Women in Trail Running - Aotearoa 2015-24
This report delves into the participation of women in trail running events across New Zealand over the past decade. Drawing on data from over 60,000 race results across 22 events, the analysis highlights key trends, challenges, and progress in gender representation.
The findings explore the differences in participation rates across various distances and terrains, shedding light on where women are best represented and identifying areas for improvement.
Some of the key findings:
- Women made up only 41.6% of participants in Aotearoa trail races over the past decade, with participation dropping to 36% when excluding four major events (Tarawera Ultra, Shotover Moonlight Marathon, Motatapu, and Taupo Ultra).
- Races with runnable terrain and distances between 20-30 km saw the highest female participation rates, with 45.7% of runners being women. Steeper and longer races saw participation rates for women decline.
- Women’s participation drops dramatically in ultra-marathons with gradients steeper than 5%. Only 23.8% of participants in such races were women.
- Events that effectively use uplifting social media and storytelling to engage runners saw significantly higher female participation rates. The most successful events had nearly 57% women.
- Over 55% of trail races in New Zealand have less than 40% female participation.
