runguides

What runguides does

RunGuides is a privately held, bootstrapped Vancouver-based web platform that operates as a directory and calendar for running events, races, and clubs across cities in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. The core product is a searchable race calendar that allows runners to filter events by date, distance, size band, course type (road, trail, obstacle, virtual), coupon availability, and Boston Marathon Qualifier status, with location-level URL architecture (e.g., /boston/runs, /toronto/runs) that supports programmatic SEO across 60+ state/province pages and 60+ city pages. The platform also offers a running clubs directory and an editorial articles section, and is supported by a small team of 1–10 employees.

The underlying technology stack is a standard web-based directory and calendar platform with filtering capabilities; the company has no public API, no mobile app, and no disclosed integrations, indicating a relatively lightweight technical footprint optimized for SEO and content operations rather than platform extensibility. Distribution is primarily organic: location-targeted URLs drive search traffic, supplemented by an Instagram presence and contact/advertise pages that serve as inbound B2B lead capture.

RunGuides monetizes through two primary streams. The first is advertising and media services sold through a dedicated RunGuides Media property (runguidesmedia.com), which connects running-industry brands and product advertisers with the platform's audience of "millions of runners annually." The second is event listing services, where race directors submit their events to the calendar with optional featured placements and coupon functionality, suggesting a hybrid free/paid listing model. The company has raised no disclosed institutional funding and operates as an independent, owner-operated private business with no parent company, subsidiaries, or public ownership signals.

Name

runguides

Website

https://runguides.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

RunGuides is a Vancouver-based web directory and calendar that helps individual runners discover running events, races, and clubs across North America, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, monetizing primarily through a dedicated advertising platform and event listing services for race directors and brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Running Event Directory

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121), Spectator Sports (7112), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (54185)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Road Running Events (Marathons, Half Marathons, 10K/5K) (MPAKAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trail Running & Ultra-Endurance Events (Trail Races, Ultras) (MPAKAIAD), Ticketing, Registration & Event Technology (Badging, Apps) (BPAFAGAL)

Keywords

• Running event directory
• Race calendar platform
• Running club listings
• Event listing service
• Running media advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising/Media Services: The platform offers advertising opportunities for products and brands to connect with millions of runners through runguidesmedia.com
2. Event Listing Services: Race directors can add their events to the calendar, suggesting a listing fee model for event organizers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

RunGuides operates a web-based running event directory and calendar that helps runners discover, search, and filter running events, races, marathons, and clubs across North America (US and Canada), Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. The platform supports filtering by date, distance, size, coupon availability, course type (road/trail/obstacle/virtual), and Boston Marathon Qualifier status. Beyond consumer-facing discovery, RunGuides offers a race-director event-listing service and a media advertising platform (runguidesmedia.com) that connects running brands with the platform's audience of millions of annual runners.

Product overview

RunGuides operates as a unified platform offering multiple interconnected services for the running community. The core product is the Running Events Directory—a comprehensive calendar covering running races, marathons, half-marathons, ultras, and other running events across North America, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. This is complemented by a Running Clubs Directory that helps runners find local clubs. The platform also includes an Articles/Blog section for editorial content. For event organizers, RunGuides offers a Race Director Event Listing Service to add events to the calendar. Additionally, the RunGuides Media advertising platform (runguidesmedia.com) allows brands to advertise and reach the platform's millions of annual users. The platform supports event discovery through filtering by location, date, distance, course type (road/trail/obstacle/virtual), size, and Boston Marathon qualification status.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RunGuides Media: Advertising/media division of RunGuides connecting brands with runners

Products and services

• RunGuides Running Events Directory Web-based running events directory and calendar that lists upcoming running races, marathons, half-marathons, ultras, 5Ks, and other running events across cities in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. Users search by location and filter by date, distance, size, coupons, course type (road/trail/obstacle/virtual), and Boston Marathon Qualifier status. Targeted at individual runners searching for their next race.
• Running Clubs Directory Directory of local running clubs that lets runners browse club listings in their city to find groups and communities to train or socialize with. Targeted at individual runners seeking clubs to help reach their running goals.
• Race Director Event Listing Service Self-serve service for race directors and event organizers to add running events to the RunGuides calendar so they appear in city- and country-level listings alongside other races. Targeted at SMB race directors and event organizers who want to reach RunGuides' audience of millions of annual runners.
• RunGuides Media Advertising Media/advertising platform operated at runguidesmedia.com that enables brands, products, and sponsors in the running industry to advertise to RunGuides' audience of millions of annual runners. Targeted at running, fitness, and endurance-sport brands seeking direct access to a highly relevant, vertical audience of runners.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• MapMyRun: Under Armour-owned running app with route mapping and event/community features. Comparable as a runner-facing platform that combines training utility with event discovery and social engagement for the same endurance audience.

Direct peers

• Marathon Guide: Long-standing marathon and half-marathon directory with international race listings. Overlaps RunGuides' longer-distance road race coverage and serves a similar marathon-focused runner audience.
• Race Roster: Canadian-headquartered race registration and discovery platform with strong North American race director relationships. Directly relevant as a competing endurance-event platform serving similar geographies and audiences.
• Cool Running: Established running event calendar with searchable race listings and runner resources. Directly comparable to RunGuides as a race-discovery destination for the North American running community.
• Athlinks: Race results and event database covering running, triathlon, and other endurance events across North America. Comparable to RunGuides as a discovery and history layer for endurance athletes searching races and tracking results.
• Running in the USA: Long-running US-focused running event directory and race calendar. Directly comparable to RunGuides because it offers race discovery by state and city with filtering by distance and date, targeting the same runner and race-director audiences.
• Find My Race: Online directory of running races searchable by location, distance, and date. Closely aligned with RunGuides' core directory offering and target audience of race-seeking runners.

Broad incumbents

• Eventbrite: General-purpose event listing and ticketing platform that also indexes mass-participation running events. Comparable as a discovery channel for race seekers and as a potential competitor that bundles listings into a broader marketplace.
• Strava: Global running and cycling activity platform with a large engaged endurance athlete user base and a routes/events layer. Comparable to RunGuides as a high-engagement endurance-audience channel that advertisers also buy against.
• RunSignUp: Largest North American online race registration platform used by tens of thousands of race directors. Comparable to RunGuides because it sits between race directors and runners and could plausibly extend into consumer-facing discovery, posing a competitive threat.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/runguides
• Xx.com/RunGuides

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 runguides