Roots Running Project

What Roots Running Project does

Roots Running Project is a Boulder, Colorado-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded circa 2015-2016 that operates an elite post-collegiate distance running team and provides individualized running coaching services. The organization's core offering centers on a small elite roster of 6-10 athletes pursuing national and international competition, including Olympic hopefuls, who receive individualized workout plans, strength and conditioning, pre-hab soft tissue care, and injury rehabilitation. A Development Team was added in 2020 for athletes not yet ready for the elite squad, and online coaching is offered to recreational and remote athletes through an athlete performance survey intake with email support.

The team is led by Head Coach Dr. Richard Hansen (DC, DACBSP, CSCS), who also operates the High Altitude Spine and Sport sports medicine practice in Boulder, and is mentored by Dr. Joe Vigil, recipient of the USATF Legendary Coaching Award and formerly of Adams State University and Mammoth Track Club. The organization produces the Roots Running Sessions podcast on SoundCloud and iTunes, sells merchandise through the rootsrunning.store e-commerce storefront, and accepts tax-deductible donations via PayPal to support athlete training and competition. Marketing relies on the podcast, blog content, social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), an email newsletter (~84 subscribers), and earned media coverage in publications including Runner's World, Indianapolis Star, Daily Camera, and Competitor Magazine.

Roots Running Project has no proprietary technology platform; its product is human-delivered coaching methodology bundled with sports medicine services rather than a software offering. The organization is privately held under nonprofit governance, with no disclosed institutional investment, parent company, or funding rounds. A shoe sponsorship partnership with 361 Degrees USA has been in place since July 2017. Notable athlete outcomes include Noah Droddy running 2:09:09 at the Marathon Project (becoming the #9 fastest US men's marathoner), Frank Lara winning the 2020 USATF 15km Road Championship, and multiple athletes qualifying for US Olympic Trials.

Name

Roots Running Project

Legal name

Roots Running Project

Website

https://rootsrunning.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Roots Running Project is a Boulder, Colorado-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit running team founded in 2015 that provides elite post-collegiate distance runners with individualized coaching, strength training, and integrated sports medicine support, complemented by remote online coaching, a podcast, and a merchandise store.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Coaching Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Endurance & Running/Cycling Training (HSADAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

Keywords

• Running coaching services
• Athletic training programs
• Distance running team
• Online fitness coaching
• Endurance sports training

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Online Coaching Services: Interactive individualized running plans with ancillary strength/mobility training and email support offered to recreational and post-collegiate athletes on a subscription basis subject to coach availability.
2. Merchandise Store: Online store selling running-related merchandise at rootsrunning.store.
3. Donations: Tax-deductible donations accepted to support athletes' training and competition at the highest level.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Roots Running Project is a nonprofit elite post-collegiate distance running team and coaching service that delivers individualized workouts, strength and conditioning, and integrated sports medicine support to a capped roster of 6–10 Boulder, Colorado-based athletes. It also provides remote online coaching with individualized running plans for recreational and post-collegiate athletes, a Development Team pathway launched in 2020, merchandise sales through rootsrunning.store, the Roots Running Sessions podcast, and a tax-deductible donation program to underwrite athlete training and competition.

Product overview

Roots Running Project is an elite post-collegiate running team and coaching service based in Boulder, Colorado. The organization offers a portfolio of services including Online Coaching for remote athletes, an Elite Team membership program (limited to 6-10 athletes), and a Development Team for aspiring athletes. Content offerings include the Roots Running Sessions Podcast distributed via SoundCloud and iTunes. Additional services include a merchandise Store, an Email Newsletter subscription, and a Donation program for tax-deductible support. The core value proposition centers on individualized attention and long-term athletic development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Coaching Remote coaching service for recreational and post-collegiate athletes delivered via an athlete performance survey intake process; includes an interactive individualized running plan, ancillary strength and mobility training, and email support for questions. Available globally on a recurring subscription basis, subject to coach availability.
• Elite Team Membership In-person training environment for elite post-collegiate distance runners, capped at 6–10 athletes in Boulder, Colorado. Provides individualized workouts, strength and conditioning, pre-hab soft tissue and chiropractic care, and injury rehabilitation, with athletes recruited through an application/survey process.
• Development Team Development program for aspiring athletes who are not yet ready for the elite team but want to train within the Roots Running Project system.
• Roots Running Project Merchandise Store Direct-to-consumer online store at rootsrunning.store selling running-related merchandise and gear.
• Roots Running Sessions Podcast Podcast providing behind-the-scenes content on athlete competitions, professional running insights, and athlete interviews; distributed via SoundCloud and iTunes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Noah Droddy became #9 fastest US men's marathoner running 2:09:09 at Marathon Project
• +3 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 361 Degrees USAcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2017Shoe sponsorship partnership providing athletic footwear to Roots Running Project athletes. This is a marketing partnership where the brand is featured on athletes during competitions and training.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bowerman Track Club: Nike-sponsored elite distance running team based in Portland, OR, coached by Jerry Schumacher. Direct peer — competing for the same elite post-collegiate Olympic-hopeful athletes with comparable individualized training philosophy.
• Hoka NAZ Elite: Elite post-collegiate distance running team sponsored by Hoka and based in Flagstaff, AZ. Direct peer — competes for the same talent pool of elite American distance runners and offers similar individualized training and integrated support services.
• Hansons-Brooks Original Distance Project: Established elite distance running team backed by Brooks Running, offering both elite athlete development and a well-known online coaching subscription service. Direct peer across both Roots' core team and online coaching lines of business.
• Mammoth Track Club: Elite post-collegiate distance running team historically associated with Dr. Joe Vigil (Roots' mentor). Direct peer with overlapping coaching lineage and similar Boulder-area / mountain-training ethos.
• Tinman Elite: Elite post-collegiate distance running team and online coaching platform based in Boulder, CO. Most direct peer: same city, similar small-roster model, sells remote running coaching subscriptions, and competes for the same pool of Olympic-hopeful athletes.
• McMillan Running: Online personalized running coaching service for amateur and competitive runners, including individualized training plans. Direct peer in Roots' online coaching line of business, with broader scale and longer track record.
• On Athletics Club: Elite distance running team sponsored by On Running, focused on Olympic development. Direct peer competing for marquee athletes and sponsor mindshare in the U.S. elite running ecosystem.
• Reebok Boston Track Club: Elite post-collegiate distance running team based in Boston, sponsored by Reebok. Direct peer competing for elite U.S. distance running talent with a comparable individualized coaching model.

Others

• TrainingPeaks: Software platform used by endurance coaches to deliver individualized training plans to athletes. Adjacent infrastructure provider — Roots' online coaching service relies on similar workflow tooling, making TrainingPeaks a relevant ecosystem peer rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• University of Colorado Athletics (Cross Country / Track): Boulder-based NCAA Division I cross country and track program. Regional peer in the same Boulder ecosystem that develops many of the post-collegiate athletes Roots later recruits into its elite squad.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/roots_running
• YouTubesoundcloud.com/user-885602258
• Facebookfacebook.com/rootsrunning
• Instagraminstagram.com/Roots_Running

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Roots Running Project