Suunto Blog

What drives someone to run at 6AM through frosty streets, while another takes on a 50K mountain ultra? Why do we run? As Dr. Neil Baxter shows, the answers are far from simple. Dr. Neil Baxter is a social scientist with a passion for running – not just as a sport, but as a cultural phenomenon. After a five-year research project into British running culture at the University of Warwick, his insights were published in a book on the subject. In a recent talk, he unraveled the complex web of motivations that drive people to run – and how those reasons have changed dramatically over the past century. From the track to the trail: How running has changed If you were to picture a runner in the 1950s, chances are you’d imagine a young, white male – perhaps a university athlete, chasing track records with serious intent. Running, back then, was largely the domain of the competitive few. Recreational joggers, when they began appearing in suburban America in the 1960s, were so unfamiliar that some were stopped by police. Society didn’t quite know what to make of people running slowly down the street without the clear goal of a finish line. Today, that narrow image of the runner has exploded into a kaleidoscope of diversity. We now associate running with people of all backgrounds and body types. We run on city streets, park trails, forest paths. Some chase personal bests, some run for mental clarity, others to raise funds for charity – or simply to feel alive in nature. Health crises, spiritual highs, and social status: The motivations over time The initial running boom in 1960s America was largely a response to rising health concerns, especially heart disease linked to sedentary lifestyles. When jogging entered the public consciousness – thanks in part to Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman’s efforts – it promised a way to take back control of one’s well-being. But running didn't just become a solution for physical health; it soon acquired a deeper meaning. By the 1970s, running had woven itself into the counterculture, with books like The Zen of Running casting it as a spiritual practice. The “runner’s high” was seen not only as a chemical rush but as a transcendent experience – “a flowering of new colours in the soul,” as one writer put it. At the same time, running was adopted by the rising class of ambitious professionals. It became a symbol of individual discipline, self-reliance, and success –  ideals that aligned with emerging neoliberal values. For some, running marked them as part of a new physical elite. The marathon emerged as the ultimate badge of achievement during the 1980s, with participation skyrocketing – especially among male executives seeking a controlled but intense test of toughness. Women, meanwhile, were still being excluded from many of these spaces: the Olympic women’s marathon wasn’t held until 1984. That changed in the early 2000s. A new wave of participation – this time led by women – reshaped running yet again. More inclusive events and broader motivations came into play: fun runs, charity races, color dashes, and community events attracted people who were less driven by competition and more by social connection, physical health, and joy. As marathons became more accessible, some competitive runners shifted toward more extreme formats – like ultramarathons and mountain races. These forms of running, according to Neil’s research, are still disproportionately populated by the same higher-income, male demographic that dominated marathons in earlier decades. Running, even in its most rugged forms, remained a stage for expressing identity, values, and even social class. So why do you run? Neil Baxter’s data underscores what many of us feel instinctively: there’s no single reason people run – there are many, often overlapping ones. Most runners, according to his survey, cited general fitness and emotional well-being as key motivators. Fewer than a quarter said competition was a very important driver. Gender and age also played a role: men were more likely to cite competition and speed, while women prioritized physical and mental health. Interestingly, older runners – especially those over 70 – saw an uptick in social motivations and community connection. Motivations also shift based on the type of running. Track athletes skew competitive and social, while hill and trail runners are drawn to nature. Joggers (non-competitive runners) emphasize physical appearance, and obstacle course racers often cite charitable fundraising. The many faces – and reasons – of running From elite track athletes to casual joggers, from urban commuters to ultrarunners in remote wilderness, running has become a multifaceted activity with room for everyone. Its meaning is no longer confined to podiums or personal records. As Neil Baxter puts it, “Many ideas, meanings, or forms of significance have been attached to the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other.” Running is now as diverse as the people who do it – and as complex as the lives they lead. Whether you run to compete, to clear your mind, to feel strong, or to be part of something bigger, your reason is valid. And just like the sport itself, your reason can change – evolve – over time. Because in the end, we all have our own pace, path, and purpose. Simply put: run your own story. 

The trail running season has started and we are happy to attend the Trail Alsace Grand Est by UTMB, May 15 to 18. We are ready, and you? Last year's edition brought together 6,000 runners from 60 nationalities, who uncovered a landscape rich in historical and cultural Alsatian heritage. Competitors experienced a spectacular start with medieval flair, accompanied by the gallop of knights in armor. This dramatic beginning set the stage for an unforgettable journey, including stops at many fortified castles such as the Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg, the picturesque towns of Turckheim and Kaysersberg, and the scenic beauty of the famous Alsatian vineyards. Each step revealed a new layer of the region's remarkable history and breathtaking scenery.  Suunto will be present at the race village with a booth, where our team will be happy to share the latest brand news, showcase our products, and support you before your race. But that's not all—take part in the COMMUNITY RUN, in collaboration with PWRUP. Experience the thrill of running 6 km through the stunning hills of Obernai and relax afterward with a snack to refuel. Community Run – Friday, May 16🕑 14:00 – Departure from the Suunto booth🏃 6 km route through the hills of Obernai🕒 ~15:00 – Return to Suunto booth🍫 Post-run snack with Näak products and soft drinks Register now and book a unique opportunity to test one of our sports watches during the run! 👉 REGISTER! Can’t join the community run but still want to try a watch? No problem—just stop by our booth and ask to borrow one for 1 hour, 2 hours, or more. Our team will find a solution for you!

The 2025 UTMB World Series is more exciting than ever with new destinations, the legendary challenges, and Suunto supporting athletes and fans alike. The trail running world is set for another epic year as the 2025 UTMB World Series expands to over 50 events across 28 countries and five continents, bringing the spirit of adventure and community to runners everywhere.  As an official partner of the UTMB World Series, Suunto is proud to be on-site at most of these events, supporting athletes, showcasing our latest products, and inviting the community to join shake-out runs in the lead-up to race day. Whether you're toeing the start line, cheering from home, or meeting us at the expo, we’ll be there to share the journey. From iconic landscapes to new territories, here’s what’s ahead in the 2025 season. Eleven new events The 2025 calendar introduces eleven exciting new races, expanding the series into new regions and offering runners even more ways to connect with the global trail scene. From windswept Cornish coastlines to the remote Chilean wilderness, these events bring fresh terrain and culture to the series.   Here’s the full list of new races joining the series: Europe Arc of Attrition (UK) – Jan 24–26Grand Raid Ventoux (France) – Apr 25–27Monte Rosa Walser Waeg (Italy) – Jul 18–20Kaçkar (Türkiye) – Sep 26–28Puglia (Italy) – Nov 7–9 Asia Ultra-Trail Xiamen (China) – Mar 1–2Ultra-Trail Great Wall (China) – May 16–18Kaga Spa Trail Endurance 100 (Japan) – Jun 19–22 South America Torrencial Chile – Jun 19–21Chihuahua (Mexico) – Oct 2–4Patagonia Bariloche (Argentina) – Nov 18–22 See the full 2025 UTMB World Series race calendar here. Four majors, four chances to double your Stones The UTMB World Series Majors are the pinnacle events of the season on each continent. These are the only races where athletes can double their Running Stones, increasing their chances of qualifying for the UTMB World Series Finals in Chamonix. Running Stones are the official currency of the UTMB World Series qualification system. Runners earn them by finishing UTMB World Series races. The more Running Stones a runner collects, the more chances they have in the lottery to enter the UTMB World Series Finals in Chamonix.  In 2025, the Majors are: Oceania Major: Ultra-Trail Australia – May 15–18 Europe Major: Val d'Aran – July 2–6 America Major: Kodiak Ultra Marathons  – October 10–11 Asia–Pacific Major: Chiang Mai Thailand – December 5–8 All roads lead to the finals in Chamonix The UTMB World Series season culminates in one extraordinary week in Chamonix, France, where the UTMB World Series Finals take place from August 25–31, 2025. The three Finals are: OCC (50K) CCC (100K) UTMB (100M) Alongside these Finals, other events like the TDS, MCC, ETC, YCC, and the legendary PTL will fill the week with unforgettable moments, camaraderie, and trail running excellence.  Watch the season unfold live Want to follow the drama as it happens? 12 races will be broadcast live in 2025 through UTMB Live. The UTMB Live season already started with the live streams of Chianti Ultra Trail and Tenerife Bluetrail in March. Up-coming livestreamed races include: Ultra-Trail Australia (Oceania Major) Val D'Aran Trail Verbier St-Bernard Monte Rosa Walserwaeg Eiger Ultra Trail  UTMB Mont Blanc (Finals) Wildstrubel Nice Côte d'Azur  Kodiak Ultra Marathons (America Major) Chiang Mai Thailand (Asia–Pacific Major) With coverage in multiple languages, drone footage, runner-mounted cams, expert commentary, live stats, and behind-the-scenes interviews, UTMB Live offers an immersive way to experience the races no matter where you are. Even when races aren’t livestreamed, you can still follow the action in real time on live.utmb.world. The platform provides GPS tracking and real-time leaderboards optimized for mobile so you can check in from anywhere. Suunto: Your partner on the trail In 2025, we’ll be right there with you at most of the events –  cheering you on at race expos, running side by side at shake-outs, and celebrating your finishes. See you on the trails! Read more Pace your race with Abby, Iris and Dakota Learn from your run with Hannes Namberger Ultra running mantras: Mental fuel for the long haul

The 11th annual Suunto Vertical Week was bigger than ever, bringing the community together for an epic challenge. Now, the results are in – see who climbed to the top! From March 3–9, we challenged you to rack up as many vertical meters as possible. Once again, we set out to determine which nation and which activity type climbed the most. The data from the Suunto app is in – here are the results! This year, you also had the chance to participate on Strava and support Protect Our Winters through the Vertical Week Strava Challenge. Our goal was to reach 1 million vertical meters, but you crushed that target – 121 times over! We pledged to donate €1 for every 100 meters climbed to Protect Our Winters Europe, up to a limit of 1 million meters, to support their vital work in fighting climate change. Your passion exceeded all expectations – amazing! Familiar names dominated the country rankings In the country rankings for the average ascent per session, the usual suspects – nations in Europe’s mountainous regions – once again came out on top. Austria reclaimed the number one spot from Italy, while Switzerland held onto third place. Average ascent per session by country Austria – 399m Italy – 392m Switzerland – 373m Slovenia – 346m Slovakia – 305m Spain – 273m France – 271m Germany – 230m Czech Republic – 221m Croatia – 214m When looking at total ascent from all participants, France secured the top spot, followed by Spain and Italy. Total ascent by country France Spain Italy Germany Austria Switzerland Poland USA Slovenia United Kingdom On an individual level, ten participants climbed over 14,000 meters in a week – averaging more than 2,000 meters per day. Well done! To make the top 10%, you needed to climb 2,200 meters – 75 meters less than last year but still 300 meters more than in 2023. For the top 3%, the benchmark was 3,958 meters – 104 meters less than last year but 368 meters more than two years ago. Ski tourers lead the way As in previous years, ski tourers dominated. Ski touring was the only activity type where the top three countries averaged over 1,000 meters per session. The overall ski touring average was an impressive 947 meters. However, when looking at the total number of big '1000-meter days', trail runners recorded the most this time. The only country with more than one win in the activity type rankings was South Africa: They dominated both the mountain biking and cycling rankings. Congrats! Ski touring   Austria – 1,044m Switzerland – 1,036m France – 1,005m (All ski touring activities average per session: 947m) Austria claimed the top spot, dethroning Slovakia, while France moved up to third. The 1000-meter mark remains a clear goal for skiers, with the entire top three surpassing it once again. Germany and Italy followed closely at 987 and 971 meters, respectively. Mountaineering   France – 968m Austria – 761m Italy – 750m (All mountaineering activities average per session: 633m) France took a strong category win in mountaineering, with the average ascent for all mountaineering activities remaining exactly the same as last year! (Edit: The top 3 was corrected on March 14 due to an error on our dashboard.) Trail running   Japan – 805m Italy – 652m Portugal – 592m (All trail running activities average per session: 444m) Japan continued to lead, though their average was lower than last year – perhaps due to deep powpow this winter? Mountain biking   South Africa – 490m Spain – 346m Slovenia – 297m (All moutain biking activities average per session: 368m) South Africa maintained its top position despite a drop in its average from 645m to 490m. Is the country getting ready for the upcoming Cape Epic or what do these strong performances in the MTB rankings tell? Gravel cycling Czech Republic – 524m Switzerland – 505m Spain – 422m (All gravel cycling activities average per session: 289m) A full reshuffling – last year’s top three didn’t return to the podium this year! Is this a sign of gravel cycling still evolving and growing as a sport? Cycling South Africa – 490m Spain – 346m Slovenia – 297m (All cycling activities average per session: 172m) Spain and Slovenia held their ranks, but South Africa stole the show with another category win. Lekker, bru! Trekking Spain – 628m Slovenia – 379m Italy – 340m (All trekking activities average per session: 334m) Trekking had a fresh top 3 with Spain clearly taking the win. Hiking Slovenia – 555m Portugal – 529m Spain – 496m (All hiking activities average per session: 235m) Slovenia delivered strong performances across multiple categories this year: number one in hiking but also top three in mountain biking, cycling, and trekking. Kapo dol! Cross-country skiing   Italy – 340m Czech Republic – 325m France – 322m (All XC skiing activities average per session: 227m) Unlike other activities, cross-country skiing was the only one where the average ascent increased from last year. Running   Norway – 123m Switzerland – 122m Belgium – 119m (All running activities average per session: 82m) This was the closest battle of all, with Norway edging out Switzerland by just half a meter! The average ascents in Suunto’s most popular activity type, running, are not huge but that makes the battles even more exciting! See you next year! Vertical Week 2025 proved once again that the Suunto community is unstoppable. Whether you were ski touring in the Alps, trail running in Japan, or cycling in South Africa, your dedication made this event one for the record books. See you next year – until then, keep climbing!

The trail running season is finally starting again! The first unmissable event is the Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB, taking place from March 20 to 23. The 2024 edition was a record-breaker, with over 3,600 participants from 72 nations and more than 10,000 visitors over the three thrilling days of races. © Jose Miguel Munoze What makes this event truly special is its unique setting: the Chianti hills — candidates to become a UNESCO heritage site — renowned for their stunning natural beauty, medieval villages, vineyards, and forests. The races unfold amidst this breathtaking landscape, once again attracting athletes from around the world. Our Suunto athletes are ready to give it their all, including Italians Andreas Reiterer — last year’s winner of the most challenging race, the Ultra Trail Chianti Castles (120 km and +5200 m of pure passion and talent) — alongside Davide Cheraz and Mattia Bertoncini. Also competing are Ugo Ferrari and Alban Berson (FR), Dominika Stelmach (POL), Tomas Farnik (Czech Republic), and Abby Hall and Ryan Montgomery (USA). Suunto will be at the event village with a booth, where our team will be happy to share the latest brand news and showcase our products. But that's not all — join the COMMUNITY RUN in collaboration with Näak! Experience the thrill of running 5 km through the Chianti hills and enjoy a snack at the end of your workout. Community Run Program — Saturday, March 22 14:30: Departure from the Suunto booth 5 km route through the Chianti hills 15:30 (approx.): Arrival at the Näak booth Post-run snack with Näak products and soft drinks Register now and don’t miss this unique opportunity to test one of our sports watches during the run! Sign up

Sharing the same passion for sports and the outdoors, UTMB® World Series and Suunto, known for their world-renowned GPS multisport watches and training tools, have announced a global partnership, that will see the two companies work together to contribute to the positive development of trail running and help individual runners reach their goals. Suunto have supported adventurers since 1936 and have been involved in trail running since its inception. Their legacy in the sport is enriched by a strong team of elite runners, including UTMB Mont Blanc winners Courtney Dauwalter, Francois D’Haene and Pau Capell.  Suunto watches feature award-winning design, industry-leading battery life, reliability, and purpose-built features for training and racing. As Official GPS Watch and Technical Partner of the UTMB World Series, Suunto will support runners in navigating the trails and achieving their dreams across the 41 UTMB World Series Events, by bringing its heritage and experience with GPS sports watches. Athletes with a Suunto Vertical or Suunto Race watch can download intuitive GPS maps in three different map styles with important landmarks, contour lines, water, paths and different sorts of terrain highlighted. Maps are available for each UTMB World Series Event, whether you are running the 100K CCC® (Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix) in the European Alps, the 50K Kodiak Ultra Marathons by UTMB in California, the 100M Black River Peak race in the sugarcane fields for Mauritius by UTMB... or any other race of the circuit. Frédéric Lénart, UTMB Group CEO, said: “We are delighted to join forces with Suunto who has over 80 years’ experience in creating products that runners can rely on in the most extreme conditions. With Suunto becoming Technical Partner of the UTMB World Series, we will enable runners to live adventure that stays with them forever, helping them to take the first step and keep on moving.” Hannu Korpivaara, Suunto Brand and Marketing Director, said: “We firmly believe that collaboration empowers companies, communities, and individuals to evolve. It fosters relationship-building, innovation, and effective problem-solving. We are honored to partner with the UTMB World Series and to connect with all the runners out there. Together, we aim to contribute to the positive development of trail running and help individual runners reach their goals.” The 2024 UTMB World Series kicks off this month with the Tarawera Ultra-Trail New Zealand by UTMB from the 17-18 February. This inaugural event of the year welcomes trail runners of all abilities and promises unforgettable moments in the most stunning scenery of Rotorua. About UTMB® World Series UTMB® World Series is the world’s ultimate trail-running circuit that unites the sport’s biggest stars and passionate runners through the best, leading international events in the most stunning locations. Built on a passion for the mountains with sustainability at its heart, UTMB® World Series gives all trail runners the chance to experience the UTMB® adventure across the world, with events taking place across Asia, Oceania, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. It is the only place where runners can begin their quest to Dacia UTMB® Mont-Blanc, France, where the prestigious UTMB® World Series Finals will be held. Launched in May 2021 through the collaboration between the UTMB Group and The IRONMAN Group, the UTMB World Series circuit brings together many of the best international trail-running events on the planet. For more information, visit https://utmb.world/. About UTMB Group Since the creation of Dacia UTMB® Mont-Blanc in 2003 by a group of passionate friends, UTMB Group has been the driving force behind the development of trail running. The Dacia UTMB® Mont-Blanc is the sports pinnacle event, and every year, 10,000 runners earn their place on the start line. UTMB Group also pioneered the LiveTrail® technology, an innovative digital service that supports the management of endurance races. Revered by hundreds of thousands of athletes, UTMB® has become a global, premium, and leading brand. In May 2021, UTMB Group partnered with The IRONMAN Group to launch the UTMB® World Series, now in its second year, which brings together many of the best international events on the planet to provide exclusive access to the sport’s pinnacle event, Dacia UTMB® Mont-Blanc. The UTMB® World Series is built on the founding principles of Dacia UTMB® Mont-Blanc: surpassing oneself; fair-play; respect for people and the environment; and solidarity. Find out more at https://utmb.world/. About Suunto We stand for adventure. Pioneering has been in our DNA since 1936, when Finnish orienteer Tuomas Vohlonen invented a more accurate and reliable compass. Today, Suunto is at the forefront of design and innovation for sports watches, dive computers, compasses and digital services used by adventurers and athletes around the world. Since 2022 we have conducted cradle to grave Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) for our new watch models to understand their environmental impact and to help us improve our ways of working. The remaining emissions we offset with Verified Carbon Units. We pride ourselves on the fact that Suunto products are not only robust, but also have an everyday aesthetic that reflects our Nordic identity. Suunto's headquarters and own factory are located in Vantaa, Finland. Find out more at apac.suunto.com