A brief history of trail running

A certain idea of freedom

While joggers invade big cities in shorts and sneakers, some escape with long strides in the opposite direction: towards trails, mud, summits, and a certain idea of freedom. A magazine embodies this movement: Spiridon, launched in 1972 by Noël Tamini and Yves Jeannotat. The first international French-language running magazine, and the first to talk about "mountain running" – the term "trail" did not yet exist, the militant magazine named in honor of the marathon shepherd addressed everyone, "without distinction of sex, age or race," at a time when women were not yet allowed to run more than 800 meters in competition (and no more than 100 meters until 1960): they might risk losing their uterus, you understand. It was a second revolution. By Solene Roge