November 5–7, 2026 · Music City Center · Nashville, TN
Three days that set the year for American trail running.
The people who build this sport — race directors, brands, media, athletes — in one room. Three days of sessions, two morning group runs, and the conversations that only happen in person.
Who’s in the room
Built for race directors. Open to everyone who makes the sport work.
Race directors
The professional core. Independent RDs, series operators and the teams behind the biggest events in the sport.
Brands & retailers
Footwear, nutrition, hydration, timing, insurance — the people race directors actually buy from.
Media & storytellers
Writers, photographers, filmmakers and podcasters covering where the sport goes next.
Runners
Anyone curious about what goes into the races they line up for. You don’t have to direct one to come.
For race directors
You run the events. Come find out what everyone else has figured out.
Three days of people who have already solved the problem you are stuck on — and will tell you exactly how, over coffee, without a sales pitch attached.
Permits & land access
Forest Service, state parks, private land. What actually gets approved, and who to call.
Getting sponsored
What brands are actually buying in 2027, what they pay, and how to ask without undercharging.
Volunteers & staffing
Recruiting, keeping and not burning out the people who make race morning work.
Growing without breaking
From 300 entrants to 3,000 — the operational cliffs, and the ones worth avoiding entirely.
Keynotes
Three conversations worth the trip.
All three days
Sally McRae
Ultrarunner, author & emcee
Anchoring the conference from the stage across all three days — the thread that runs through the panels, the breakouts and the room between them.
Saturday · 1:30 PM
Craig Thornley
Race Director, Western States 100
On leadership, succession and what it actually takes to hand an institution forward intact — the conversation most race directors put off for a decade.
Friday · 10:15 AM
Lazarus Lake
Barkley Marathons · Big’s Backyard
In conversation with Paul Mellor. Forty years of building races nobody was sure could be finished, and what that taught him about the people who keep showing up anyway.
The three days
Sessions by day, trail by morning.
Thursday
Nov 5
Friday
Nov 6
Saturday
Nov 7
Sunday Nov 8 · 8:00 AM · Dirt Circus Nashville, Warner Parks
Nashville
Downtown, and everything within a walk.
Music City Center sits in the middle of downtown Nashville — the hotel block a quarter-mile away, the airport fifteen minutes out, and the rest of the city on foot from the venue door.
- Music City Center — 201 Rep. John Lewis Way S, in the heart of downtown and walkable to most of what you would want to walk to.
- Broadway — restaurants, music and the honky-tonks, a short walk from the venue.
- Hotel block — Tru by Hilton, a quarter-mile walk, held until October 21, 2026 or until it sells out.
Sunday Nov 8 · 8:00 AM · Warner Parks · free, registration required
Dirt Circus comes to Nashville.
UltraSignup’s free community run series closes the week at Vaughn’s Creek. No fee, no pressure, no expo booth — just the people you spent three days with, on dirt. Bring your shoes.
From people who came back
“I am excited to be a part of the U.S. Trail Running Conference again in 2026. It’s a place where we can exchange ideas, talk through challenges, and learn from each other in ways that ultimately improve trail running for all.”
Dale Garland
Race Director, Hardrock 100
“I very much enjoy meeting and talking with other race directors and vendors each year at the US Trail Running Conference. Since Western States is an established race it would be easy to just continue to do what has worked. While I think we have a lot to offer to new races, it also behooves WS to see what other race directors are doing.”
Craig Thornley
Race Director, Western States 100
“The conference is always an amazing place to connect and expand on ideas for our race organizations. I always leave the conference inspired to better my organization for runners in my community and the trails we utilize.”
Aimee Kohler
Founder, The Running Kind
The brands in the room
Presenting partner
Official partners
Exhibitors
