Run.fund

Why Run.fund

Public prize records
for grassroots sport.

Run.fund is home to trail and mountain running's live prize purses — and to the athletes and race directors behind them. Race organizers sell Purse Boosts through their own stores and registration systems and pay every prize themselves. Run.fund never handles money; it verifies, displays, and records it.

The problem

Broken economics across the board.

Athletes

  • Train 20 hours/week while working full-time
  • Spend $1,000–$5,000/year on gear, entries, travel
  • Finish top 3, win a buckle and a t-shirt

Race Directors

  • Want to offer prize money to attract competitive fields
  • Can't afford it. Entry fees barely cover permits and insurance
  • No shared place for their organization and event calendar

Fans

  • Want to follow athletes and races they care about
  • Struggle to find trustworthy prize information
  • See purse updates scattered across many channels

The solution

The Run.fund flywheel.

Prize money → competitive fields → attention → participation → bigger prizes → repeat.

1

Prize money attracts athletes

Race organizations publish real purses funded through their own stores and registration systems.

2

Competitive fields create attention

Strong fields create compelling racing and give athletes, fans, and organizers more to share.

3

Attention builds participation

Strong event pages help runners discover the race, understand the field, and follow the public purse record.

4

Participation sustains purses

Organizers grow their races and reinvest through their own systems. Better purses attract stronger fields, and the cycle continues.

The transformation

Old model vs. new model.

Traditional

  • RD funds entire event from entry fees
  • Athletes race for free (or for swag)
  • Event and prize information is scattered across channels
  • Fans struggle to find a durable public record
  • Result: Weak fields, low engagement, unsustainable economics

Run.fund

  • Race organizers control purse sales, terms, and checkout
  • Athletes get clear profiles, results, and prize records
  • Race organizations connect every event under one public identity
  • Fans use the race organizer's own store or registration system
  • Run.fund verifies, displays, and records the public purse

A shared public record

Every participant has a clear role.

1

Live Purses

Organizers publish purse totals and prize tables while keeping control of their own sales, registration, policies, and prize payments.

2

Athlete Profiles

Athletes maintain biographies, links, claims, and race records without a direct-support product.

3

Race Organizations

Race directors publish one organization profile that connects their identity, official links, and event calendar.

Clean sport commitment

Athletes can record a clean-sport commitment on their profiles. Eligibility, testing, disputes, and prize decisions remain with governing bodies and event organizers.

“Run.fund fills a real gap in the trail running economy in a way that feels consistent with the sport's values.”
— Seth LaReau, Trail Waves

Join the flywheel.

Whether you're an athlete, race director, or fan, there's a way in.

For Athletes For Race Directors