starting an elite running group

forget it, unless you have a millionaire to fund you.

Locating in a place with a low cost of living, good trails, good weather, (and perhaps at altitude depending on your philosophy).

I think you need to start by finding some elite or near elite runners. They're more important than the money.

Bedford Scouse wrote:

I think you need to start by finding some elite or near elite runners. They're more important than the money.

Yeah and this may be the worst place to start.

Whatever happened to Tempo Sports? Why are the Slatterys leaving Boulder?

Bedford Scouse wrote:

I think you need to start by finding some elite or near elite runners. They're more important than the money.

oh really an elite running group with elite runners, who would of thought, Bedford Scouse must have a PhD in stupidity

"if you build it they will come"

anyone else have some practical ideas, I admit it might be difficult but not impossible

well, where are you looking to start it?

Start calling local tracks, ask about group prices, etc.

Find out what it takes to get the infrastructure set up before you start talking to any elites. If you have something to show people (coach, facilities, etc) then you have a shot at getting some people to come run with you. THEN you worry about a sponsor.

Come up with a plan of action, write a business plan, start showing people, see if you can get some co-funding. etc

Last year in a business class I wrote up a BP for a training group, it wasn't elite though.

njmatt wrote:

well, where are you looking to start it?

Start calling local tracks, ask about group prices, etc.

Find out what it takes to get the infrastructure set up before you start talking to any elites. If you have something to show people (coach, facilities, etc) then you have a shot at getting some people to come run with you. THEN you worry about a sponsor.

Come up with a plan of action, write a business plan, start showing people, see if you can get some co-funding. etc

Last year in a business class I wrote up a BP for a training group, it wasn't elite though.

thanks for the response njmatt,

any chance you could send me a copy of your business plan

sure, it's pretty outrageous and didn't work, it was geared towards beginner runners and when my teacher told me he wanted it to be more in depth so I turned it into a healthclub for runners which you don't have to be a genius to know it wouldn't work.

it's on my external hard drive, so I'll upload it to yousendit.com later

Actually BS was 100% right. You can have an elite training group with NOTHING but runners... but without the runners u have nothing. It would also be impossible to get sponsors on board for a plan that doesn't have any runners already on board.

yeah but you'll never get anybody to join your training group without some kind of infrastructure, except for your friends of course.

Jose Cuervo wrote:

Actually BS was 100% right. You can have an elite training group with NOTHING but runners... but without the runners u have nothing. It would also be impossible to get sponsors on board for a plan that doesn't have any runners already on board.

yes but like njmatt stated you a financial plan or infrastructure to start the process, it's like a foundation of a house and the runners are like the rest of the house, without the foundation you have nothing, IMHO if you provide elite runners with a solid plan (i.e. financial, health care, training facilities, and a respected coach) they would jump at the chance to pursue their dream

There are some great role models out there like the Hanson's, ZAP, Team Minnesota, and others. The leaders of these groups could give you some tips. Also I think the USATF Foundation provides some financial support to the best elite groups.

A transgendered son (now daughter) who looks like Rebecca Romijn never hurt either.

Blib wrote:

Why are the Slatterys leaving Boulder?

What makes you ask that?

Anyway, as someone said, the principals at Zap and Hansons would know, so try e-mailing them pertinent and thoughtful questions for pointers. Really, unless you're a name coach (like McMillan, Vigil, Sevene, Hudson) or have deep pockets or investors with deep pockets to contribute then your best bet is to just start up a competitive running club with you and your friends and try to attract other competitive runners from around your area and then around your state and then around your region and then around the country. You'll have to go to all the big and sorta big races around your area and network and press the flesh, but if you're serious and dedicated then that's what it'll take. That's how basically all of the elite development groups originally started up (GBTC, Aggies, CNW, etc.) Maybe you could set up a club discount deal with a local running store to entice people to join.

Whats with the obsession with money. All you need is talented runners, a good/great coach, and some trails, road, and a track to train on. What do you think most of the up and coming Kenyan athletes have got. They dont have shoe contracts, some of them don't have shoes! Of course what they do have (which very few people in the US have) is a way to relieve the poverty of their normal life. They're really hungry for success. So I guess (very simplistically) the key to success is NO money!

Why don't more stores to what the Hansons have done? Good Stores and use the profits for development of american distance runners? It just seems so logical, but no one else seems to follow the blue print.

A million + gets you a place runners want to stay at.

A million + gets you a respected and proven coach that's willing to relocate

A million + gets you airfare and per diem and race entry fees

A million + gets you food and supplies and pays the utility bills

A million + gets you gear, shoes and uniforms and a webmaster that can give your group the professional, legitimate look you are hoping for

A million + gets you a budget for advertising and traveling to collegiate and post collegiate events to recruit next year's stars.

Do you see where I am going with this?

Set up an infrastructure, invest in your runners, show them you want to guide them through for the long run. Yes, you will have to buy their loyalty. Because if you do not, someone else will.

I used to run with a decent training group...a dozen guys with bests ranging from 1:45 800, to 3:39, to 8:12st, to 13:21, to 27:50 to 2:11. In fact, for a while there, we had a good portion of our national team training together.

We had two or three good coaches, a track we could use a couple of nights a week, and a supportive track club. One of the coaches had a sports medicine practice, so if you got hurt, you were looked after quickly. It was in Canada and so many of the guys were getting federal training funds ($600-1000/mo).

There were no buckets of $. All to say a million dollars was not a requirement.