This article featuring USATF’s role in mountain ultra trail (MUT) running was co-written by Andy Wacker and Emily Schmitz. Wacker is ATRA’s social media manager, a pro trail runner, founder of The Trail Team and a 17-time member of Team USA. Schmitz is a pro trail runner, coach and a 2-time member of Team USA. Both are recently elected MUT event leaders in USATF’s Athletes’ Commission (AC).
USATF’s role in MUT running
USA Track & Field (USATF) is the national governing body (NGB) for track and field, race walking, and long-distance running which includes mountain, ultra and trail (MUT) running, and cross country. The USATF MUT council became part of the USATF long distance running division in 1998. USATF is recognized by the International Olympic Committee, and World Athletics as the organization that administers national championships in the U.S. and oversees the selection process for athletes who qualify to represent the USA in international competitions.
USATF’s role in MUT includes sanctioning mountain, ultra and trail national championships, governance, providing officials for events, ratifying records, selecting and partially funding Team USA athletes competing in international competition, and helping to grow and develop the sport.
Championships
As USA’s NGB, USATF is the only entity that can officially conduct national championships for the sport. Each year, local organizing committees (LOCs) bid for their race(s) to become national championships. These bids are reviewed and awarded by USATF’s MUT executive committee. A variety of championship distances are awarded under the MUT umbrella from 10km to 100 miles as well as 24 hours. Vertical mountain and classic mountain races have also hosted championships. Single year bids are entertained as well as multiple year bids. Some championship events also host Team USA selection races.
Awards are presented to open, masters, and U20 athletes (*there are age minimums for some of the longer distance events) as well as open and masters teams. In 2024, there were eleven national championships. Championship events in 2024 distributed a total of $48,500 in prize money, as well as medals for the top ten overall runners and the top three finishers in U20 and five-year age groups starting at age 40. In order to compete in the national championship division, runners must be active members of USATF, and eligible to represent USA in international competition.
USATF associations, of which there are 56, may also stage a MUT association championships. Any race director can apply for their event to become a USATF-sanctioned event, which offers benefits to the race director and competitors.
Rule making
USATF makes rules that apply for all USATF sanctioned events and championships. The rules mirror those set forth by World Athletics.
Ratification of records
USATF ratifies eligible U20, open and masters records in road and ultra events. In 2024, the MUT executive committee ratified more than 40 record-setting performances on the roads and track at the ultra distance. To understand the process for record eligibility, visit this link.
Officials, technical delegates, and jury of appeals
For USATF championship events, USATF provides a technical delegate (formerly known as a liaison), and appoints a 3-member jury of appeals on site for the event to review any protests by athletes at the championships related to rules infractions, The jury of appeals is typically comprised of a member of the LOC, a USATF official, and the technical delegate.
Team selection and funding
USATF selects teams for international events to include the Olympic Games, Pan American Games, and regional competitions. USATF provides Nike uniforms via a 26-year sponsorship in place through 2040, as well as funding for travel and lodging. Some USATF teams receive full funding, but at present USATF MUT teams receive partial funding. MUT teams participate in international competitions at the U18, U20, and senior level.
USATF supports youth MUT runners, under the age of twenty, through the U20 event (athletes aged 16 to 19 in the year of competition) at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (WMRTC), and the International U18 Mountain Running Cup (athletes aged 16 and 17 in the year of competition). USATF sent the first team for MUT U20 athletes in 2002. In 2025, USATF will select eight athletes for the U20 Mountain Running Championships to be held in September in Canfranc, Spain.
The 18th annual International U18 Mountain Running Cup will be held in Slovakia in June 2025 and eight athletes will be selected to represent Team USA.
In the senior category, USATF selects teams for the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (WMTRC), the North American, Central American & Caribbean Mountain Running Championships (NACAC), World 100km Championship, World 24 Hour Championships, and the World 50km Championships. The USATF MUT executive committee creates the selection procedures to qualify for Team USA, which vary by team.
A goal of USATF’s MUT Council is to secure full funding for Team USA athletes.
USATF masters athletes, aged 35 and older, can compete at the World Masters Mountain Running Championships (partnership between World Masters Athletics (WMA) and the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) and international ultra distance events under the IAU and WMA umbrella. USATF provides a Nike uniform (shorts, singlet, and sweat top/bottom) for USATF masters athletes competing in these championships. Currently, there is no USATF funding for masters MUT international events. Athletes must be current members of USATF and eligible to represent the USA in international competition.
Proven leadership
USATF MUT is committed to the growth and development of trail running, mountain running, and ultra running. USATF has set an example for gender equality in race distance, prize purse parity and WADA-compliant drug testing.
Prior to 2016, race distances at the Mountain Running World Championships were 12km for men and 8km for women. Aiming to improve gender equality, and uplift women in sport, USATF established gender-equal distances of 10km for the 2016 US Mountain Running Championships. This made it conducive for the world to adopt in 2017 the equal 10km format at the Mountain Running World Championships. Interestingly, the World Cross Country Championships also changed to the gender-equal format of 10km in 2017.
USATF MUT has been a proponent of Clean Sport, implementing USADA testing at select USATF championships. Currently, USATF funds 18 tests throughout the year at MUT national championships.
A goal of USATF’s MUT Council is to lobby for more comprehensive drug testing both in and out of competition.
On the world stage, prize purse parity is a recent inclusion. Even just a decade ago, women were not offered the same prize purse as men. USATF MUT requires its championship events to have equal prize money for men and women.
ATRA’s role
The American Trail Running Association (ATRA), founded in 1996, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is a USATF 5-D member organization. ATRA provides support and promotion through independent media coverage, event liability insurance program, educational resources (coaches, camps, and podcasts), a searchable online calendar of more than 11,000 events in the MUT space, and serves as the fundraising arm for US Teams. ATRA’s media presence includes photos, videos and news stories on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Additionally, ATRA publishes a quarterly newsletter and a monthly e-newsletter.
Since 1996, ATRA has raised and distributed more than $150,000 for Team USA athletes.
USATF: Actionable steps to join the MUT movement
1) Support Team USA with a 100% tax deductible donation to ATRA – earmark MUT.
2) Join USATF. Membership is $30-$150 per calendar year and allows participation at all USATF Championships, eligibility for international team selection, as well as annual USATF Runner of the Year awards (selection is based on all trail races, not just USATF races, but only USATF members are eligible).
3) Compete in a USATF event.
4) Sanction your event. Calling on race directors to sanction your event(s), and consider joining USATF as a “club.”
5) Become a certified USATF official.
6) Grow USATF MUT’s reach. Contact the MUT Executive Committee Leadership team. These volunteers are always looking for help to grow the sport.
7) Get involved with your local USATF association. There are 56 associations throughout the US. You can look up yours by zip code here and start growing MUT in your area.
Interested in learning more about National Championships and opportunities to race for Team USA? ATRA has a section completely dedicated to USATF opportunities that can be found here.
