Running
ATRA Founder Nancy Hobbs on Whether Trail Running Belongs in the Olympics
The Buzz›
Jun 2, 202654:42
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Episode Notes
Nancy Hobbs founded the American Trail Running Association in 1996, helped establish USATF's Mountain Ultra Trail Council and chaired it for decades, and has served on the international boards governing trail and mountain running for some thirty years. Buzz and Nancy get into the underbelly of the sport: the governance.
They cover how the USATF Mountain Ultra Trail Council grew from a $750 annual budget to six figures, what a membership fee actually buys you (secondary medical insurance and drug testing, not just a warm fuzzies), why the biggest races, UTMB, Hardrock, Western States, aren't the official championships and what that imbalance does to the sport, the women reshaping who shows up on the start line, and the question Buzz keeps poking at: does trail running belong in the Olympics, and would it survive the trip? Also: a throwdown, a postcard, and a hard-won case for permission to walk.
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"ATRA Founder Nancy Hobbs on Whether Trail Running Belongs in the Olympics" is an episode of The Buzz. Runtime 54 min. Published June 2, 2026. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.
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Quick FAQ
- When was this episode published?
- June 2, 2026.
- How long is this episode?
- 54 min.
- What podcast is this from?
- The Buzz. Browse the full back catalog on the show page.
- What does this episode cover?
- The Buzz covers running. This episode runs on the show's regular cadence.
