Guest Blog by Elise White, Founder and CEO of RunHostRaces
Runners often manage upcoming races, traveling budgets & training plans throughout the year. Can it be more simple and affordable? Do you find yourself looking for discount deals or roommates for race weekend? Are nightly hotel rates a bit more than what you want to spend? Has it been a factor on whether or not you register or attend a race?
Running races has always been a meaningful social experience for me. Visiting new cities, accomplishing goals and having a post race celebration with like-minded runners.
Traveling and attending races as a runner, spectator and volunteer has helped shape my running perspective. I’ve run over 75 races from relays & full marathons to trails & triathlons. After running many races, traveling to new cities and collecting tons of finisher medals, I have begun making statements to myself. “I wish finding places to stay was more social and affordable for runners.” As a millenial, it is important for me to have a good run/life balance.
One day in 2016, I polled some running friends on Facebook when making travel plans for an upcoming race. The question was: “What if runners could easily find and stay with other runners on race weekend?” I took this question to Albert Morris, Chief Technology Officer & 5k enthusiast. We worked together to bring this vision to life and developed “RunHostRaces” (RHR).
RunHostRaces is a space sharing, social community and travel network for runners. Our website serves as a resource for race participants to find roommates and more affordable places to stay. We also aim to reduce common stressors when planning to attend a race so runners can focus on their training. We make it easy for runners (as hosts or guests) to share space with other runners in the cities they’re visiting.
Why use RunHostRaces?
1. Cost Friendly: We assists with reducing travel expenses by expanding housing options and making it a shared experience. Saving a few hundred bucks on travel expenses can translate into an increase in race registrations or splurging on more items at the race expo.
- Local runners: can host their homes to make money on their listing by charging a nightly rate for their guests.
- Traveling runners: can host by splitting fees on a booked hotel or short-term rental by finding a roommate on RunHostRaces.
2. Convenience: Runners can host their available space surrounding race weekend, whether listing their private home, hotel and/or short-term rental. This gives runners more housing options as well as peace of mind during booking, leaving them to enjoy the race weekend experience. Our platform allows listings within 25 miles from the start line and booking for up to 6 days surrounding a race event.
- Runner Amenities: Hosts can share amenities that runners would appreciate while traveling away from home such as a foam roller, yoga mat, hydration and fuel.
- Hosts: Hosts set their preferred refund policies when publishing their listing to alleviate headaches that come with last minute cancellations between runners.
3. Connections: RunHostRaces gives runners an opportunity to make new social connections with like-minded runners. The running community is like a family in many ways. When you stay with a local host, they become the best reference for visiting a new city; i.e. sharing best places for a bite to eat or where to go for a shake out run!
Sign up for your Free Account
Join the RunHostRaces (RHR) community by visiting www.runhostraces.com. For questions or more details, please email us info@runhostraces.com.
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