Equality in trail running was the central theme of a talk by The North Face Transgrancanaria together with Aroa Sío, professional athlete and member of the Pro Trail Runners Association (PTRA), where she is part of the Women’s Equality working group. The session provided an opportunity to analyse the progress made in the sport and the challenges that remain in building a more inclusive environment.
This shared commitment has recently been recognised with the PTRA Women’s Equality Gold Recognition, positioning Transgrancanaria as one of the leading international races in promoting equality in trail running.
A global effort for equality
During the talk, Aroa Sío explained the role of the PTRA as an association of professional trail runners working across key areas such as anti-doping, sustainability, and equality. In this latter field, she highlighted the importance of implementing concrete measures to guarantee equal rights and conditions for men and women.
“Physical differences are often confused with equality of rights. If men and women compete over the same distance, they should have the same conditions and prize money,” said Sío, who also noted that this is still not the case in some races.
Concrete actions that make a difference
Beyond major initiatives, Sío emphasised simple yet impactful actions that significantly improve the experience of women in competition. These include the availability of female hygiene products at aid stations, appropriate spaces for breastfeeding, and policies allowing race entry deferrals in case of pregnancy.
“These are measures that do not represent a significant cost for organisers, but can make a real difference for many athletes,” she explained.
In this context, visibility also plays a key role. According to Sío, increasing the presence of women in communication and media coverage directly contributes to greater female participation in the sport.
Transgrancanaria, a benchmark
The collaboration between the PTRA and Transgrancanaria was described by Sío as “very natural,” highlighting that the race already met all the criteria established by the working group.
“It has been a very enriching exchange. They have even contributed ideas we had not considered, such as the Punto Violeta, a key initiative to ensure safe spaces within the event,” she stated.
Transgrancanaria has implemented measures such as equal prize money, increased female visibility, adjusted cut-off times, and the inclusion of hygiene products during the race, alongside pioneering initiatives such as safe spaces.
These efforts have led the event to achieve the highest recognition from the PTRA, the Gold label, which also considers factors such as female participation rates.
A path in progress
Despite the progress made, the PTRA stresses that the journey towards full equality is ongoing. “We are beginning to see the first results of our work, but there is still much to be done. We would like to move faster, but change is already underway,” concluded Sío.
The meeting reinforces Transgrancanaria’s role as an active agent in the transformation of trail running, contributing to a more equal, accessible, and inclusive sport for all.
