Lead the Next Athlete Into the Sport.
You've been on the trails. You know what it took to get there. The Tierra Libre Run Mentor Program pairs you with a funded runner of color preparing for their first trail race. Your experience becomes their foundation.
What the Program Is
The Mentor Program pairs runners of color preparing for their first trail race with experienced mentors who have completed the race experience themselves.
The match is organized around one race: your athlete's. From pairing to race day, mentors and athletes share a defined goal. The relationship frequently continues past it.
"When you mentor, you give the next athlete something you may not have had: someone who looks like them who has already done it."
How the Mentorship Works
Everything is organized around the athlete's race. That race date is the anchor. It defines the timeline, the commitment, and the arc of the relationship.
Apply and Share Your Background
Tell us about your trail running experience, the races you've done, what you've learned, and how you want to show up for a new athlete. We match based on goals, communication style, and fit.
Get Matched to an Athlete
You are paired with a funded runner of color who has been accepted into the fund and is preparing for a specific race. The race date is your shared horizon. The relationship begins from there.
Carry Them to Race Day
Regular check-ins. Training questions. Course prep and race week guidance. At select races, you may join them on the course or at the aid station. The goal: your athlete crosses the finish line ready for the next one.
What you bring. What you get.
You do not need to be an elite athlete. You need trail race experience and the willingness to share what you know with someone who is just beginning.
You bring:
You identify as a person of color
You have completed at least one trail race
You can commit to regular check-ins through the program cycle
You show up as a person, not just a resource
What you get:
Active Tierra Libre Run mentors receive up to three covered race entries per calendar year through our race partner network. Your entries are funded the same way we fund the athletes you support.
Your experience is the infrastructure.
Every runner of color who crosses a finish line carries the knowledge that someone like them made it possible. Apply to mentor and help us build what trail running has been missing.
Questions about the program? Get in touch.