Empire Elite Track Club

What Empire Elite Track Club does

Empire Elite Track Club (EETC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional running team founded in January 2021 and headquartered in the New York City metropolitan area. The organization operates a three-tier athlete development pyramid — EE Pro/Elite, EE Rising, and EE Developmental/Open — with performance standards and invitations gating entry to higher tiers, and provides coaching across seven distance-specialized event groups spanning 400M to Ultra Marathon. Co-founders John Trautmann (two-time NCAA 5000m champion, 1992 Olympic Trials winner, former Wall Street credit trader) and Tom Nohilly anchor the coaching staff, supplemented by Assistant Coach and Manager Lenny Diaz. The club serves elite, developing, and recreational distance runners pursuing competitive excellence at local, national, and international levels, with stated competitive targets including the 2026 World Indoor Championships, 2027 World Track and Field Championships, and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The business model rests on three pillars: tax-deductible donations processed via PayPal (with employer matching support); a direct-to-consumer branded merchandise storefront offering five SKUs (tees, hoodies, hats) priced between $25 and $60; and a curated partner ecosystem providing in-kind or co-developed athlete services. Strategic partners include Martin Physical Therapy (founded by athlete Brendan Martin, with two NYC clinic locations), sports nutritionist Amy Stephens (MS, RDN, CDCES, CSSD, NYU-trained), and apparel sponsor Miler Running. Distribution is digital-native and lean: Instagram and a Squarespace-hosted website for outreach; a Google Form for athlete recruitment; PayPal for donations; and direct email via [email protected] for inquiries. The organization operates with 6 employees, has no disclosed revenue, holds no patents or registered trademarks, and has no parent company or subsidiaries. There is no use of AI, machine learning, or proprietary software platforms in the documented offering.

Name

Empire Elite Track Club

Legal name

Empire Elite Track Club

Website

https://empireelitetrack.club

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Empire Elite Track Club is a NYC-based 501(c)(3) non-profit professional running team, founded in 2021, that develops distance runners through a three-tier pyramid (Pro, Rising, Developmental) and seven event groups spanning 400M to Ultra Marathon, funded primarily by donations and merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Track and Field Club Services

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Individual-Sport Clubs & Teams (Cycling Teams, Athletics/Track Clubs, Swimming Clubs, etc.) (MPAKABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Strength & Conditioning / Athletic Performance Training (HSADAEAB), Elite Performance Training Centers (High-Performance/Pro Prep) (MPAKAJAC)

Keywords

• Professional running club
• Distance track team
• Athlete development programs
• Non-profit sports organization
• Elite running coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

New York City

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Empire Elite Track Club accepts tax-deductible donations. The club leverages employer matching programs to double donation impact.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded apparel including t-shirts, hoodies, and hats through the club's own e-commerce storefront.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Empire Elite Track Club is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional distance running team based in New York City that develops athletes across three tiered programs (EE Pro/Elite, EE Rising, EE Developmental/Open) and seven distance-specialized event groups spanning 400M through Ultra Marathon. The club provides coaching, training structure, physical therapy access, and sports nutrition support to athletes pursuing competitive excellence, and also generates revenue through branded merchandise sales and tax-deductible donations.

Product overview

Empire Elite Track Club is a professional running team organized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization launched in January 2021 and based in New York City. The organization operates three distinct athlete tiers: EE Pro/Elite (for elite athletes meeting performance standards), EE Rising (for athletes progressing toward elite status), and EE Developmental/Open (for all runners regardless of experience). Training groups are organized by distance specialization spanning 400M through Ultra Marathon distances. The club also offers branded merchandise (apparel and accessories) through its Gear store. The organization provides coaching services, physical therapy partnerships, sports nutrition support, and apparel sponsorship through its partner network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EE Pro / Elite: The highest performance tier within the organization, reserved for elite athletes who have met official performance standards or received direct invitations.
• EE Rising
• EE Developmental / Open

Quantifiable outcome

• Club records: 1500m 3:32.95 (Eric Holt), Mile 3:51.46 (Eric Holt), 5k 13:30.74 (Travis Mahoney), Marathon 2:15:59 (Brendan Martin)

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Martin Physical TherapycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by EETC's Brendan Martin, Martin PT operates out of two locations on the Upper West Side and Brooklyn in NYC. They are a premier physical therapy practice providing sports and clinical physical therapy as well as endurance sport coaching. They offer treatments including soft-tissue work, Shockwave therapy, auxiliary strength programs, and more. Martin PT provides injury prevention, rehab, and treatments for Empire Elite athletes.
• Amy Stephens (MS, RDN, CDCES, CSSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicensed dietitian and sports nutritionist partnering with Empire Elite to create healthy eating habits including cooking classes, grocery store tours, and meal plans. Amy has over 20 years of experience as a practicing nutritionist, holds a Master's degree in Clinical Nutrition from NYU, and brings firsthand athletic experience as a former competitive gymnast and diver.
• Miler RunningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRace apparel sponsor of Empire Elite Track Club. The team races in the MILER BASE RUNNING SINGLET - a lightweight running singlet for training and competition made in New York City of imported European fabrics. Miler Running is dedicated to ensuring athletes are confident in their race-day uniform.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bowerman Track Club: Nike-sponsored elite distance training group based in Portland, Oregon, founded by coach Jerry Schumacher — directly comparable as a long-standing professional distance club competing for the same pool of US Olympic-distance talent.
• Tinman Elite: Upstart professional distance running team based in Boulder, Colorado, coached by renowned coach Jay Johnson — directly comparable as a younger elite US distance club built around coaching pedigree and ambitious Olympic-level performance targets.
• Hoka NAZ Elite: Elite distance training group sponsored by Hoka and based in Flagstaff, Arizona, competing at the highest US national and international distance events — directly comparable as a professional, sponsor-backed elite running club with Olympic-cycle ambitions.
• New York New Jersey Track Club (NYNJTC): Premier US elite distance training group based in the greater NY/NJ region — comparable to Empire Elite as both are geographically proximate elite track clubs targeting similar Pro/Elite middle- and long-distance talent, and notably Empire Elite's co-founders previously coached at NYNJTC.
• Mammoth Track Club: Elite distance training group based in Boulder/Mammoth Lakes area — directly comparable as a US elite distance club focused on developing professional distance runners competing at the national and Olympic level.
• On Athletics Club: Boulder-based professional track and distance team sponsored by On Running — directly comparable as a brand-sponsored, professionally run elite training group pursuing Olympic-distance podiums.
• Hansons-Brooks Distance Project: Established elite distance club based in Michigan under coaches Keith and Kevin Hanson — directly comparable as a longstanding US professional distance training group producing national-class marathon and track athletes.

Broad incumbents

• Atlanta Track Club: Large, established non-profit running organization operating elite teams, mass-participation events, and community programming — broadly comparable as a 501(c)(3) running organization with an elite component, though it spans a much broader mission than Empire Elite's distance-only focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/empireelitetrack.club
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empireelitetrackclub

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Empire Elite Track Club