Trailheads

When Runners Roost in Boulder, CO, first signed on to host Dirt Circus in 2023, store manager Tricia Vieth didn’t quite know what to expect. Unlike many running events filling the shop’s calendar, this new program with a quirky name was designed to be non-competitive, with no races or timed runs. Created by the registration platform UltraSignup, Dirt Circus brings together specialty retailers, brands, race directors, and local runners for a lighthearted trail-running celebration.

Despite its novel approach, Dirt Circus proved an instant success for Runners Roost, growing from 150 participants in the first year to over 300 runners in 2026. That surge has delivered tangible benefits for the store, including spikes in sales on festival mornings and a steady stream of new customers walking through the door.

The impact goes far beyond the financial bottom line. Dirt Circus acts as a welcoming entry point for newcomers to the sport, while uniting all factions of the trail community to forge lasting connections. By tapping into trail running’s recent surge and the desire for in-person social meetups, Dirt Circus has struck a powerful chord—fueling its nationwide expansion and helping increase the sport’s popularity.

Building Connections

When UltraSignup launched in 2009, it quickly became the go-to platform for finding competitions, signing up for races, and checking results. Despite that strong footing, the team wanted to deepen its real-world connection to runners.

“We wanted to show a commitment that we’re not here just to be a registration platform, but we’re here to support the trail-running community,” says Carrie Meng, events director for UltraSignup.

Meng and her colleagues set out to build an initiative that immersed the company in local trail communities and strengthened relationships with race directors, specialty shop owners, and run clubs. They also aimed to tap into a growing cultural shift—runners were craving physical meetups, and a lively festival was the perfect way to bring everyone together.

To keep things light and welcoming, Dirt Circus was designed not as a high-stakes race, but as something more like a carnival. The team intentionally included “Circus” in the name to signal that party-like vibe and nod to ultra running’s historical roots.

When runners show up for the free gathering, they check in and then hang out in the expo area where local brand reps hand out demo shoes and race directors connect with the crowd. Often, the brands stage their tents right outside the partnering specialty store.

After about an hour of mingling, everyone hits the trails in waves led by local run club leaders, with groups welcoming every pace. Once everyone returns to the expo area, it transforms into a local block party with music, food, and a massive raffle where participants can win gear and free race entries.

That winning formula has fueled rapid nationwide growth, with Dirt Circus expanding from three events in 2023 to 10 in 2026

Secrets to Success

The program’s steady momentum is fueled by a post-pandemic hunger for real-world interaction and the rising popularity of trail running. “I think the desire for human beings to have face-to-face connections with other people, like-minded people, is driving the success,” Meng explains.

Beyond that craving for connection, Dirt Circus owes its success to enthusiastic buy-in from the entire running ecosystem. It creates a shared space where race directors, local run clubs, brand reps, and specialty retailers all come together, and everyone walks away with tangible benefits. “It’s really just to bring all the different aspects of the trail-running community together in one spot and bridge those relationships,” says Meng.

Independent specialty retailers sit at the very center of that strategy, and securing a local shop partner is always the top priority when bringing Dirt Circus to a new city. For store managers like Vieth at Runners Roost, that partnership means serving as the ultimate bridge between brands and the local community, hosting the event’s expo right outside the storefront while run groups depart directly from the shop to head toward nearby trails. Vieth leverages her extensive industry connections to bring a robust lineup of vendors into the fold, routinely coordinating with as many as 21 different brands spanning footwear, nutrition, and gear. Because Dirt Circus creates such a natural, high-energy in-person buzz, she notes that getting gear companies to jump on board is a breeze, calling it “the easiest ask I ever have to make.”

For local shops, the real payoff comes down to visibility and lasting local relationships. As Meng puts it, the biggest takeaway for shop owners is, “exposure for their store, getting runners to their store that have never been there, and hopefully creating relationships so people are getting their shoes and gear from stores rather than online.” According to Vieth, Runners Roost made $2,500 to $3,000 in sales before 10 a.m. on the day of the event.

While Dirt Circus generates sales for shops, it also provides major benefits for race directors and participating gear brands. On a typical race day, directors are consumed with managing logistics. However, Dirt Circus gives them a relaxed, low-pressure environment for networking. “Race directors love it because they can come out, set up a table, talk about their races, and connect with runners without the stress of race day,” Meng notes, adding that, so far, 88 race directors across the country have participated.

At the same time, brands reap rewards by setting up in the expo area. Placing products directly in participants’ hands lets companies educate runners on new technology and showcase gear in a real-world setting. Plus, brands gather valuable, immediate feedback from runners once they loop back from the trails.

Come Run, Come All

Beyond supporting industry professionals, Dirt Circus’s design also targets another main objective: attracting new people to trail running. Its casual atmosphere appeals to people who might feel hesitant about a traditional competition. By offering accessible 3- to 5-mile routes with walk-and-run pace groups, newcomers enjoy an easy, low-pressure way to explore the trails. “One of our goals at Dirt Circus is inclusion,” Meng explains. “One of our taglines is ‘come run, come all,’ and hopefully we’re making it very accessible and welcoming to everybody.”

That open-door approach is directly reflected in UltraSignup’s participation data. The team tracks new accounts to measure outreach and found that about 35 percent of Dirt Circus attendees are brand-new to trail running. At the same time, the rest of the crowd is a mix of intermediate runners, local race directors, and veteran ultrarunners.

At Runners Roost, Dirt Circus also draws a wide range of age groups. “We see everyone from high schoolers to 60-year-olds,” says Vieth. “It’s just so nice to see the multi-generational cultural experience for everybody.”

As the event resonates with a broad range of people, Dirt Circus is expanding into new trail hubs across the country, with 12 cities on the calendar for next year—including a major push into the Northeast.

For partners like Runners Roost, that momentum brings high expectations—anticipating even bigger turnouts, continued sales growth, and deeper roots within the trail-running community. To succeed, Vieth knows the store must follow Dirt Circus’s spirit by bringing people together and delivering a positive experience. “The owner looks at numbers because that’s his job, but I look at the relationships built,” says Vieth. “If someone comes in, finds a running friend or a new product, and leaves happy, I’ve done my job—because those happy customers will come back and shop with us again.”