Drone Considerations for Trail Runners

Drone technology has changed the way sporting fans view their beloved activities, trail running included. Similar to other major sports, trail running has seen a significant increase in drone technology use in the past decade. Drones allow for new, exciting video/photo perspectives for new and existing fans. These devices utilize aerial shots, “follow cams,” close-ups and much more to highlight different aspects of both the athlete and fan experience. While drones have become increasingly common, it’s still largely misunderstood how best to use these devices to create engaging content in safe, legal and increasingly innovative ways that can add value to events, brands, race participants and sponsored athletes.

While not all sports are conducive to drone usage, trail running is particularly favorable to it. From epic mountain views, forests, oceans, plains, deserts, and other natural landscapes, trail runners routinely find themselves in wondrous destinations that can be captured by drones. From wide shots of expansive trail systems to aerial views of participants taking off from race start lines, trail running offers endless possibilities for content creators to imagine interesting shots.

Schuyler Hall, race director at Aravaipa Running shared his thoughts about increasing technological advancements, specifically drone use in trail running, “With technology being more accessible than ever, it is a whole new landscape for individual athletes and race coverage. Athletes no longer have to just have a GoPro in their hand or set it on the ground and run past it; the ability to get high quality, scenic shots from a drone they can fold back into their belt or pack is a game changer. It drives a much more compelling visual product that they can use on their own channels.”

Aside from athletes, race directors were some of the first in the trail running community to utilize drones. Similar to other technological advancements in the sport such as live-streaming, e-bikes (used by media who can follow runners during races), or StarLink (to track runners), drones have expanded possibilities for race directors to add excitement to their events. Mandy Mullen, race director of run.Windsor speaks on how drones have added value to her events, “We have definitely used them and it’s been amazing! I think the aerial view has done two things: give runners a bigger picture view of the course, start/finish line experience, etc. and secondly gives sponsors a birds eye view of the number of runners and what the crowd looks like.”

Team work at run.Windsor. Photo: Amanda Piela

Mullen shares how specifically she’s been able to add drones into her races, “I have hired professional drone pilots, but have also had student drone programs from our local community college come to film and in exchange I make a tax deductible donation to their program/student group. It’s a super affordable way to support them and get great footage!”

“If a branded athlete wins in the woods and no race coverage is there to show it, does the performance make a sound?” — Schuyler Hall

Schuyler Hall on the trails.

Top races in the country invest heavily in cutting-edge technology to enhance the draw of their events, particularly for professional or aspiring professional athletes. Hall speaks on how Aravaipa Running has made this investment, “With the current prevalence of technology, more and more races are going to need to leverage some sort of media and narrative-building. If nothing else, it’s a great marketing tool for those races. Professional or aspiring athletes are going to want to choose races that are going to help them get exposure, and brands should in-turn incentivize performing well there. It doesn’t apply to your local mom and pop race or your weekend warrior athletes, but for any person or event trying to get their name out there, the financial feedback loop benefits those who get one board with the expanding tech space.”

But that said, drone use and fancy tech doesn’t make engaging content in itself. Hillary Gerardi, professional trail runner and filmmaker (read our story on Gerardi’s Mont Blanc record and film here) had to say about using drones and storytelling, “Some people lean too heavily on drone footage in trail running films, partially because it’s easy. But the fact is that just telling a story of a race or effort on trails isn’t enough…it’s just not that visually appealing (compared to skiing, climbing, etc). Trail running, for the most part, looks quite slow.” For Gerardi, the key to engaging trail films is storytelling, not technology.

Similarly, Majell Backenhouser, internationally acclaimed Australian videographer and photographer, podcast host argues that technology is all in how how you use it, not the technology itself, “Technology (and all the advancements and new tools to come) are going to challenge events, brands, individuals and the industry at large to continually evolve. Content can get stale really quickly in this content driven world, so it’s not a case of what you use, but how you use it and what style you want to bring to this space.”

While drone usage has largely been viewed as a value add in trail running, it has not been without its controversies. One of the main issues with drones stems from the legal regulations of what type of drone it is. Smaller drones (0.55 pounds and under) don’t require a pilot license or device registration from the Federal Aviation Administration if they are used recreationally (find out more information on how to register as a pilot here ). Failure to comply with these regulations can lead to harsh fines or even prison sentences.

Pay attention to signs. No Drones.

Another concern is where drones fly. Some areas are completely restricted (no-fly zones) for all types of drones, while others may have limits on certain types of drones, flight height, or commercial/recreational uses. Unfortunately, many drone users don’t perform diligent research on flight boundaries, particularly within city limits or national park/forest areas. Trail runners should be especially aware of drone rules in wilderness areas so as not to disturb wildlife or disrupt the experience of natural places. The buzzing of drone wings has turned many nature-lovers against drone use on the trail.

In addition to knowing where to fly drones, there are special considerations for drones at events and trail races. Drone users must be aware of the specific media rules of the events themselves as many trail races do not allow “rogue drones” to fly without specific permission from race authorities or commercial use permits. Even approved media personnel should double-check the rules of events regarding drone use before, during and after races. As the number of recreational drones increases, so too should the awareness about how to use these devices to not interfere with race participants and organizers. Recreational drones getting in the way of authorized drones from the race organization is becoming a large problem for some larger events.

Another concern of drones is privacy rights. Drones require permission from people in the shots—especially if this content is used commercially. While most understand this rule in traditional photography and videography, drones pilots more often neglect this rule. Whether this is because pilots can more easily capture shots without those in the shot knowing, or because there is a disconnect between the videographer/photographer and the target is hard to say. Regardless, drone pilots should give the same amount of respect to privacy as with traditional media devices.

Not all drones offer the same benefits. Battery life, weather conditions resistance, price, flight range, camera quality, weight, and portability are all factors that should be considered depending on the users’ intentions. Listed below are several popular drone models for trail runners to consider. Features listed are several of many unique aspects of each model.

HoverAir X1 PRO
Features: Light weight, portability, and easy to use features (especially for those with zero prior drone flying experience). Interesting features include the following preset modes: Orbit, Bird’s Eye, Aerial, 360 and Follow. This drone is controlled by the HoverAir app that can be downloaded on most standard smart phones.

DJI Mini 4 Pro
Features: Extremely lightweight (under 250 grams) and 4K/60fps HDR True Vertical Shooting, omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing, and extended battery life.

Potensic Atom 2
Features: Easily foldable, lightweight and includes the following Intelligent Mode features: Pull-Away, Spiral, Rocket, Circle, Boomerang, and Dolly Zoom.

Karuisrc K600 GPS Drone with Camera
Features: Remote control range of 400 meters, GPS drone remote control with built-in HD screen and camera view transmitted in real time. Equipped with a 4K HD camera.

Syma W5
Features: Obstacle avoidance mode, human tracking, GPS mode, 90 degree camera tilt and flight planning.