John Gonzalez started the RiNo 5K in 2017 as a passion project while working full time in cybersecurity. Named after River North, one of Denver's most vibrant neighborhoods, it is a road race, a run club gathering, a fundraiser, and a community event all at once. Kristina Cripe is the Program Specialist at the Denver chapter of Back on My Feet, a national organization operating in 14 cities that uses the power of running to help people experiencing homelessness and addiction to transform their lives.

This episode is about what a neighborhood race can actually become when the organizer, the nonprofit, and the title sponsor all share the same vision. It is about free entries and donated shoes and stories that do not get told often enough. And it is about why the 5K might be the most underrated vehicle for community building in all of running.

Jon, John, and Kristina chat about:

• how John fell in love with race organization as an unpaid intern at the Austin Marathon

• why a road race in RiNo stands apart from the park races that dominate Denver

• how Back on My Feet uses running as an entry point to employment, housing, and transformation

• what crossing a finish line for the first time actually does for someone who has experienced homelessness

• how Ultra came in as title sponsor and started donating shoes to program members

• the one plus one equals three math and why collaboration beats charity alone

• the social bib and why lowering the barrier to entry is good for everyone

• how to structure a brand partnership conversation and what to ask upfront

• why the 5K is the gateway drug to running and what that means for community growth

• what John wishes he had known when he started

Stay connected:

Back on My Feet: https://backonmyfeet.org

Kristina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-cripe-ms-ctrs-b6b32317a/

John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gonzalez-92820a33/

RiNo 5k: https://www.rino5k.org

Support our sponsors:

Halo: Racing is easy. Getting there is not. Halo is a hospitality platform built by runners that turns race weekend lodging into a branded clubhouse where your athletes and community actually stay together. Whether you are a brand, an event organizer, or just heading to a race yourself, visit haloracing.com or reach out and tell them you heard about it on Long Run Labs.

Tech in Running Live Panel: If you are heading to Chamonix for UTMB week, come find me. I am hosting a live panel on Wednesday of race week covering data, AI, wearables, and where the human still beats the algorithm, brought to you by TrainingPeaks. Email jon@forthelong.run and I will send you everything you need to know.

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