Understanding the process of athlete eco-activism between individual and organisational conditions: The case of ultra-trail runners

Athlete activism remains a rare feature in elite sport. Yet, over the last few years, a number of high-level athletes from the ultra-trail running discipline have multiplied eco-activist behaviours. This study seeks to better understand why and how they decided to publicly defend environmental causes, and what consequences they experienced from this decision. Thanks to a qualitative research design interrogating 10 eco-activist professional ultra-trail runners, our findings define athlete eco-activism as an iterative process, with the potential consequences being evaluated and anticipated by the athletes, who adjust their eco-activism constantly to their personal conditions, their environment and social feedback. The results highlight how the professionalisation of trail-running undermines not only its traditional pro-environmental values but also the athletes’ freedom of expression. We contribute to interactionist theories by unravelling the complexity of the social context embedding professional eco-activist athletes and enrich critical social theory by suggesting that paradoxically, low-key activism runs the risk of legitimising the current industry-dominant model. Practical implications are also drawn.