An Idea that MATRs > > >
How to maintain single track in the months and years after its construction is a significant question and challenge faced by many. The management of trails is often led by a single primary user group, such as hikers on the Great Divide Trail or mountain bikers of Vancouver’s North Shore. Typically, it is the user group that initiated the trail itself that continues maintaining it for public use.
In this article, I’d like to share what I believe to be a model of trail stewardship that may be without compare. This is about a community of trail users that, despite not having built the trails they use, has made a commitment to preserving those trails. The organization and work this piece is meant to highlight are still in their early years, but if their current momentum continues, they are pioneering something truly special that deserves to be shared to inspire others.
The Manitoba Association of Trail Runners (MATR) formed in 2020 around the idea that trail runners needed formal representation in Manitoba. They also wanted to build a framework around which they could encourage trail runners to help maintain trails across the province. The organization is a member-driven entity with a volunteer board to manage operations. They host various trail running events across the province and work with external race organizers. They also plan and host trail workdays on many of the trail networks they run on across the province. What makes this truly unique, though, is what members earn by attending running events and showing up to volunteer.
The Ultimate Trails of Manitoba is a unique points system conceived by MATR and all organization members participate in it. MATR members are awarded points for running or volunteering at races, and they earn points for participating in organized trail maintenance days. This all culminates in an end-of-year film and awards night where various members of the organization are awarded for their achievements within MATR and the points they have accumulated.
The organization has obviously had fun coming up with various ways for members to earn points, such as the “Longest time, biggest heart” category, which awards bonus points for the final finisher in each race, or the “First off the fence” category, which rewards extra points to the first five registrants for any event.
What drew my attention, though, were the following two categories:
Finishing each event in the series. The more races you participate in, the more points you rack up. (20 points per event)
Worker bee. Participate in organized trail maintenance days to earn Worker Bee points. (20 points per maintenance day)
No other individual point categories allow members to earn more points. With this style of point allotment, MATR is saying that finishing a race is of equal merit to showing up to volunteer at a trail day. Let that sink in for a moment. One is not more important than another. Without a properly maintained trail, one can’t succeed at a race. Therefore, these two are equal.
This creates a framework where simply showing up to run will not be enough to see your point total reach the upper level standings. Volunteering at events and organized trail maintenance days is virtually required for those who wish to receive the accolades of their peers at the end of the season.
I was privileged enough to recently attend MATR’s 2023 film and awards night and as a passionate advocate for trails, my favourite part of the night was when the positions of 3rd and 2nd place were announced. It turned out that both trail runners in 3rd and 2nd place had tied with a total of 251 points (as you can see below). The mechanism used to break that tie was to review which runner had accumulated the most “Worker Bee” trail maintenance points.
The tiebreaker decision could have simply gone to the runner who accumulated the most race points, but that was not the decision the organization chose to make. In choosing to use the “Worker Bee” point category as the tiebreaker, they once again used their platform in Manitoba’s trail running community to underline the critical importance of trail maintenance.
Trail maintenance was also reinforced through awarding the Guardian of the Trails award, an Urban Trails Canada-sponsored prize that recognized a MATR member who had accumulated the most combined points in event volunteering and trail maintenance.
Not only does MATR supply labor (people), they have also built up an inventory of trail maintenance equipment so that when they show up in a location to help out, they don’t require supplied tools. They also reach out to various trail organizations and provincial parks, looking for information about upcoming trail days so that they might organize sending additional volunteers. During the winter months, they also organize group snowshoe stomps to aid in trail grooming.
In 2023, the total KM of trail covered by all MATR volunteers during their maintenance days and winter stomps was 740 KM, for a total of 308 volunteer hours.
“It’s not just about being fast; it’s about showing up for the community.”
Miriam Betzner Christensen, MATR Board member
MATR was born to incentivize trail runners to become active participants in the broader trail community, with one of their founding principles being to provide opportunities for runners to help maintain trails. It is evident in MATR’s leadership that they are consciously putting in the work to build a culture of trail runners who understand it is everyone’s responsibility to look after the trail. Instead of simply promoting the idea of trail stewardship to their members, they have woven the very essence of it into the framework and culture of their organization. (Note also the carefully worded tag line in their logo.)
Not only can other trail running groups take inspiration from this model, but mountain bike organizations too might consider this as a way to engage their race participants in better preserving the trails they compete on. Hosting an annual awards event where a unique combination of race event, social events, and event and trail volunteering all add up together sounds like a model where everyone wins—especially the trail. And after all, isn’t that why we’re all here?
Congratulations to all at the Manitoba Association of Trail Runners for leading with this remarkable example of what it means to truly put life into the words: trail steward. Let’s hope the story of your success spreads to countless other pieces of single track around the world.
If this already exists in your community, please get in touch or leave a comment below. I’d love to know if others are already doing this, or if this truly does stand out as something unique in the trails world.
Thanks for reading and keep advocating. I’m with you.
🏞️ — Dave Ternier