, including running technical trails or running at night.

At the same time, running has become more important to me as my vision has changed. I lost my driver’s license when I was diagnosed, so running became a form of transport and a way to retain some independence. It’s also my outlet. It clears my head, gets me outdoors and gives me a sense of freedom that I don’t take for granted. I’ll keep doing it for as long as I can.

That experience has shaped the way I think about inclusion in our sport, particularly as trail running continues to grow and professionalize. We’re seeing bigger events, stronger fields, more prize money, greater brand investment and more attention on the sport generally. That’s exciting, but as trail running builds its next chapter, we should also be asking whether that progress is extending to everyone. For para athletes, simply having a place on the start line isn’t enough.

Access and recognition are not the same thing

A start-line spot creates access. Prize money creates recognition. I think there is an important distinction between the two.

If para athletes are training and competing at an elite level, their performances should be treated as meaningful competition rather than simply participation. Creating an opportunity to enter a race matters, but so does creating a pathway to compete seriously within it. That means thinking about competitive categories, results, podiums, media coverage, sponsorship and, where possible, prize money.

This year, Mammoth Trailfest, Born to Adapt and Fractel took a step in that direction by establishing what is believed to be the first dedicated para-athlete prize purse in trail running, totaling $6200. Fractel is Mammoth Trailfest’s official headwear partner and we were proud to contribute financially to the purse as well as support the para program with product and prizes.

One prize purse isn’t going to change trail running overnight and I don’t think anyone involved would suggest it will. But you have to start somewhere. It demonstrates what is possible and gives other races and brands something tangible to build from. If it encourages another event to create a competitive para category or another brand to put resources behind one, that’s a pretty meaningful outcome.

Trail presents challenges. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t start.

There are legitimate complexities involved in making trail events accessible to athletes with different disabilities. Unlike a track or road course, every trail is different. Technical terrain, elevation, narrow sections, low light, remote locations and aid-station access can all present different considerations depending on an athlete’s disability.

I experience a small part of that myself. Most people who see me at a race would probably have no idea that I’m legally blind, but I’m navigating that environment differently. Changes in grade, rocks or branches that another runner may register almost automatically can require much more attention for me. I’ve adapted around that, but I’ve also had to accept that there are certain environments where running just isn’t worth the risk anymore.

Acknowledging those challenges is important, but they shouldn’t become a reason to avoid the larger conversation about inclusion. Nor should we assume every athlete or disability requires the same accommodation. The better approach is to speak directly with para athletes and organizations already doing this work and find practical solutions based on their experiences.

That’s one of the things I respect about Zach Friedley and what he has built through Born to Adapt. Zach and I connected a few years ago and immediately found common ground through our respective disabilities and our relationship with running. Since then, I’ve watched him build events, community and awareness while continuing to push the conversation around para sport forward. People like Zach understand these challenges because they’re living them. Race organizers and brands don’t need to have every answer themselves, but we do need to listen to the people who have the experience and support the work that’s already happening.

Growth creates an opportunity to design inclusion in

I do think trail running has a blind spot when it comes to para athletes – no pun intended – although I don’t think it’s necessarily intentional. Disability itself isn’t always obvious and vision impairment is a good example. There are many forms and degrees of it, and someone can appear to navigate the world relatively normally while dealing with challenges most people around them never see.

Lack of awareness can still create exclusion, even when that exclusion isn’t deliberate. The encouraging part is that trail running has an opportunity to address this now. As the sport grows, we can build para inclusion into that growth rather than trying to retrofit it later.

Larger races are particularly well positioned to lead. If major events can demonstrate that para categories work and share what they’ve learned along the way, it becomes easier for other organizers to build on those examples. Not every race will have the same course, resources or ability to accommodate every athlete in the same way, but that shouldn’t prevent the sport from making progress.

Brands have a role here, too. Not every event has the resources to fund a new program or prize purse independently. Brands can help fund those initiatives, sponsor para athletes, contribute product and use their own platforms to give para competition greater visibility. It doesn’t need to begin with a perfect global solution, and it doesn’t require one organization to do everything. It needs people who are willing to start, learn and improve.

Visibility needs to evolve, too

The running media also has an important role to play, but the way these stories are told matters. Too often, disability stories are framed primarily around inspiration or overcoming adversity. Those stories can be powerful, but para athletes are athletes first. Their performances, competition, training, personalities and ambitions deserve the same depth of storytelling we give other athletes in the sport.

I’d like to see more of that coverage become part of the normal conversation around trail running. Cover the races and results. Profile para athletes beyond their disabilities. Talk about their performances and the competition itself. The more consistently that happens, the less para inclusion feels like a separate conversation from the rest of the sport.

Elite athletes are an important part of that visibility as well. Zach is a great example because he isn’t simply participating in trail running. He’s a professional, sponsored athlete competing at a high level while simultaneously working to create more opportunities for other para athletes through Born to Adapt.

For young and emerging para athletes, seeing others compete at the highest levels can help show what’s possible. It also matters for the rest of the industry. When brands, race directors, media and fans see elite para athletes competing seriously, it challenges the idea that para participation somehow sits outside the competitive side of trail running. We need greater participation, but we also need genuine pathways for the best para athletes to become professionals and be recognized as such.

The next step is to make this unremarkable

At Fractel, our philosophy has always centered around “Why We Run.” My own answer has changed over time. Running is independence, transport, freedom and connection. It’s a way to clear my head and spend time outdoors and with mates. Losing my licence and gradually losing my vision changed my relationship with running, but in a lot of ways it also made me appreciate what running gives me even more.

Everyone has their own answer to that question, and everyone arrives at running with a different set of circumstances. That’s why I’d like to see more opportunities for people not only to participate in this sport, but to compete and be properly recognized within it.

I’m proud that Fractel could play a small part in what happened at Mammoth this year. But hopefully, the idea of a para prize purse being a “first” doesn’t stay remarkable for very long. The bigger measure of progress will be when another event does it, then another, and eventually para categories, competitive recognition and prize money become a normal part of major trail races.

That won’t happen overnight. There will be logistical challenges along the way, and there will be things the industry gets wrong and needs to improve. That’s part of the process, and it shouldn’t stop us from starting.

Trail running is in an exciting period of growth. We have an opportunity now to make sure para athletes are part of that next stage - not just by welcoming them onto the start line, but by giving them the opportunity to compete, be recognized and see how far they can take the sport.

To me, that’s what real inclusion looks like.