Female-Focused Trail Running Clubs: Traileras Peru

Promoting female participation in sports is crucial, especially in trail running—a sport traditionally seen as male-dominated, with women currently representing just 29% of the ITRA community. To address this, we’re launching a series spotlighting female-focused trail running clubs from around the globe. These clubs share their inspiring stories about how they were founded, the motivations behind them, and the challenges they’ve faced and overcome.

Name: Traileras Peru

Location: Peru

Description: Traileras Peru is a community of women that helps connect and grow women. It was born out of the need to feel freer and safer practising the sport we love.

1. What inspired you to create a female-specific trail running group?

The main inspiration behind creating Traileras Peru came from what trail running did for me. It gave me a sense of freedom, boosted my self-esteem, and helped me build self-confidence. I discovered that I could achieve things I had once considered impossible. The peace and happiness I discovered in the mountains were feelings that I felt every woman should have the chance to experience at least once, and that’s how the idea of creating a group, a community, came to life. 

With this idea in mind, I felt that a meaningful way to express my gratitude for everything I had lived and experienced was to show more women, through this sport, that “Limits don’t exist” and we are all capable of reaching them, without any boundaries.

2. What challenges do women face in trail running, and how can the community address them?

We have many challenges ahead of us that we must overcome together.

Women in trail running face some unique struggles, like feeling unsafe in certain places or dealing with risks on the trail that can affect both physical and mental health in ways that are specific to us. 

At Traileras Peru, we’ve created a safe and supportive space for all those who want to practice this sport. We encourage group training so no one has to train alone, and we organize weekly meetups to help everyone get familiar with the safest routes. Our training sessions focus on building the confidence and skills to navigate the mountains and respond appropriately to risky situations. We teach essential skills such as map reading, first aid, and the proper use of safety equipment, reminding everyone that trail running is much more than just running. 

We also share information about how to care for our bodies while practising this sport, covering topics like menstrual cycles, injuries, and conditions often resulting from intense physical activity—especially in ultra-distance events and shorter trail runs. We’ve built a welcoming, judgment-free environment where women can openly ask questions and get advice on topics that are often hard to discuss.

3. What advice would you give to women hesitant to try trail running?

My advice would be to trust in yourself and take things at your own pace. We all start from the beginning, and that’s okay. Feeling uncertain, anxious, or even scared when facing something new is normal. But the payoff for the effort is massive, and it’s definitely worth it. 

The joy of achieving what you once thought was impossible is one of the most beautiful feelings anyone can experience. Trust me, beyond the fear, there’s a world of trails, mountains, experiences, and life-changing challenges just waiting for you.

The first step is always the hardest, but we’re here to take it together.

4. How does your group create a supportive and inclusive environment for women?

The community was created to support each other, especially for women who see trail running as a sport that is either unknown or almost impossible. 

I believe the best way to help women is to be there from the start—offering support and confidence on the trails, taking it slow, and showing them that it is not as hard as it seems and that they can do it. 

Sharing tips on and off the trail is crucial, so we regularly hold talks about what it really means to run in the mountains. Combining theory with practice makes us feel more confident when we head out for a run and apply what we’ve learned. This makes a huge impact on both our physical and mental strength. We also really want to make this sport accessible to everyone, not just in Lima but in other parts of the country as well. That’s why we organize trips regularly and try to grow the community, so it’s not just about those who meet up in person. Our community has members from different parts of Peru and even from other countries. 

One of our dreams is to spread Traileras Peru worldwide, so no matter where we are, we’ll always have Mountain Sisters to run with.

Follow Traileras Peru on Instagram.