Nonprofit for trail access, belonging, and leadership
Trail access, built to last.
Tierra Libre Run moves race entries, coaching, and race knowledge toward runners learning the sport from the outside.
Proof so far
The mission already has start lines.
Each number points back to a person, a race, and the work required to turn access into participation.
135
athletes funded
82%
women of color
62%
first-time trail runners
20+
mentors and community leaders
Why this exists
A race entry is only the first barrier.
A race entry matters because it is specific, expensive, and time-sensitive. It opens a door, but it does not explain the terrain, aid stations, cutoffs, or culture around the race.
The larger work is changing who gets the resources to enter, the knowledge to stay, and the trust to shape what trail running becomes.
Mission architecture
Enter. Stay. Shape. Lead.
The programs move people from first access to lasting participation, community knowledge, race leadership, and public accountability.
Enter / Trail Athlete Fund
Open the first real door.
Funded entries turn support into a race, a date, and a start line.
Stay / Trail Coaching Fund
Keep knowledge close to community.
Coach development helps trail knowledge move through trusted people.
Shape / Race Director Fellowship
Move from participation into power.
Race leadership changes who designs the course, sets the tone, and owns the day.
Lead / Trail Futures Summit
Put the builders in the same room.
The summit is for people ready to leave with commitments, not talking points.
The model
A bib gets someone on a list. Race guidance helps them understand the day.
The funded entry is visible. The race choice, registration path, context, check-in, and follow-up make it usable.
How to join the work
Choose the route that matches what you can move.
Athletes, donors, coaches, and race directors each move a different part of the work.
Athletes
Pick a supported race. Apply for the entry.
Start with the Athlete Fund when the next barrier is a real race entry.
Donors and partners
Fund work that can be named and reported.
Support pays for entries, coaching capacity, race leadership, and delivery.
Coaches
Build the craft and the role.
The Coaching Fund helps coaches carry trail knowledge back to their communities.
Race directors
Open funded entries with a serious access partner.
You bring the race. Tierra Libre Run handles the fund mechanics and athlete path.
Cielo Running
Access has another side: who builds the races.
Tierra Libre Run is the nonprofit. Cielo Running is a separate Latino-owned race company from the same founding team.
Cielo gives the team direct operating knowledge. Tierra Libre Run turns that knowledge into nonprofit programs, race director relationships, and a clearer path for future builders.
Race partners and supporters
The network behind the work.
Race directors open entries. Brands and donors fund the operating work.
Field notes
Keep the record close to the work.
Updates, race context, and stories from the people living this work.
February 18, 2026
How We Select Athletes for the BIPOC Athlete Fund
Learn exactly how the BIPOC Athlete Fund works, who can apply, what we look for in applications, and what happens after you apply.
September 10, 2025
Mentorship at Tierra Libre
Trail running hasn’t always made space for us—but Tierra Libre Run mentorship changes that. By connecting experienced runners with newcomers, we create a community where athletes feel seen, heard, and supported from match to race day.
Build with us
More runners on start lines. More coaches in the community. More people ready to build the sport.
Tierra Libre Run moves races, knowledge, relationships, and leadership closer to the communities pushed to the edge of the sport.