Program Criteria

Criteria for Running Start Beginners and Motivators

Who is our “perfect” candidate?

Truly there is no “perfect” applicant. We are looking for women and people who identify as women (18+) who are interested in changing their lives through movement. Maybe you’ve encountered a big life change such as divorce, maybe you’re a single parent, maybe you are struggling with your mental health, or maybe it’s some other life circumstance that has brought you here. Whatever it is, welcome, we are excited that you are here!! 

We expect our accepted participants to be 100% committed to the program – this goes for both Beginners and Motivators. Running Start is a commitment – us to you, and you to us.

Applications for 2023 Beginners open on March 1, 2023. Personal Motivator Applications open on March 8, 2023! Links coming soon!

What are your acceptance guidelines for Beginners?

While we would love to accept everyone who wants to do a 5k, we unfortunately do not have the resources to accommodate every applicant. We have a set of guidelines that we use when reading applications to help us choose the Beginners and Motivators that we feel will have success in the program.

That criteria for Beginners includes, but is not limited to:

  • Women who have little to no support and have not been successful in starting a movement journey in the past.
  • Women who face a barrier to fitness – mental health, physical health, caregiver to someone, divorce, trauma, etc…
  • Beginners must have a Facebook account, or be willing to create one, since this is our platform for communication.
  • A willingness to challenge yourself to complete a 5k either walking, jogging, running or some combination.
  • A willingness to work with a mentor in the form of a Personal Motivator, with the understanding that the Motivator role is a volunteer position and not a trained coach/therapist/etc…
  • A woman who understands that communication with the Personal Motivator is a key component in successfully completing the program as it is intended.
  • A willingness to open up your heart and mind and embrace the other Beginners in your cohort in order to support them in their journey as well.
  • A desire to make a change in your life and accomplish this goal.
  • Be in the Front Range (Denver/Boulder/Fort Collins) area of Colorado.

Why didn’t I get accepted into the program? (Beginner)

Here are some common reasons we have chosen to not accept participants in the past:

  • You cannot make all 3 of our mandatory dates (this is non-negotiable) – This is the number one reason you would not be accepted into the program.
  • You have completed a 5k/10k/13.2/26.2 distance successfully in the past, and have some idea of what you’re doing.
  • You already engage frequently in a form of movement (yoga, pilates, walking, CrossFit, cycling, etc…).
  • You live outside of the area that we serve (South Denver to Fort Collins).
  • There can be extenuating circumstances, but this would be addressed on a case by case basis.
  • We do not have a Personal Motivator located close enough to you.
  • Your application did not share enough with the Application Committee to give a well rounded picture of your story.
  • You do not have a Facebook account and will not create one to interact with your Motivator and the rest of the program participants.
  • You are not in the Front Range (Denver/Boulder/Fort Collins) area of Colorado.

What are your acceptance guidelines for Motivators?

We would love to accept everyone who wants to partner with a Beginner into our Personal Motivator program, but sadly we just cannot do that. Historically we get more applications for the Motivator role than Beginners. We cap the program at a set amount each year and we have a 1:1 ratio of Beginner to Motivator. We have in the past asked applicants who were NOT accepted as a Motivator to be a “Back Up Motivator” in case someone needs to leave the program unexpectedly and her Beginner needs a new Motivator. Again, this is an unusual case, but it does happen.

That criteria for Motivators includes, but is not limited to:

  • Be available emotionally and mentally to support a Beginner who has a barrier in their way to fitness.
  • Be willing to communicate with your Beginner a minimum of two times per week – via text, phone call, web call, facebook messenger, etc…
  • Be willing to (but not required to) meet your Beginner in person to further their training.
  • Have a Facebook account, or be willing to create one, since this is our platform for communication.
  • Have successfully completed at least a 5k distance race in the past.
  • A willingness to open up your heart and mind to embrace your Beginner in order to support them in their journey.
  • A desire to make a change in your Beginner’s life to accomplish this goal.
  • You must walk/jog/run with your Beginner at the Graduation Race (see 3 mandatory dates)
  • Be in the Front Range (Denver/Boulder/Fort Collins) area of Colorado.

Why didn’t I get accepted into the program? (Motivator)

Here are some common reasons we have chosen to not accept participants in the past:

  • You cannot make all 3 of our mandatory dates (this is non-negotiable) – This is the number one reason you would not be accepted into the program.
  • We do not have a Beginner in the area/radius you are willing to travel within – This is the number two reason you would not be accepted into the program.
  • You have not come to all the dates in past years, despite committing to do so.
  • You are a past Beginner who has not completed the program (note: Motivators DO NOT need to have been Running Start Beginners in the past to qualify, however, if you were a Beginner and did NOT complete the training, this may disqualify you from the Motivator role).
  • You do not have a Facebook account and will not create one to interact with your Beginner and the rest of the program participants.
  • You are not willing to communicate with your Beginner on a regular basis.
  • You are not in the Front Range (Denver/Boulder/Fort Collins) area of Colorado.

What are the 3 Required Dates or the 2023 Season?

As mentioned above, there are 3 Mandatory Dates that accepted Beginners and Motivators must attend in order to be accepted into and remain in the program. Those dates are:

  • Saturday April 29th (Kick-Off Meeting*)
  • Saturday July 1st (Send-Off Meeting*)
  • Saturday July 8th (Race Day – 7am Race Start Time)

*Times are not established yet, but will be announced once they are confirmed.