Reflections of a Race Season to be Proud of

Words by and photos by Leigh Rose.

The end of seasons is often a time to reflect, look back and embrace the change that follows. Long sun-filled days give way to gentle autumn evenings and as the Trash Free Races Season has now come to an end, I’m thinking about those summer days spent in fields, on trails and with our friends; you. Here I take a look back (and also forward!) to see how, as a community, we can continue to create Trash Free Races together. 

Crafting an event presence that speaks to audiences of all ages, across multiple sports and in different countries is anything but easy. We’ve given it one heck of a good crack and if I say so myself, I think we’ve done a pretty good job. 14 race events (some of them not actually races) are now Trash Free and our outdoor playgrounds now have 20,579 less items of single-use pollution affecting plants, animals and our experience of them. 

Let’s run through my highlights, lowlights and what we learned from Trash Free Races 2025.

Putting Faces to Names, and Tools in Hands

As a remote organisation, the TrashMob are scattered across the UK (and beyond). A-TEAMers cover every corner of the globe, with our Community Hubs providing them with a base from which to inspire their communities to take action.

Being remote has all kind of benefits, but we know time in person is where the magic really happens. The Trash Free Races stand provided a temporary living room for the TrashMob to come and spend time with us connect with nature and each other - all while enjoying outdoor events we know and love. For us, there’s no better feeling than being able to swap instagram handles for hands in the mud to remove single-use pollution from beautiful places. 

Time and time again we would see the same faces returning to our mobile trail head, spinning a yarn on recent adventures, their communities and what brought them to the dusty field we found ourselves in at that time. It’s that same warm fuzzy feeling we get from delivering TFT education sessions to 60 school aged young people alongside races, realising our A-TEAM have donated 567 hours of their time to be with us in the thick of it, or collaborating with 5 members of Hardly Reached communities. It might not seem like much at the time - but it keeps us awake on long drives across the country and into Europe, buzzed off the inspiration we get from meeting you. 

There's Still a Way to Go

After a season full of highs, it’s tricky to pick out a lowlight, but as a process, one I learned from a night sleeping under the stars in Ljubljana, the lowlight for me offers up intention, one to grow and move through rather than to dwell on. 

Our small (but mighty) HQ Team spans from the edge of West Cornwall to the mountains in North Wales, together with our event partners we’ve helped 14 Races go Trash. While this seems like a large number, there are so many more outdoor events here in the UK alone, and we wish we could’ve done so many more. The reality is event delivery is a big commitment for our team, as a small organisation our pockets haven’t been able to stretch as far as we wish they could.

But we’re a glass half full kind of team; I want to take a moment to celebrate the businesses and brands behind us without whom this season wouldn’t have happened. It’s through the help, support and goodwill of our partners that we’ve been able to meet so many of you this year. It’s thanks to them that our impact has been felt so broadly across riding, running and roaming events.

Raffling Towards a Trash Free Future

Learning is something that has driven Trash Free Trails from the very beginning - from the start of the State of Our Trails Report to the Knowledge Transfer Partnership we’re embarking on with Edinburgh Napier University;

“Without knowledge one cannot determine risk.” 

Throughout Trash Free Races our Rubbish Raffle has been a staple. This year, race goers have had the chance to win an Orbea Rallon frame, decked out with Hope Components (of their choice) along with Manitou forks and shock, this complete bike has been up for grabs with tickets being exchanged for trash or cash. 

When it comes to trash, the raffle has helped us remove historic (sometimes retro!) amounts of rubbish and better still, prevent items from having the chance to become single-use pollution. It’s something that until now we hadn’t realised the impact of. Picture; young groms scuttling around the finish bowl at Red Bull Hardline scrambling for items on the floor and gracefully collecting items from individuals that could become trash. These newfound members of the TrashMob, now the frontline of protecting our trails and terrestrial ecosystems, spreading good words, kindness and environmental stewardship without realising. 

Now, I could finish up this passage by drawing conclusions on whether the races season ‘was’ or ‘was not’ a success, embezzled in numbers, anecdotes and stories, but rather than doing that, I’ll invite you to reflect on your own highlight, lowlight and what you’ve learned from the Trash Free Races season. Whether that’s seeing us in a corner of an event field or you’ve been watching from afar. Share your story with us, to keep the darker days at bay, until the next time we see you out there.

Leigh.