Big Run Media

What Big Run Media does

Big Run Media operates the consumer-facing running media brand "Believe in the Run" (BITR), a content platform publishing editorial reviews of running footwear, apparel, and accessories. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, the platform covers road, trail, and track categories across major brands including Nike, New Balance, Hoka, Asics, Saucony, Puma, Adidas, and Salomon. Distribution spans a primary website (believeintherun.com), two YouTube channels (main and BITRNetworks), Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, Strava, and a weekly email newsletter ("The Drop"). The company operates with 1-10 employees and has no disclosed funding, parent entity, or subsidiaries; the principal business names in market are "Believe in the Run" and "BITR."

Name

Big Run Media

Legal name

Big Run Media

Website

https://bigrunmedia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Big Run Media operates "Believe in the Run," a Baltimore-based consumer media platform publishing editorial reviews, video, and podcasts on running shoes and gear, monetized through advertising, affiliate commissions, and branded merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Advertising: Display advertising on the website, with sponsored content placements and brand partnerships integrated into editorial content.
2. E-commerce Merchandise Sales: Direct sales of branded merchandise including apparel, accessories (hats, caps) through their own e-commerce storefront at shop.believeintherun.com.
3. Affiliate/Referral Revenue: Commission-based revenue from linking to external retailers for running shoes and gear. Top ranked products in various categories generate referral traffic.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Big Run Media operates Believe in the Run (BITR), a digital media platform that publishes editorial reviews, videos, and podcasts covering running shoes and athletic gear across road, trail, and track categories. The company also sells Believe in the Run branded apparel and accessories through its own e-commerce storefront, hosts weekly community running events (Believe Run Club), and operates a proprietary Shoe Finder recommendation tool. Revenue is generated primarily through display advertising, sponsored content placements, affiliate referrals to retailers, and direct merchandise sales.

Product overview

Believe in the Run (BITR) is a running-focused media platform built around a comprehensive content portfolio. The core offering consists of editorial reviews of running shoes across road, trail, and track categories, paired with gear reviews covering apparel, accessories, and nutrition. Key features include the Shoe Finder tool (a data science-powered shoe recommendation engine), a branded apparel merchandise store (BITR Apparel), and the Believe Run Club community program hosting weekly runs. The platform also produces video reviews, podcasts, and educational content like the 'Anatomy of a Shoe' guide. The company is headquartered in Baltimore, MD.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Believe in the Run (BITR) Online media platform providing editorial reviews, comparisons, and rankings of running shoes, gear, and races across road, trail, and track categories, aimed at running enthusiasts.
• BITR Apparel Store Direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront selling Believe in the Run branded apparel, hats, caps, and accessories to running community members and fans of the brand.
• Believe Run Club Community-driven running club program that organizes weekly in-person group runs and events, supporting engagement with the Believe in the Run audience.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Solereview: Independent running shoe review site with lab-style data-driven analysis and rankings. Closely comparable to BITR's editorial-plus-Shoe Finder model, though Solereview leans more quantitative while BITR blends community and editorial.
• Running Shoes Guru: Long-running niche review site focused exclusively on running footwear comparisons and recommendations. Directly comparable to BITR in scope, audience, and affiliate-driven monetization.
• The Run Testers: Independent running gear review platform with multi-tester methodology and YouTube presence. Comparable to BITR in content-led, multi-format review approach within the running niche.
• Competitor.com: Endurance and running media brand covering shoe reviews, race coverage, and training content. Compares to BITR as a running-focused editorial platform with event coverage and gear reviews.
• Believe in the Run: Listed separately as the operational brand name of Big Run Media itself; included for completeness to anchor peer mapping against the primary digital property of the subject company.

Others

• Strava: Social network for runners and cyclists with strong community features. Comparable to BITR for the community-and-engagement layer (BITR already operates a Strava club), but Strava is an enabling platform rather than a content competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Wirecutter: Large-scale product review platform under NYT with structured recommendation methodology. Comparable to BITR for editorial-plus-tooling approach (Shoe Finder analogous to Wirecutter's recommendation lists), though vastly larger and cross-category.
• Gear Patrol: Broader consumer gear review and lifestyle media platform with affiliate-driven commerce. Compares to BITR as a content-led review business monetized through affiliate and brand partnerships, though at wider category scope.
• Runner's World: The dominant running media brand with deep editorial coverage of shoes, gear, training, and events. Compares to BITR as the broader, well-funded incumbent in the same content niche, though RW operates at much larger scale across multiple formats.

Emerging players

• Fleet Feet: Specialty running retailer with strong content, local run clubs, and gear fitting expertise. Comparable to BITR for its running-community-flywheel model and educational shoe content, though anchored in retail rather than media.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bigrunmedia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2-2J_y_jpOYz8Rld5C6C5w
• Facebookfacebook.com/Bigrunmedia
• Instagraminstagram.com/believeintherun
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-run-media

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Big Run Media