Cadence Sports, Inc.

What Cadence Sports, Inc. does

Cadence Sports, Inc. is a privately held, full-service event production company founded in 2007 in Austin, Texas by Brian Leto and Gary Metcalf, now headquartered in Buda, Texas. The company specializes in cause-related endurance events — cycling rides, runs, walks, and triathlons — and serves a dual client base of large nonprofits (Pelotonia, Susan G. Komen 3-Day, Fred Hutch Obliteride, Alzheimer's Association, National MS Society) and enterprise sports properties (Boston Marathon, TCS New York City Marathon, IRONMAN, Chevron Houston Marathon, AJC Peachtree Road Race). Cadence operates through three wholly-owned subsidiaries: Cadence Event Management, LLC; Cadence Equipment, LLC; and H2O Operations, LLC (acquired January 2025). The company has scaled from a chip-timing startup to a ~25-person organization supporting 180-300+ events annually across North America, with 4 logistics hubs, 45,000 feet of owned event fencing and trussing, and 250 WaterMonster hydration tanks.

Cadence delivers four integrated service lines. Event Management is fee-based, year-round planning and execution including route design, permitting, law enforcement coordination, technical operations, and brand activations, delivered as professional services on multi-year contracts. Event Equipment is a per-event rental business for fencing, trussing, signage, and accessories with turn-key set-up and strike, leveraging capital-intensive physical infrastructure distributed across the four hubs. H2O Operations (acquired January 2025) provides turn-key sustainable hydration services using WaterMonster tanks at mass-gathering events — 1 tank = 1,000 16 oz bottles — and added an Arizona hub in May 2025 to serve the Southwest and Mountain West. Collie, launched in March 2025, is the company's first software product: an all-in-one registration, fundraising, CRM, merchandising, and check-in platform offered with no subscription fees, implying transaction- or take-rate monetization. The technology foundation is Google Workspace-hosted with cloud-based participant tracking, registration, and route planning tools; no proprietary AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

The go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven: Cadence positions itself as an "extension of your team" rather than a transactional vendor, supported by 10-15+ year client relationships with marquee nonprofits. The company co-authors the annual Million Dollar Club cause-cycling rankings with the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum, establishing thought leadership across the segment. Cadence's 31 cause-related event partners collectively raised nearly $200M in 2024, and the company's 2024 portfolio spans more than 180 managed events and 300+ events touched in total — ranging from San Francisco to New York and covering cancer research, health, hunger relief, and other verticals. The chip-timing business was divested in 2015 to focus on the higher-value services and equipment lines that now anchor the operating model.

Name

Cadence Sports, Inc.

Legal name

Cadence Sports, Inc.

Website

https://cadencesports.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cadence Sports is a privately held, full-service event production company specializing in cause-related endurance events. Founded in 2007 and based in Buda, Texas, it serves large nonprofits and enterprise sports properties through four integrated lines: event management, equipment rental, hydration services (H2O Operations/WaterMonster), and the Collie software platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Endurance Event Production and Management Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113), Spectator Sports (7112)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Endurance Stage & Destination Challenges (Multi-day Tours, Charity Challenges) (MPAKAIAG)

Keywords

• Endurance event management
• Cause-related event production
• Event infrastructure rental
• Event registration software
• Sustainable hydration services

Headquarters

HQ city

Buda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Event Management Services: Full-service event planning, management, and execution for cause-related endurance events. Services include administration/consulting, operational planning, production execution, technical route management, private events, and brand activations. Revenue is generated through professional services fees, typically project-based or annual contract arrangements with nonprofit clients.
2. Event Equipment Rental & Infrastructure: Rental and deployment of event infrastructure including fencing, trussing, and accessories. The company maintains 45,000 feet of fencing and truss structures distributed across 4 North American hubs. Services include turn-key set-up and strike.
3. H2O Operations / WaterMonster Hydration: Turn-key sustainable hydration solutions using WaterMonster tanks. Revenue is generated through service fees for tank deployment, setup, fill, removal, and distribution of water at events. 250 tanks distributed nationally with a new Arizona hub established in 2025.
4. Collie Software Platform: All-in-one event registration, fundraising, and check-in software. Collie is offered with no subscription fees, suggesting a transaction-based or take-rate model, potentially monetized through per-event or per-transaction fees, merchandising, or premium features.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Core offering

Cadence Sports provides full-service event management, equipment rental, sustainable hydration, and registration/fundraising software for cause-related endurance events across North America. Services span administration/consulting, operational planning, production execution, technical route design, permitting, and brand activations, delivered through subsidiaries Cadence Event Management, Cadence Equipment, H2O Operations, and the Collie software platform.

Product overview

Cadence Sports is a full-service event production company offering four integrated service lines: Event Management (cause-related event planning and execution), Event Equipment (infrastructure including fencing and trussing), H2O Operations (WaterMonster hydration solutions), and Collie (registration/fundraising software). The company operates as a unified platform supporting over 180 events annually across North America, with subsidiaries Cadence Event Management, LLC, Cadence Equipment, LLC, and H2O Operations, LLC (acquired January 2025).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Collie: All-in-one software solution for event registration, fundraising, and check-in processes launched in 2025

Products and services

• Event Management

Quantifiable outcome

• Pelotonia has raised $300M+ for cancer research over 15 years with Cadence as a partner
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers30 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and major.

• WaterMonster (Kevin Huff / Retail Sales)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 May 2025H2O Operations (now a Cadence subsidiary) is the largest service provider for WaterMonster tanks in North America. WaterMonster was developed in 2009 by Kevin Huff. Cadence/H2O provides turn-key deployment, fill, removal, and distribution services for WaterMonster tanks at events.
• H2O Operations, LLCcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2025Cadence Sports acquired H2O Operations, LLC (the largest WaterMonster service provider in North America) effective January 1, 2025. All existing H2O Operations staff and equipment transferred under the Cadence Sports parent company. H2O Operations services 150+ events annually with WaterMonster tanks.
• Peer-to-Peer Professional ForumflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Annual co-authorship and publication of the 'Million Dollar Club' cause cycling fundraising rankings. Cadence and the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum jointly release the study each March. The report is a major industry benchmark and positions Cadence as a thought leader in the cause-related endurance event space. The 2024 report covered 46 events raising $316M collectively.
• PelotoniaflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2009Pelotonia is a major cause-related cycling event raising funds for cancer research at Ohio State University. Cadence has been a partner since 2009 and has been with Pelotonia from the beginning. The partnership has generated $300M+ over 15 years. Pelotonia is Cadence's most prominent long-term client relationship.
• Susan G. KomencoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2009Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure events were a key early partnership (2009) that exposed Cadence to large-scale cause-related events. Cadence currently manages the Komen 3-Day walk series, which has raised $927M+ since 2003.
• LIVE**STRONG**coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCadence assisted with planning and production of the LIVE**STRONG** Challenge series (4-event series) in 2008. This partnership was foundational in exposing Cadence to cause-related endurance events and led to further opportunities.
• Atlanta Track ClubmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCadence provides event infrastructure to the Atlanta Track Club for the AJC Peachtree Road Race, the largest 10K in the world with 60,000 participants. 10-year partnership.
• New York Road RunnersmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCadence provides event infrastructure (equipment) for the TCS New York City Marathon (25,000 participants), one of the world's most iconic marathons.
• Boston Athletic AssociationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCadence provides event infrastructure for the Boston Marathon (30,000 participants), the most iconic running event in the world.
• IRONMANmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCadence provides infrastructure to a number of IRONMAN triathlon events around the country. 8-year partnership with approximately 2,000 participants per event.
• Ascension Seton Austin MarathoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCadence provides event infrastructure for the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon with 17,000 runners and 100,000 spectators. 14-year partnership.
• Chevron Houston MarathoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCadence provides event infrastructure for the Houston Marathon, the largest single-day sporting event in Houston, Texas. 1-year partnership. 20,000 participants.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• RunSignup: Leading registration, ticketing, and event management platform purpose-built for endurance events (running, cycling, triathlon). Direct software competitor to Cadence's Collie platform.
• Givebutter: Modern, fast-growing fundraising and donor management platform for nonprofits with strong P2P and event-registration capabilities. Competes with Collie for nonprofit event organizers' software dollars.
• Spartan Race: Global obstacle racing and endurance event operator. Competes for the same sponsors, venue partners, and endurance event consumer audience as Cadence's production services.
• Funraise: Nonprofit fundraising software platform with P2P campaigns, event registration, and donor CRM. Comparable to Collie in serving cause-driven endurance and fundraising events.
• IRONMAN Group: Operates the world's largest mass-participation endurance event portfolio (triathlons, marathons, cycling). Both companies manage full-service endurance event production for nonprofits and brands, making IRONMAN the most directly comparable peer.
• Tough Mudder: Owns and operates a global portfolio of obstacle-course and endurance events. Overlaps directly with Cadence in mass-participation endurance event production, route design, and on-site infrastructure.
• Bonterra (Classy): Peer-to-peer fundraising and nonprofit CRM software suite (formed by combining Classy, Network for Good, and others). Most direct software competitor to Collie's fundraising and registration functionality.

Broad incumbents

• IMG (Endeavor): Global sports and entertainment company with event operations, media rights, and sponsorship capabilities. Overlaps with Cadence in operating and commercializing sports event properties but at vastly larger scale and scope.
• C3 Presents: Large-scale live event production company (Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits). Operates adjacent to Cadence in live event production but focuses on music festivals rather than endurance sports.
• Wasserman: Global sports marketing and experiential agency with event management capabilities. Comparable to Cadence in providing brand activation at sports events but with much broader scope (talent, marketing, properties).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cadence-sports

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Cadence Sports, Inc.