give your project the light it deserves.
THE award categories Trail Running Awards
Why enter the Trail Running Awards?
🌟 Visibility
Each candidate benefits from a visibility campaign on the Mile & Stone newsletter, official website and social networks: direct exposure at the heart of the trail ecosystem, even if you're not the final winner.
👀Recognition
Present your initiative to a jury of trail personalities: athletes, brands, media, equipment suppliers and organizers. A professional, recognized look at your work and your innovations.
🤝Experience
Each dossier includes 2 invitations to the Awards evening (value €200 excl. VAT), to celebrate, network and create lasting connections during a unique evening in Annecy.
🚀 Impact
Winners benefit from lasting recognition, enhanced media visibility and official visuals to affirm their credibility with partners, customers and the media.
📣Communication campaignof the year
This category highlights the creativity and effectiveness of communication and partnership activation campaigns that have made their mark on the trail running world.
It rewards initiatives capable of capturing attention, creating emotion and generating measurable public and community impact.
The originality of the concept, the relevance of the message, the strength of the activation and the results obtained: these are all criteria that recognize the work of brands, agencies and partners who have succeeded in pushing back the boundaries to engage their audience in an innovative and lasting way.
The 2025 Winner
The SPK agency was recognized for successfully implementing a highly original and creative activation campaign during the UTMB Mont-Blanc. The project "La Laverie by runpack" project was recognized for its ability to stand out in a saturated competitive landscape.
👟Product of the year
This category honors the most outstanding trail running equipment launched in 2025.
It is awarded to products that offer real added value to users, by setting new standards in terms of performance, comfort, safety and durability.
Technical excellence, innovation, influence on practice and inspiration for the community: all dimensions that underline the essential role of brands in the evolution of trail running.
The 2025 Winner
Compressport Wins Product of the Year Award for the Feelfree Seamless Bra. This technical product, the result of development led by, with, and for women, was deemed a success. The jury emphasized that its impact goes beyond comfort, as it makes a tangible contribution to the growth and accessibility of trail running for women.
⚙️SERVICE of the year
Service of the Year rewards initiatives that redefine the way trail running is experienced and practiced.
This distinction is aimed at solutions launched in 2025 capable of providing concrete support for athletes, whether in terms of technology, nutrition, health, coaching or improving the racing experience.
The focus is on innovation, quality of service, measurable benefits for trail users and positive impact on the trail community and ecosystem.
The 2025 Winner
Trail Running School was recognized for its mission to organize and make trail running accessible to as many people as possible. The organization’s efforts have a direct impact not only on participants but also on instructors. The jury highlighted the Trail Running School’s essential contribution to teaching and promoting this rapidly growing sport.
💼STARTUP of the year
This category recognizes young companies less than five years old who are reinventing trail running through their innovations.
It recognizes start-ups capable of offering products, services or technological solutions that bring real added value to practitioners and players in the sector.
Creativity, development potential, relevance of solutions and impact on the ecosystem are among the main selection criteria for this award.
The 2025 Winner
Valone has distinguished itself by offering a new approach to the footwear industry, centered on responsibility and sustainability. The company won over the jury by demonstrating that technical performance and durability are not mutually exclusive. Valone was particularly recognized for its commitment to repairability of its trail running shoes, offering replacement of key components such as the sole.
🍃POSITIVE IMPACT AWARD OF THE YEAR
This award recognizes the most inspiring trail running initiative that has a tangible impact on environmental conservation, social progress, or inclusion.
Whether it involves minimizing the environmental impact of operations or production, or initiatives focused on inclusion and awareness, this award recognizes actions that make a difference on the ground.
The criteria focus on originality, measurable positive impact, overall coherence, and the ripple effect on the community and other stakeholders.
The 2025 Winners
Protect Our Winters (POW) was recognized for the development of My Event Impact. The jury highlighted the effectiveness and usefulness of this free, simple, and practical tool, which serves the community. This tool enables race organizers to take control of managing their events and to actively implement their CSR programs, thereby making the measurement of environmental impact more accessible to all. The Club Outdoor Alpin is being recognized for its project "From the Asphalt to the Summit – Trail & Inclusion Academy". The jury praised this concrete and inclusive initiative, which uses trail running as a powerful tool for social integration among young people. By focusing on youth from underserved neighborhoods, the Club Outdoor Alpin is shaping the future of trail running by making it accessible and positioning it as a tool for empowerment.
HESITATING TO APPLY? WE ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS 👇
-
To apply is to enter the spotlight of the trail ecosystem. All participants benefit from visibility via the Mile & Stone newsletter, the official website and social networks. It's also an opportunity to present your project to a panel of experts, get a professional perspective and meet the community at the ceremony. Each entry includes 2 invitations to the Awards evening (valued at €100 excl. VAT each), a privileged opportunity to network, celebrate and create lasting connections.
-
Winning a Mile & Stone award means strong, lasting recognition in the world of trail running. Winners benefit from enhanced media exposure, dedicated communication in Mile & Stone newsletters, and official visuals for use on their media. Their project is presented as an industry benchmark, giving them added credibility with partners, customers and the media. It is also a visibility booster and a long-term image lever, beyond the ceremony.
-
Don't worry: the application process is simple and straightforward. A clear form accompanies you step by step as you present your project, your objectives and your impact. You don't have to write a complex application, just tell your story and your approach in a sincere and structured way.
-
Many share this sentiment, but it has no place here. The Trail Running Awards are aboutinnovation, impact and authenticity, not size or budget. Young brands, associations and emerging projects have already shone in the first edition. If your initiative brings something new or inspiring to the world of trail running, you've got a place.
-
The Trail Running Awards require a contribution to ensure the smooth running and quality of the process. This contribution covers the management of applications, the formatting and analysis of dossiers, communication around the nominees and the visibility offered to candidates before, during and after the ceremony. It also guarantees a transparent and professional operation, with an independent jury assessing each project according to precise and fair criteria.
-
Absolutely. The jury is independent of the organization and made up of well-known personalities from the trail andoutdoor industry. Each member is selected for his or her expertise, and in the event of a conflict of interest, abstains from voting. Decisions are taken collectively, based on public criteria (impact, innovation, consistency). At the Trail Running Awards, it's not size or notoriety that counts, but the value of the project.
APPLY FOR THE TRAIL RUNNING AWARDS
Dossiers for non-profit organizations such as associations, NGOs and other similar bodies will be free of charge.
Start-ups (companies less than 5 years old) will benefit from a 50% discount.
Documents verifying the organization’s length of existence and/or nature (for example, articles of incorporation, proof of registration) must be sent by email to contact@mileandstone.com.
For the start-up price of the year, the discount is already applied in the form above.
Dates to remember:
August 18, 2026: Applications open
November 6, 2026: Application deadline
December 2, 2025: Awards Ceremony
🎥Content Creator of the Year
This award recognizes the most outstanding content creator in the field of trail running.
He stands out for directing a film, writing a book, producing a podcast, or his ability to inspire and bring the community together on social media.