WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY PATAGONIA
With every stride we take along trails, roads or tracks, we inhale the air. For runners, being able to explore the outdoors, fill our lungs and oxygenate our blood is essential if we want to keep putting one foot in front of the other. But air pollution is causing huge social, environmental, health and economic impacts throughout the world. The World Health Organisation says that air pollution is the largest environmental threat to human health. But now, runners around the globe are supporting an initiative to raise awareness of clean air projects. Hannah Bailey finds out more.
As I sit here in the Scottish Highlands, I know the air that surrounds me is considerably cleaner than in the big UK cities, in particular London. But I also know that air pollution is affecting some smaller mountainous towns. In Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, and the Chamonix Valley in France, Patagonia has been supporting an initiative called Running Up For Air (RUFA), which aims to raise awareness of the global impact of dirty air.
RUFA was started by ultra runner Jared Campbell in his hometown of Park City, Utah. It is designed to highlight the importance of supporting clean air projects as runners, to raise awareness of air pollution in our communities and to fundraise for campaigning groups. (The Clean Air Fund, a philanthropic foundation tackling air pollution, notes that clean air projects are hugely underfunded and overlooked.) But RUFA also gives us a way to participate in the way we love most: by running.
Jared experienced his wake-up call while ascending and descending the Park City trails back in 2012. He noticed that he was repeatedly climbing out of a band of air pollution and then plunging back into it. He could actually see and feel the change in the air.
Jared decided to run up and down Salt Lake City’s Grandeur Peak for 24 hours to raise money for local air quality advocacy work. In 2013, he invited a few friends to join in, including fellow ultra runner and Patagonia ambassador Clare Gallagher. “RUFA is one of those rare events where I get to do my favourite thing in the world [trail running] while also taking part in a collective action towards a better future with cleaner air,” Clare explains. “As fun as trail races are, RUFA transcends race culture and permeates everyday life.”
A decade later, in 2023, 670 runners ran 5.2 million vertical feet over six RUFA events in the USA, with an additional 58,000 runners joining remotely from around Europe. Running Up For Air is now a worldwide movement with dozens of events, hundreds of runners and tens of thousands of dollars raised for clean air projects. RUFA is more accessible than ever – Patagonia has partnered with Strava to invite runners on any trail with at least 100m elevation to join in any time between 1st and 9th June and upload their time and a donation to charity.
In the face of declining air quality, members of the trail community are rising up: more people are participating in RUFA events and valuable funds are being raised for clean air projects and foundations worldwide. Since 2012, RUFA has raised almost half a million dollars for clean air projects. “The money raised by RUFA supports people and organisations pushing for smart clean air policies locally and nationally,” says Clare Gallagher. “And when these policies pass, everyone wins!”
And we need those wins. Right now, the facts are grim. Globally, 8.43 million premature deaths annually are attributed to air pollution (source: Clean Air Fund). Socioeconomic factors, environmental injustice and systemic inequalities mean that minority communities are disproportionately affected by air pollution.
MAKING A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER
In the UK, ultra runner Martin Johnston (known as MJ) has been part of RUFA and a Patagonia ambassador since 2021. He advocates for inclusivity in trail running and is driving change in the scene. “When you have that experience of running out in the countryside or the mountains, in the clean air versus cities, pollution becomes very apparent,” MJ explains. “I think more could be done within the trail running community – there should be a willingness to bring about change for the better.”
This year, RUFA in Europe will be fundraising for several charities, including the Ella Roberta Foundation. Nine-year-old Ella Roberta Kissi-Debrah died in 2013 from severe asthma, linked to air pollution from the traffic around her London home. The charity was founded by Ella’s mother Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who campaigns for the recognition of air pollution as a killer. Rosamund’s unwavering determination to seek justice for her daughter’s death transformed into a powerful force for change, driving the foundation’s mission to raise awareness, influence policy and implement solutions to combat air pollution.
Lou, a spokesperson for the foundation, says: “Rosamund is one of the most prominent advocates for clean air worldwide, a powerful voice in the air pollution debate. Her determination to highlight the human cost of air pollution has led to her addressing audiences all over the world; from her TED Talk to conversations with other eminent environmentalists and health advocates, such as Christiana Figueres, Dr Maria Neira and Arnold Schwarzenegger.” Through Rosamund’s advocacy, the foundation has made significant strides in raising awareness of the health impacts of air pollution.
The foundation has identified many parts of the UK that breach current WHO air quality guidelines. As Lou explains: “Governments need to start by adopting the WHO guidelines and reducing air pollution to meet those air quality targets.
The ‘system’ also needs to change by prioritising public transport, making it safer, more reliable and more affordable for people to use.”
Meanwhile, MJ – who lives close to Ella Roberta’s home in London – believes the trail running community needs more information and awareness on the issue to “make this invisible problem visible.”
The battle against air pollution is far from over, and charities such as the Ella Roberta Foundation need the help of everyone. The trail running community can be a powerful voice. People can help by lobbying decision-makers or writing to politicians. On a personal level, we can choose public transport – or even run more, if that is a viable means of getting to places. Educating ourselves and supporting clean air projects will have a huge impact on all our futures.
As runners, our special connection to the air we breathe during our pursuits empowers us to promote environmental stewardship and drive meaningful change beyond our runs. “I’m hopeful for a future where we don’t have to worry about things like particulate matter and ground-level ozone,” says Clare Gallagher. And over at the Ella Roberta Foundation, they are also hopeful. They say that public awareness has improved over the past few years and health professionals are speaking out. “The louder we are,” says Lou, “the more hope we have that governments will listen and make the changes required to clean up the air we breathe.”
We can all get involved by joining Running Up For Air in June 2024, racking up vert and raising money for organisations working to improve air quality.
The time to act is now.
Take part: eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/rufa