Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 118, May 2019 | Page 33

TRAIL RUNNING
Tread Gently
There is no denying the growing pressure on our natural
environment, and thus it is more important than ever for trail
runners to look carefully at and minimise the environmental
impact they have on their surrounds. – BY KIM STEPHENS
S
ince 1970, global wildlife populations have declined by 58 percent,
according to the 2016 Living Planet assessment by the World Wildlife
Fund and the Zoological Society of London. Pollution, climate change
and human activity such as habitat destruction have contributed to this, with the
biggest impact on animals in rivers, lakes, and wetlands. One in five of the planet’s
plant species faces a threat of extinction, according to the State of the World’s
Plants report, released in 2016. The biggest threat to plants is habitat destruction
for farming at 31 percent, followed by deforestation at 21 percent, building and
infrastructure construction at 13 percent, and climate change at 4 percent,
according to the report.
One of the bleakest stories of 2018 was the report of a six-ton sperm whale
washing up on the shores of southern Spain with 64 pounds of plastic in its
stomach, a grotesque sign of the alarming rate at which our reliance on single-
use plastic is affecting the planet. The plastic crisis is a truly global one, and the
numbers are staggering: A 2015 study found that between 4.8 and 12.7 million
metric tons of plastic makes it into the oceans from land each year. By 2050, there
will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight.
If these figures do not compel you to take a careful audit of your own life, and
measure your personal environmental impact, then you are living with blinkers
firmly in place. In South Africa, we are blessed with an abundance of outdoor
environments where we can enjoy relatively untainted
biodiversity and an abundance of plant and animal life.
But these outdoor spaces require our urgent and
educated care and protection if we are
to continue to enjoy the privilege
of experiencing their
beauty as trail
runners.
Do These Nine Things
So how can the trail running community tread more gently? Kyle Smith, a marine
ecologist and part of the research division of SANParks, is also a passionate trail
runner, and he gave us these nine essential tips for more ecological running.
1 Stick to the paths: This is an obvious one and yet I am amazed at the number of
people I see moving off trail to “get a better view.” Similarly, don’t take short cuts,
in particular on steep descents, because these will quickly become erosion spots.
Also, people are like sheep... once one person has done it, others will follow, and
before you know it you will have a spider work of side trails.
2 Jump the puddles: Go over or through puddles when possible, rather than going
around them. Going around leads to a widening of the trail. This basically applies to
most obstacles, and when possible, rather go over them than around.
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