Trail-Running and Ultramarathon: A Multidisciplinary Scoping Review

Research on ultra-endurance trail running is on the rise, indicating the sport’s growing popularity. How does the scientific literature in human and social sciences contribute to the understanding of trail running? How can trail running be defined as an object of study from the existing data and literature? This article contributes to understanding this societal trend based on a multidisciplinary literature review of human and social sciences on ultra trail running. A systemic qualitative analysis of their contents reveals three major themes: 1) Commitment and profiles of ultra trail runners; 2) Embodiment and mental aspects; 3) Events and territories. These findings have made it possible to consolidate the work carried out to date and constitute a starting point for developing other approaches. It appears that beyond the disciplinary anchors, the results presented resonate with each other while also highlighting a certain number of paradoxes, which is representative of the discipline itself. In light of these observations, some avenues can be explored to expand upon these approaches and studies.