Building the Event Trail Running Has Been Missing

Trail running is growing faster than anyone predicted. New brands are entering the space, race fields are selling out, course records are falling, and the sport is attracting capital, media attention, and mainstream audiences it has never seen before. But growth without infrastructure creates problems. Who is having the hard conversations? Where does the industry get together to figure out where it's going? That is the problem Dylan Bowman and Doug Emslie set out to solve with TrailCon. Now heading into its second full edition in Palisades, California, the event has become the closest thing trail running has to an annual gathering of everyone who makes the sport what it is, from elite athletes and race directors to emerging brand founders, media people, and the runners who show up every weekend just because they love it. Dylan and Doug join Long Run Labs to talk about why TrailCon exists, what it takes to build something durable in a sport that is still figuring itself out, and why face-to-face community has never mattered more. Jon, Dylan, and Doug chat about: • the origin story of how Dylan, Doug, and Brendan Madigan came together to build it • what separates events that last from events that fizzle out • the Trail Running Hall of Fame and why honoring the past matters as the sport professionalizes • the emerging brand zone and why entrepreneurial energy in the sport deserves a platform • how On became the title sponsor before TrailCon was even a real event • the tension between free admission and building a sustainable business model • protecting public lands and the partnership with Runners for Public Land • what intentional serendipity actually looks like and why it drives real business outcomes • the Second Nature meetup and turning a digital community into a physical one Stay connected: TrailCon website: https://trailconference.com Second Nature Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Doug on LinkedIn:   / douglas-emslie-2540405   Dylan on LinkedIn:   / dylan-bowman-06174380   Dyland on Instagram:   / dylanbo   This episode is supported by: Popfly: If you're a brand trying to reach outdoor, travel, and adventure audiences, Popfly is where to do it. It connects you with the largest communities of adventure creators and handles the entire process from start to finish. Creators click here: https://popf.ly/longrunlabscreators. Brands click here: https://popf.ly/longrunlabsbrands