UltraRunning Magazine

What UltraRunning Magazine does

UltraRunning Magazine is a privately held niche sports media company that has published dedicated coverage of ultrarunning since 1981, making it the longest-running publication in the category. The company operates a bimonthly print magazine alongside a digital edition, distributed primarily through direct subscriptions to consumers in the US, Canada, and select international markets. Its content ecosystem extends well beyond the magazine itself to include a race calendar platform listing 2,808 ultra events, a North American ultrarunning participation statistics database (tracking unique runners, finishes, and demographics since 2001), all-time performance lists, a podcast on iTunes and Spotify, a weekly email newsletter, expert-developed training plans, and the Old School Ultras curated race program.

The underlying technology is a web-based content platform combining a subscriber portal, event/calendar management, race results and runner search databases, and an e-commerce storefront for subscriptions, back issues, and branded merchandise (hats, stickers, mugs). Proprietary data assets — the race calendar and the participation statistics database — function as reference infrastructure for the ultrarunning community.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring subscriptions: $49/year for print+digital and $30/year for digital-only, with 2-year and 3-year tiers at a 28% discount, plus gift subscriptions. Supplementary streams include physical and digital back issue sales, branded merchandise, and a wholesale retailer program (specialty running stores and Barnes & Noble) where magazines are sold at $5 wholesale and $8 retail. The company is owned by Steep Life Media, LLC, which acquired it in July 2024, and remains headquartered in Bend, Oregon with 1-10 employees. The subscriber base is affluent (average reported income $126,000/year) and engaged (average 52 miles/week, $900+/year on running gear), in a sport growing approximately 20% annually.

Name

UltraRunning Magazine

Legal name

UltraRunning Magazine

Website

https://ultrarunning.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Media and Magazine Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports & Recreation Magazines (MPAJAEAJ)

Keywords

• Ultrarunning magazine
• Race calendar
• Training plans
• Race results database
• Running publication

Headquarters

HQ city

Bend

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print and Digital Subscriptions: Annual subscriptions providing 6 print issues plus digital access. Includes unlimited website access, training plans, subscriber discounts, and 40+ years of archived articles. Auto-renewal with annual billing.
2. Digital-Only Subscriptions: Annual digital-only subscription with PDF access to each issue and all subscriber benefits except physical magazine.
3. Multi-Year Subscriptions: 2-year (28% savings) and 3-year print+digital subscription options with discounted rates.
4. Gift Subscriptions: 1-year gift subscriptions available for purchase at standard subscription rates.
5. Back Issues: Physical back issues sold individually at $9.50-$10.00 per copy. Ships to US and Canada only.
6. Digital Back Issues: PDF digital versions of back issues sold at $6.00 each.
7. Merchandise: Branded merchandise including hats ($25-$32), stickers ($2), and vacuum mugs ($22).
8. Retailer Program: Wholesale magazine sales to retailers at $5.00/copy with 6-month invoicing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

UltraRunning Magazine publishes a bimonthly print and digital magazine (6 issues per year) dedicated exclusively to the sport of ultrarunning. It sells annual subscriptions (Print+Digital at $49/year US, Digital-Only at $30/year), multi-year subscriptions, gift subscriptions, and physical and digital back issues, and operates supporting content platforms including a race calendar with 2,808 events, a race results database, a podcast, and branded merchandise.

Product overview

UltraRunning Magazine operates as a multi-platform publication dedicated to the sport of ultrarunning since 1981, offering both print and digital magazine subscriptions as its core products (Print+Digital at $49/year and Digital Only at $30/year). The company maintains an integrated ecosystem including a comprehensive race calendar/Events Platform with over 2,800 events, a Race Results Database tracking North American ultra running participation statistics, the UltraRunner of the Year Awards program, and the Old School Ultras curated race collection. Additional offerings include the UltraRunning Magazine Podcast (available on iTunes and Spotify), branded merchandise including headwear, stickers, and drinkware, plus back issues in both physical and digital formats. The publication was acquired by Steep Life Media in July 2024.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UltraRunning Magazine Print + Digital Subscription Annual subscription combining 6 print issues of UltraRunning Magazine per year with unlimited digital access to current and archived issues, a 12-month training wall calendar, expert-developed training plans, and subscriber discounts. Targeted at individual ultrarunning enthusiasts in the US, Canada, and internationally.
• UltraRunning Magazine Digital-Only Subscription Annual digital-only subscription providing 6 PDF issues of UltraRunning Magazine delivered through the subscriber website, with all subscriber benefits except the physical print magazine. Targeted at individual ultrarunning enthusiasts globally.
• UltraRunning Magazine Physical Back Issues Individual physical back issues of UltraRunning Magazine available for purchase at $9.50-$10.00 per copy, with multiple years of past issues available. Ships to US and Canada only. Targeted at ultrarunners seeking specific historical content or collecting past issues.
• UltraRunning Magazine Digital Back Issues PDF downloads of past UltraRunning Magazine issues sold at $6.00 each for immediate digital purchase and access. Targeted at individual ultrarunners globally seeking specific historical content.
• 1-Year Gift Subscription One-year print and digital subscription that can be purchased as a gift for a recipient, including email notification to the recipient. Sold at standard subscription rates.
• Multi-Year Subscription Plans (2-Year and 3-Year) 2-year (28% savings, $88) and 3-year (28% savings, $110) Print + Digital subscription plans that provide discounted rates for longer commitments.
• UltraRunning Branded Headwear Branded hats and visors including BOCO 360 Visor, BOCO Run Hat, BOCO Running Trucker, and BOCO Pom-Pom Beanie. Sold through the UltraRunning shop to ultrarunning enthusiasts.
• UltraRunning Branded Stickers Decorative stickers featuring UltraRunning branding and distance achievements including 50K, 100K, 50 Mile, and 100 Mile designs. Sold through the UltraRunning shop.
• Ultrarunning Camper Vacuum Mug Branded vacuum-insulated camper mug sold through the UltraRunning shop to ultrarunning enthusiasts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Subscribers run 52 miles per week
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Steep Life Media, LLCcoreOthers · 16 July 2024Steep Life Media, LLC, headed by veteran ultrarunner Jamil Coury, acquired UltraRunning Magazine effective July 2024 beginning with the September 2024 issue. This represents the company's new ownership structure.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PodiumRunner: Digital-first publication focused on distance running (including ultras) with news, race results, and gear coverage; competes for the same reader time and brand-sponsorship dollars as UltraRunning.
• iRunFar: Long-running digital ultrarunning publication with gear reviews, training, race coverage, and a comprehensive event/calendar database; directly competes for the same ultrarunning reader attention and advertiser dollars, substituting for UltraRunning's print+digital offer.
• Trail Runner Magazine: Print and digital magazine dedicated to trail and ultrarunning with race coverage, training, and gear reviews, serving the same niche endurance audience as UltraRunning Magazine.
• Marathon & Beyond: Quarterly magazine for distance runners including ultras, covering training, races, and the culture of endurance running; targets a similar long-form reader profile to UltraRunning Magazine.

Others

• Strava: GPS training and social platform used heavily by ultrarunners for activity tracking, route discovery, and community; an ecosystem adjacent to UltraRunning's training plans, calendar, and results products rather than a direct publishing competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Women's Running: Print and digital running magazine with training, gear, and race content; a broader-incumbent alternative for the running audience that occasionally overlaps with UltraRunning's experiential ultrarunning reader.
• Athletics Magazine: Track-and-field and distance-running publication covering elite competition and amateur racing; adjacent editorial mix and shares race-calendar and results interests with UltraRunning.
• Outside (magazine): Multi-discipline outdoor media brand with significant endurance/trail running coverage including ultras; competes for premium outdoor advertiser spend and reader attention in the ultrarunning vertical.
• Runner's World: Flagship mainstream running magazine with print+digital subscriptions, training content, gear reviews, and a race calendar that overlaps UltraRunning's audience and editorial pillars, though it covers all of running rather than specializing in ultras.

Regional players

• Canadian Running Magazine: Canada-focused running publication with print issues, training content, and race coverage; covers similar editorial territory and shares a portion of UltraRunning's Canadian subscriber base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ultrarunningmag
• Facebookfacebook.com/ultrarunningmag
• Instagraminstagram.com/ultrarunningmag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ultrarunningmagazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 UltraRunning Magazine