Coach development
BIPOC Coaching Trail Fund
We help emerging BIPOC trail coaches become certified, supported, and visible in the trail running community.
The fund covers the UESCA Ultrarunning Coach Certification and surrounds each selected coach with a five month cohort, mentors, guest speakers, volunteer coaching practice, and continued engagement through Tierra Libre Run.
Program
5 month cohort
Credential
UESCA certification
Practice
Community coaching
What the fund covers
Not just reimbursement. A pathway into leadership.
Certification matters, but new coaches also need structure, practice, trusted mentors, and a community that keeps opening doors after the certificate is complete.
Certification covered
UESCA Coach Certification
We cover the UESCA Ultrarunning Coach Certification for selected coaches and remove the cost barrier to formal coaching credentials.
About the certificationFive month cohort
Structured Cohort Support
Selected coaches move through a focused five month program with clear milestones, peer accountability, and continued guidance.
Mentors and speakers
Mentors and Guest Speakers
Cohort sessions feature mentors and guest speakers who share lessons from coaching, leadership, and a life in the sport.
How the container works
UESCA brings the certification. Tierra Libre Run brings the container.
The certification gives every coach the technical foundation. The cohort gives them the accountability, practice, and support to put it to work.
UESCA provides
- Formal Ultrarunning Coach Certification
- Online modules and course materials
- Practice quizzes
- Final certification exam
Tierra Libre Run provides
- A shared five month timeline with regular check ins
- Peer accountability and reflection
- Mentor and guest speaker sessions
- Practice coaching with Tierra Libre Run athletes
- Support around coaching identity, ethics, and communication
- Continued visibility after certification
How it works
Selected coaches build a real coaching practice.
Participants enter with a coaching commitment and leave with a clearer role in the trail community: certified, mentored, practiced, and connected.
Apply with a coaching commitment
Applicants demonstrate a clear interest in coaching, community leadership, and serving runners through trail access work.
Share your coaching goals
Selected participants define what they want to build, who they want to serve, and how certification will support that work.
Complete the cohort and certification
Coaches participate in the five month cohort while earning the UESCA Ultrarunning Coach Certification and building their coaching foundation.
Coach in the community
Participants complete volunteer coaching hours and stay connected through Tierra Libre Run programming, visibility, and ongoing development.
By the end of the cohort
What coaches leave with.
Five months of focused practice, reflection, and connection add up to a clear coaching foundation and a real next step inside the sport.
Certification Foundation
UESCA Coach Certification complete or in the final exam stage by December, with foundational coaching concepts ready to apply with real athletes.
Athlete Practice
Confidence in athlete communication, goal setting, training review, and progress monitoring, built through supervised coaching with two to four Tierra Libre Run athletes.
Coaching Identity
A personal coaching philosophy rooted in access, cultural awareness, and athlete centered care, with clarity on scope, ethics, safety, and referrals.
A Defined Next Step
A clear path for continued coaching, mentorship, or service through Tierra Libre Run after the cohort.
Who should apply
For coaches ready to serve runners and shape the sport.
This fund is for emerging BIPOC trail coaches ready to commit to certification, volunteer coaching practice, and continued engagement with Tierra Libre Run.
Likely strengths
- Lived experience in trail running
- Informal coaching or mentorship in your community
- Community trust and strong relational skills
- A drive to make trail running more accessible
- Personal experience navigating barriers in endurance spaces
Likely growth areas
- Formal coaching language and training theory
- Confidence in calling yourself a coach
- Boundaries, scope of practice, and ethics
- Translating certification content into real community practice
- Building a visible coaching identity
Build the coaching base trail running needs.
We are investing in BIPOC coaches who can help more runners enter trails with skill, confidence, and community support.