We're diving deep on the races, training tips, and gear you need to know to get outside off paved roads to run a whole new way. Click here for more stories about the trail explosion. ANTOINE HAUGABOOK, 46, has been immersed in the road running community for more than a decade.
A Nashville-based account manager in information technology, Haugabook has served as the co-captain of the city's local chapter of Black Men Run since its inception in 2013 and has also formed relationships with other clubs throughout the region. But when Haugabook and his wife, Yolanda "Yo" Lopez Haugabook, ventured off the roads they were familiar with and into the local trail running scene, they felt like they didn't belong. "We immediately noticed we were the only people of color and didn't feel like we really related to anyone else out on the trails," Lopez Haugabook, 41, says.
"On our third Saturday trail run, one of the other runners finally acknowledged us, saying 'You're back,’ and followed it up with '...Y'all ain't had enough yet?'" The couple had hit the trails to try something different. After feeling burned out with road running, Antoine applied to and was accepted to the Running Industry Diversity Coalition's 2025 Freedom to Run: Back Outside program, which was designed to get runners of diverse backgrounds to explore the trails. The RIDC program was launched alongside a downloadable resource titled "Opening the Path to Trail Running: A Toolkit for Runners, Retailers, and Communities," which provides BIPOC runners with useful information and resources that act as a welcoming and approachable introduction to trail running.
The Haugabooks, kitted out with the gear and coaching provided by RIDC, ventured out on the trails, only to be met with that disconcerting reception. These types of programs are unfortunately necessary because it’s not an uncommon experience for many people of color when they try to get outside. Nearly 69 percent of outdoor participants are white, according to The Outdoor Industry Association’s 2024 report.
Not feeling a sense of belonging is one of the biggest factors that can deter minority runners from exploring trails—but it’s not the only one. Runners who spoke to MH also shared concerns about safety, discouraging finish time cutoffs, and financial constraints, such as high entry fees. That first experience felt very personal to the Haugabooks.
Having long been acquainted with the message that running was for everyone, that microaggression messaged that not everyone was willing to include people who looked like them in the community and reinforced stereotypes that people of color fear and don't enjoy the outdoors. Those early moments were uncomfortable—but the pair weren’t detered from staying on trail. That just served as fuel to their fire and led them to start Sin Miedo Trail Runners, a group for people of color that currently has around 60 members—most of whom are at the beginner level and experiencing their first introduction to trail running and racing.
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