OLYMPIC VALLEY, Calif. – TrailCon, a new festival that celebrates the trail running community through engaging panels, brand activations, networking and movement sessions, drew 3,000 plus attendees to its inaugural event June 24-25 at Palisades Tahoe.

The 2025 event, officially named “TrailCon Presented By On,” reflected a vision to inspire and ignite the trail running community through in-person connection and movement.

TrailCon Presented By On had two days filled with more than 20 panels on pressing topics featuring thought leaders and icons of the sport as speakers.

---

---

The energy was high on day one, as it kicked off On Trail Demo Event with more than 100 runners trying out On’s CouldUltra Pro accompanied by DJ’s breaking out the early morning tunes on the Tram and up to the summit.  

Afterward, everyone headed over to the Olympic Village Event Center where there was a full house of 500 plus people who took part in a full day of thought-provoking panels. Here are just a few:  

---

---

State of the Trail Market – David Callahan and Rob Goyen of UltraSignUp were joined by strategic advisor Stephen Holmberg to discuss where the trail market currently stands and what the future holds.

Keynote: Future of Western States – presented by Western States Endurance Run Board President Topher Gaylord was a captivating history of the storied race, as well as what it takes to hold it every year and plans for the future

Run Club Visionaries and Community Builders – an impassioned panel discussion led by Mirna Valerio that shined a spotlight on the amazing stories of all the panelists who are helping to bring more people into the sport.

A full list of panels can be found HERE

Day 1 ended with an amazing Happy Hour sponsored by On during which attendees had the opportunity to ‘explore’ different themed aid stations, complete with a map, in order to find good eats and libations.

Day 2 started off with another On run with 100 plu taking part, followed by the Vendor Village with 60 plus brands opening and two stages of content running throughout the day.

The most anticipated panel of the day was Freetrail and TrailCon Co-founder Dylan Bowman interviewing the legendary Killan Jornet as part of the Freetrail Podcast.

Other panels covered topics ranging from nutrition to public lands access to creatives in trail running.

Another highlight of the day was the Precision Hydration + Nutrition activation in which runners took part in a 100m dash. There was a male and female final winner that received some great prices and accolades for beating some tough competition. This light-hearted and fun event was a highlight of TrailCon. 

Some of the other brands in the Vendor Village included: Nike | ACG, Birkenstock, Keen, Brooks Running, On, Leki, Lowa, Craft and Fractel

A full list of sponsors can be found HERE and exhibitors can be found HERE

The event also featured the inaugural TrailCon Hall of Fame Awards supported by Nike and the Freetrail Runner of the Year Awards.

Winners, who received an iconic letter jacket from Nike | ACG, included:

Nike Awards

The Future Award:

Anna Gibson

The Courage Award:

Stephanie Case

Community Impact Award:

Jamil Coury

FreeTrail Awards

Performance of the Year:

David Roche

Jasmin Paris

Trail Runner of the Year:

Katie Schide

Elhousine Elazzoui

TrailCon Hall of Fame:

Buzz Burrell

Tim Twietmeyer

Hal Koerner

Ellie Greenwood

Anna Frost

Anne Trason

TrailCon ICON Award:

Kilian Jornet

Courtney Dauwalter

By bridging two of the world’s most famous races, the Broken Arrow Skyrace and iconic Western States Endurance Run, TrailCon harnesses the energy of these premier races to create a transformative experience and a new 10-day Trail Running Capital of the World. From trail aficionados to industry titans, TrailCon welcomes all voices to Palisades Tahoe each June.

“TrailCon had very lofty goals, built in partnership with feedback from 2024 participants and our Advisory Board. Our team is ecstatic that we were able to achieve our goals and are so excited for 2026. We’ve always felt that our sport was missing an event that allowed industry and the general public to congregate, co-mingle, share ideas and learn from one another – really a must with how astronomically fast trail running is growing,” said Brendan Madigan, TrailCon co-founder and owner of Alpenglow Sports. “The energy showcased by panelists, brands, and general fans made for a tremendously exciting bridge event between Broken Arrow and Western States. Our sport now has a 10-day period that any trail running enthusiast will not want to miss!”

As the trail running landscape evolves, TrailCon provides an inclusive platform for dialogue, collaboration, education and inspiration. 

Next year’s TrailCon takes place June 22-24, 2026.

To learn more about TrailCon, visit: https://trailconference.com

About TrailCon:
TrailCon was founded by three trail running and event industry leaders:

• Dylan Bowman: Professional runner, CEO of Freetrail, and co-race director of Gorge Waterfalls and The Big Alta events.
• Brendan Madigan: Owner of Alpenglow Sports and race director of the Broken Arrow Skyrace.
• Douglas Emslie: Majority owner of the Boston Run Show and Boston Outdoor Show, and an avid trail runner.

TrailCon celebrates the rapid growth and global reach of trail running, serving as a dynamic platform for collaboration, innovation, and inspiration. Against the breathtaking backdrop of Palisades Tahoe, TrailCon will deliver two days of insights, connections, and excitement for the trail running community.

“Trail running has grown dramatically in recent years and is clearly a sport in transition. With that growth have come challenges — but until the launch of TrailCon, there hasn’t been a dedicated platform for the entire industry to come together, discuss issues, and chart a collective path forward. We saw a unique opportunity to create that space — a bridge between Broken Arrow, one of the largest trail races in North America, and Western States, the most iconic 100-miler. These 10 days in Palisades Tahoe have become the most important on the trail running calendar, and we’ve been genuinely overwhelmed by the community’s support to come together and support one another,” TrailCon Co-founder Douglas Emslie said.