Save the 10,000 with Des & Kara

Customer Snapshot

• Products Used: RunSignup, TicketSignup, Organization Website
• Virtual Participants: 1,700+
• Event Day Tool Used: Tickets App

Building a Multi-Event Experience

When professional distance runners Des Linden and Kara Goucher teamed with up with friend (and organizer) Trevor, to launch the Save the 10,000, their mission was simple – elevate the status of the 10,000-meter track race. but bringing that vision to life required more than just passion. It not only required creativity, but technology that could power multiple event formats, deliver a great participant experience, and make the entire process easy to manage.

With the support of RunSignup, TicketSignup, and an integrated Organization Website, Save the 10,000 successfully brought together:

• A virtual race with nearly 1,800 participants
• A professional track meet with prize purses
• A sold-out live podcast

All while managing tickets, check-ins, communications, and fundraising under one flexible, easy-to-use platform.

One Website to Rule Them All

Trevor built a centralized organization website using RunSignup’s website builder to serve as the hub for Save the 10,000. Instead of managing multiple disconnected pages, they were able to:

• Promote and link out to the virtual Save the 10,000
• Host registration for the Save the 10,000 pro track meet
• Sell tickets to Nobody Asked Us live podcast
• Collect donations from supporters with a donate button

Trevor praised the RunSignup and TicketSignup’s integrative tools, making it easy to create a custom website, update content as needed, and add pages all without outside help.

Virtual Race + Heat Map Insights

To help fund the pro meet, Save the 10,000 launched a virtual race, promoted heavily through social media and the podcast co-hosted by Des and Kara. Nearly 1,800 participants signed up, generating widespread support across the country.

Using RunSignup’s heat map feature, Trevor was able to visualize where participants were signing up from—a valuable tool for understanding geographic reach and informing decisions about potential future event locations.

Live In-Person Podcast Event with Ticketing + Tickets App

The sold-out Nobody Asked Us live podcast offered an in-person exclusive VIP experience, that came with an awesome swag bag – including a pair of Brooks running shoes, thanks to their sponsor support! To manage these logistics:

• Tickets were sold using TicketSignup, that had a custom question to collect shoe sizes from attendees
• The Tickets App on site for a fast and easy checkin process for attendees (and volunteers!)

Trevor loved how intuitive the Tickets App was, allowing him and his volunteers to confidently checkin attendees seamlessly and all with minimal setup or training.

Photo Credit: @liveloveruntravel

Prize Money with Purpose

Save the 10,000 was founded with the goal of giving back to the sport. Funding from the virtual race, the ticketed live podcast, and direct donations through the organization website enabled the team to not only cover event costs but expand the prize purse from $25,000 to $44,000. As a result, every professional runner in the meet received at least $1,000—an intentional move to support athletes who often compete without substantial financial backing.

Photo Credit: Aric Van Halen

Looking Ahead

While race day was only a couple weeks ago, this year’s event was just the beginning. While no decisions have been made about hosting a future edition of Save the 10,000, the team is reflecting on what worked well and what’s possible moving forward. Stay tuned for what’s next!

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