Patagonia Releases Movie About Running Up for Air
Short film highlights event raising money and awareness to improve air quality
Image: Salil, Adobe Stock
Filmmaker Forest Woodward and outdoor apparel brand Patagonia have created a film about Running Up for Air, a race that raises awareness and funds for air quality across the U.S.
Running Up for Air began in 2012, when a few friends, including now four-time Barkley Marathon finisher Jared Cambell, climbed Grandeur Peak in Utah as many times as possible to raise awareness for air quality. That year, in Salt Lake City, there were 12 days with an air quality index deemed unhealthy for sensitive individuals or worse. In 2022, there were 49 days with the same classification.
In 2013, a few more friends joined Cambell in the climb. In 2024, there were seven events throughout North America with 40,000 runners. Each event raised money for local organizations — for instance, runners in the Colorado-based Running Up for Air raised money for Conservation CO, an organization that works to protect Colorado’s land, water, and wildlife.
Many trail runners and outdoor athletes seek to attach purpose to their endeavors. Similarly, Campbell wondered, “How do I take something that I’m experiencing and all this training I was doing and turn it into something good?” The video argues that collective action and awareness are good starts to instigating changes that improve our air.
Watch the full video of Running Up for Air here:
