Elevation Culture

What Elevation Culture does

Elevation Culture, LLC is a privately held, founder-owned event management and creative design company headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 2015 by Eric Chrisman — a former US Olympic Development Team soccer player and ultra runner — the company operates two interconnected business lines. The Elevation Culture Race Series produces trail running, ultra, gravel, and mountain biking events across California, Missouri, Utah, and Colorado, ranging from 5K recreational distances to 100+ mile ultras. The Elevation Culture Creative arm has, since 2015, designed branding, logos, course maps, medals, and marketing materials for over 3,000 trail and mountain sports events across the USA.

The company monetizes through three primary streams: per-registration event fees processed via the RunSignUp third-party platform; B2B creative design services sold directly via email; and low-ticket direct-to-consumer merchandise ($1–$70) sold through a Wix-hosted e-commerce store. A eGift Card program ($25–$200 denominations) provides a stored-value channel. Distribution relies on RunSignUp for race registration, organic social media (Instagram, YouTube, Facebook), email newsletters, and on-site race-day sales. There is no disclosed external funding, no headcount data, and no enterprise customer concentration — the customer base is a distributed long tail of individual athletes, supplemented by SMB event organizer clients on the creative services side.

Name

Elevation Culture

Legal name

Elevation Culture, LLC

Website

https://elevationculture.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Endurance Sports Event Management

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKAIAD

Trail Running & Ultra-Endurance Events (Trail Races, Ultras)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Endurance & Mass Participation Events (Marathons, Triathlons, Cycling Events)

Keywords

• Trail running events
• Endurance race management
• Creative design services
• Gravel cycling events
• Outdoor event branding

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Registration Fees: Revenue generated from participants registering for trail running, ultra, gravel, and mountain biking events across California, Missouri, Utah, and Colorado.
2. Creative Services: Since 2015, Elevation Culture has designed and created creative services for over 3,000+ trail/mountain sports events across the USA, including event logo design, branding, marketing materials, and event-specific merchandise design.
3. E-commerce Merchandise Sales: Online store selling handcrafted goods including finisher shirts, snapback hats, pint glasses, stickers, reusable cups, and bags from third-party brands like Victory Sport Design.
4. Gift Cards: eGift cards sold in denominations of $25, $50, $100, $150, and $200 for use on race registrations and merchandise.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Elevation Culture organizes and operates a multi-state endurance sports race series featuring trail running, ultra marathons, gravel rides, and mountain biking events across California, Missouri, Utah, and Colorado, with distances from 5K to 100+ miles. The company also runs a creative design services arm that produces event branding, logos, medals, apparel, and marketing materials for other outdoor sports events and brands. Supporting the core offerings is a direct-to-consumer merchandise store selling event-specific apparel, accessories, and third-party athletic products.

Product overview

Elevation Culture operates as a unified platform offering two interconnected services: the Elevation Culture Race Series (a multi-state trail and ultra running, gravel, and mountain biking event series) and Elevation Culture Creative (a full-service creative design agency for outdoor sports events). The Race Series includes flagship events like Lake Hodges Trail Fest, San Diego 50, Bedrock Valley Trail Runs, The Bluffs Trail Runs, and Goblin Valley Trail Runs spanning California, Missouri, Utah, and Colorado. The Creative arm provides design services including logos, race course maps, branding, medals, t-shirts, and marketing materials for over 3,000 events since 2015. Supporting the core events is a merchandise store (shirts, cups, bags, stickers), an eGift Card program, and a volunteer program offering race entry incentives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Elevation Culture Race Series A multi-sport race series featuring trail running, ultra marathons, gravel rides, mountain biking, and multi-sport events across California, Missouri, Utah, and Colorado, with distances ranging from 5K to 100+ miles for individual endurance athletes.
• Elevation Culture Creative Full-service creative design agency for outdoor and mountain sports events, offering event logo design, race course maps, brand identity packages, t-shirt and swag design, medal design, banners/backdrops, packaging design, email marketing, social media content, and grassroots marketing for event organizers and outdoor brands.
• Lake Hodges Trail Fest

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Girls on the RuncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner with chapters across California, Utah, and Missouri. Donations collected during event registration. Girls on the Run is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to creating a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential.
• Soles 4 SoulsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShoe donation partnership with nonprofit organization that breaks the cycle of poverty through shoe donations. Runners can donate worn running shoes at race registration tables and receive event discounts.
• San Dieguito River ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government agency managing the park where Lake Hodges and SD50 events take place. Donations made for trail maintenance and preservation. Consider donating time for trail work days.
• Catalyst PT and WellnesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial training partner providing free training plans with event registration, free 15-min injury screens, discounted massage, and on-site finish line services. Part of the elevated finish line experience.
• Movespace PTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial training partner offering free injury screenings to event participants.
• MH Ultra CoachingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoaching partner providing trail/ultra coaching services with 20% discount for first 4 months for Elevation Culture athletes.
• Ignite Fitness & PerformanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides free training plans for runners including strength, performance, remote training, and certified coaching programs.
• RawlogyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecovery product partner offering cork message balls sold in the Elevation Culture shop.
• GU EnergyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnergy gel product partner for race nutrition at events.
• Slate (BeOutfitter)coreGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Series partner with logo featured on partnership page. Apparel/equipment brand.
• Detour (Knockaround)coreGTM or Marketing Partner2026 Series partner with logo featured on partnership page. Sunglasses brand.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Life Time Events (Leadville Race Series): Life Time operates the Leadville Race Series and a broad portfolio of endurance events including trail running, mountain biking, and gravel across the US. It is a broad incumbent that competes for the same participants and sponsors but at significantly larger scale.
• REI Co-op Events: REI runs a national calendar of outdoor events, classes, and trail running experiences as part of its broader retail and membership business. While not a focused race organizer, it competes for the same consumer base and community-engagement mindshare.

Direct peers

• GoBeyond Racing: GoBeyond Racing organizes trail, ultra, and mountain running events across multiple US regions with a similar grassroots, community-driven ethos to Elevation Culture, often using RunSignUp and public-land venues.
• Rainshadow Running: Rainshadow Running operates trail and ultra events in the Pacific Northwest with a community-focused brand and small-batch finisher experience, comparable to Elevation Culture's positioning in California, Utah, and Colorado.
• Destination Races: Destination Races produces trail running events paired with destination travel and wine/food experiences, sharing Elevation Culture's emphasis on pairing trail races with elevated finish-line and community experiences in scenic venues.
• Aravaipa Running: Aravaipa Running is one of the largest independent trail and ultra running event organizers in the US, hosting flagship races across multiple states. It is the closest direct peer to Elevation Culture Race Series in scale, sport focus, and participant demographic.
• Vacation Races: Vacation Races organizes destination trail running events in scenic US locations (national and state parks), closely mirroring Elevation Culture's model of pairing trail races with elevated experiences in California, Utah, and other western states.

Others

• UltraSignup: UltraSignup is a discovery and results platform for ultra and trail running events. While not a direct race organizer, it sits in the same ecosystem and influences participant registration patterns for Elevation Culture's events.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@elevationcultureraceseries
• Facebookfacebook.com/elevationculture
• Instagraminstagram.com/elevationculture
• Xx.com/elevationcultur
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elevationculture

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 Elevation Culture