Trail runners might also be classified by their choice of footwear. Trail shoes also tend to feature protective uppers that prevent trail debris from entering the shoes, and buffer against encounters with sharp objects along the trail. That said, one frequently sees trail runners with road shoes and vice versa, so choice of shoe is not that great a clue. Understanding who trail runners are requires going beyond issues of running surface and gear. One distinction in attitude between a road runner and a trail runner is the quest for speed and distance versus pursuing something for an intrinsic, yet immeasurable, experience.
Road runners tend to be into measurement.
They are often aware of their pace, heart rate, time above, in, and below their heart-rate zone, the distance they have run, and perhaps the elevation they have gained and lost, or calories they have burned. In contrast, while trail runners might know the day of the week, they rarely know how far they have run, much less their pace, because they normally measure their runs by time rather than distance. Trail runners tap into the off-road running experience as a freeing escape that allows them to recharge their emotional and spiritual batteries while they commune with nature through physical exertion. Road running by definition requires a road, which translates into a connection with what some call civilization. Road runners are often forced to maneuver their runs to contend with auto traffic in what are often hostile encounters.