Trail Running Organizations Held in Turkey and Their Stakeholders
Chapter from the book:
Uluç,
E.
A.
&
Uluç,
S.
(eds.)
2023.
Research on Sport Sciences- II.
Synopsis
Trail Running (Ultra Trail) is an outdoor recreation activity that is rapidly increasing in popularity in our country as well as all over the world. The tracks belonging to the trail running, which are formed within the framework of the International Trail Running Association (ITRA) rules, are scored according to their difficulty levels and height differences. The trail runs, which are held in the status of special competitions of the Turkish Athletics Federation in our country, are implemented by private sports organization companies. There are no monetary prizes in the trail runs, which appeal to the participants from all professions who are devoted to trail running. The trail running, which has become an organization that appeals to middle-aged participants rather than active athletes due to its award system, has the characteristics of a recreational activity in which people from all professions participate. Appealing to sports tourism and recreation, held at the end of the season and the beginning of the season in regions that appeal to mass tourism, especially in Antalya (Konyaaltı, Alanya, Kemer), İzmir (Selçuk), Bursa, Nevşehir (Ürgüp), Muğla (Milas) and Sakarya (Sapanca). Trail running, which is an organization that does not have any tourism income, also has the feature of a sports organization held in many destinations that do not have any tourism income. The slogan of “leaving no trace in nature other than footprints” comes to the fore in such organizations where it is aimed for the participants to discover themselves, to overcome their limits and to spend time in touch with nature.