What Students Run Philly Style does

Students Run Philly Style (SRPS) is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2004 that delivers a free, structured long-distance running mentorship program to Philadelphia youth in grades 6-12. The organization pairs approximately 1,500 students annually with 400 volunteer adult mentors (called Running Leaders) across 60 partner schools in 48 zip codes; participants train up to 10 hours weekly from March through November to complete a half or full marathon. The core model is augmented by three specialized program components: MileUp, a court-recognized youth diversion program operated in partnership with the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office for justice-involved youth ages 11-17; OUTPace, an LGBTQ+ inclusive running component developed with The Attic Youth Center; and a Charity Runner fundraising program that secures guaranteed race entries in exchange for donor commitments typically ranging from $250 to $5,000.

Name

Students Run Philly Style

Legal name

Students Run Philly Style

Website

https://studentsrunphilly.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Students Run Philly Style is a Philadelphia nonprofit that pairs students in grades 6-12 with adult volunteer mentors to train for half or full marathons, supplemented by court diversion (MileUp) and LGBTQ+ inclusive (OUTPace) program components.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

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, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and corporate donations fund the free youth mentorship program. Includes matching gifts program where employers double employee donations, and EITC (Educational Improvement Tax Credit) program offering donors up to 90% PA state tax credit.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors like Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY) and Brooks Running provide financial support and in-kind contributions (footwear, apparel) in exchange for partnership recognition and employee engagement opportunities.
3. Shoe Recycling Program: Partnership with Philadelphia Runner and Sneaker Impact collects gently used shoes. Organization receives a small donation per pair donated.
4. Philadelphia Distance Run Partnership: SRPS is co-owner of the Philadelphia Distance Run. Race proceeds are reinvested into SRPS programming, and hundreds of SRPS runners participate in PDR events each year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Students Run Philly Style is a nonprofit that delivers a free, structured youth mentorship program pairing volunteer adult mentors (Running Leaders) with students in grades 6-12 to train for half or full marathons. The core service includes training 2-3 times weekly from March through November, free race registration, transportation, running shoes, and ongoing mentorship, with specialized sub-programs for justice-involved youth (MileUp) and LGBTQ+ youth (OUTPace).

Product overview

Students Run Philly Style is a nonprofit youth mentorship organization offering a single integrated program centered on long-distance running. The core offering is a free mentorship program pairing volunteer mentors with students in grades 6-12 to train for half or full marathons, supplemented by specialized components: MileUp (a youth diversion program for those facing delinquency charges), OUTPace (an LGBTQ+-inclusive component), and a Charity Runner program for fundraising participants. Additional offerings include the Run It Back Shoe Recycling Program and co-ownership of the Philadelphia Distance Run race event. All components are unified by the mission of transforming students' lives through mentorship over miles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Core Mentorship Program
• MileUp
• OUTPace
• Charity Runner Program
• Run It Back Shoe Recycling Program
• Philadelphia Distance Run (PDR)
• SRPS Parent 5K Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Students with mentor support 5x more likely to report increased self-worth
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Philadelphia Distance Run (PDR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021SRPS is a co-owner and equitable partner of the Philadelphia Distance Run. Race proceeds are reinvested into SRPS programming. Hundreds of SRPS runners participate in PDR events each year. PDR follows a nonprofit/for-profit model ensuring long-term success while providing tangible community impact.
• Philadelphia RunnercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Both SRPS and Philadelphia Runner opened the same week in 2004 and have been in community since. Now equity partners in the Philadelphia Distance Run. SRPS simply could not serve the community without Philadelphia Runner. Also partner for shoe recycling collection.
• Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial summer Leadership Summit sponsor. Supports youth mentorship through employee engagement and group volunteer opportunities, race entries for employees, and sneaker recycle drives. PHLY's core values align with SRPS's mission of inspiring students to push beyond imagined limits.
• Brooks RunningcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial footwear and apparel sponsor. Gears up students and mentors all year long with running equipment. Partnership featured on Brooks Running blog highlighting SRPS as a Future Run partner.
• URBNsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerURBN hosts SRPS for sneaker and shirt customization workshops leading up to the Independence Blue Cross Broad Street Run at their campus near the finish line, fostering creativity and community.
• Sneaker ImpactsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in the Run It Back Shoe Recycling Program. SRPS receives a small donation for every pair of gently used shoes donated through this partnership, supporting youth mentorship while reducing environmental impact.
• Philadelphia District Attorney's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partner for MileUp program - a nationally recognized youth diversion and mentorship program designed to keep students ages 11-17 out of the criminal justice system. Partnership creates connection for youth facing misdemeanor and/or felony charges.
• Drexel University Center for Nonviolence and Social JusticesecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides additional support for MileUp program, bringing expertise in nonviolence and social justice to the youth diversion initiative.
• The Attic Youth Center (AYC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe only nonprofit center in Philadelphia that exclusively serves LGBTQ+ youth and allies. SRPS partnered with AYC to prioritize needs of queer youth in the OUTPace inclusive running program.
• Mazzoni CentersecondaryOthersLGBTQ+ health resources partner listed under OUTPace program resources for LGBTQ+ support and community.
• William Way LGBT Community CentersecondaryOthersLGBTQ+ community partner listed under OUTPace program resources for LGBTQ+ support and community.
• GALAEIsecondaryOthersLGBTQ+ community partner listed under OUTPace program resources for LGBTQ+ support and community.
• Philadelphia Family PridesecondaryOthersLGBTQ+ family and community partner listed under OUTPace program resources.
• School District of PhiladelphiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2015, SRPS united over 1,000 students and mentors at the Broad Street Run, strengthening partnership with the School District of Philadelphia. Ongoing school partnerships enable team sites at 60 schools.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Students Run LA: Los Angeles-based nonprofit and the original inspiration for SRPS, pairing student runners with volunteer mentors to train for the LA Marathon. Operates the same long-distance running mentorship model with comparable school-based team structure and marathon-completion goal.
• Back on My Feet: National nonprofit that uses running to build self-sufficiency in adults experiencing homelessness. Highly comparable mission (mentorship through running), volunteer-driven team model, and employer/community partnerships to support participants.
• Team for Kids (NY Road Runners): NYRR's youth running program that recruits volunteer runner-mentors to raise funds and train with school-aged runners. Comparable fundraising-through-running structure and marathon-event integration.
• Achilles International: Nonprofit enabling people of all abilities, including at-risk youth, to participate in long-distance running through volunteer guides and mentors. Operates an analogous volunteer-mentor-runner triad model in multiple cities.
• Girls on the Run: National youth-development nonprofit combining running with life-skills curriculum for elementary and middle-school girls. Closely aligned model: trained volunteer coaches, school-based teams, season culminating in a celebratory 5K event.
• Students Run Washington (DC): DC-area chapter of the Students Run franchise — same marathon-training youth-mentorship model — pairing volunteer Running Leaders with student runners, providing a near-twin operating model in a different metro.

Others

• Up2Us Sports: National nonprofit training sports-based youth-development coaches and previously an SRPS pipeline for staff (e.g., Director of Programs Mariana Folco). Adjacent ecosystem partner with overlapping sport-plus-mentorship philosophy.
• Drexel University Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice: Academic partner that supports SRPS's MileUp diversion program with nonviolence and social-justice expertise. Comparable mission around restorative justice and youth-violence prevention but delivered through research/clinical channels.

Broad incumbents

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Largest US youth-mentorship nonprofit, matching adult volunteers with youth for one-to-one mentoring. Comparable youth-mentorship mission and volunteer-pipeline operations, though delivered through general (not running-specific) mentoring relationships.
• National Mentoring Partnership (MENTOR): Umbrella organization supporting the US youth-mentoring field. Relevant as a sector-shaping incumbent whose network includes SRPS-style program operators and whose research underpins SRPS's evidence-based claims.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/studentsrunphl
• Xx.com/studentsrunphl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Students Run Philly Style