Off The Couch

Trail running’s evolution from recreational to professional sport has not been without its own share of setbacks, and as often is the case, athletes are the ones most immediately affected by them. Facing the lack of a collective voice to confront these challenges, Nike Athlete Francesco Puppi co-founded the Pro Trail Runners Association (PTRA) in 2022 to enable an international body of elite trail runners to share concerns about the sport’s present and future. So, Matt Mitchell sat down with Francesco to learn more about the association’s specific areas of focus, including anti-doping, athlete rights, and environmental protection; why forming a union was necessary at this point in trail running’s level of professionalization; what the US can learn from Europe when it comes to further developing the sport; and much more. TOPICS & TIMESHow Euros develop as runners (4:50)Where Francesco gets his passion for running (7:19)Top training resources (11:52)His background in physics (13:14)2022 recap (14:18)Trail r