Our Mission
Improve the sport. Inspire runners.
The Sound Running mission is to improve the sport we love and inspire runners everywhere. That means giving back to the community through our events, building apparel for athletes, and helping ALL runners achieve their goals with smarter training.
Our Events
The 2027 Season
Since 2019, Sound Running events have become an integral part of the US track circuit, creating opportunities for the next generation of elite runners.
In 2027 that means four world-class events on the road to the LA28 Olympic Games, with an enhanced fan experience and broad-reaching broadcasts on FloTrack.
Our Team
30+ years in the sport
The Sound Running team combines for over 30 years of experience helping athletes become Olympians, win U.S. titles and World medals, and set World Records. We are also still learning every day from YOU, and will continue to evolve and provide opportunities for runners.
Jesse
Founder
Jesse has worked with athletes of all levels for the past 15 years. He was the Head of Brooks Sports Marketing for 13 years, overseeing the marketing and business side of the Hansons-Brooks ODP, the Brooks Beasts, the Brooks PR Invitational and other athlete programs.
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A competitive runner as well, Jesse ran at Texas Tech University where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology and a Master’s in Biomechanics. He has run the Boston Marathon 5x as well as the Chicago, London, Berlin, and NYC Marathons, and won the 2002 OKC Memorial and 2011 Seattle Marathon. Jesse has a very soft marathon PR of 2:22 and was once a hand model.
Samantha
Race Director
Samantha Hanson grew up in the sport. Her father, Kevin Hanson, co-founded the Hansons-Brooks Original Distance Project in 1999, and she attended her first Olympic Games at just ten years old.
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She joins us from HAWI Management, where she worked as a World Athletics certified agent representing some of the top athletes in track and field, working closely with many companies across the athletics space.
Samantha graduated from Michigan State University in 2020 with her Bachelor’s in Marketing and earned her MBA from Oakland University in 2021, competing in NCAA Division I cross country and track at both, with a focus on the 5000m and 10,000m. She now runs for fun, coaches high school cross country and track in Michigan, and enjoys time with her fiancé Will and their miniature dachshund, Winston.
Jake
Partnerships
Jake is obsessed with connecting the dots of our sport through creative, outside-the-box thinking and constant learning. He has worked with industry-leading teams in the running world for 20-plus years.
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He won a Texas State Championship in the 800m and became the Southland Conference 800m Champion for Lamar University. (Jesse is still salty that he wouldn’t take a recruiting trip to Lubbock.)
An incredible 17-year stint with Brooks Running showed him the ropes of the industry, where he was named Apparel Rep of the Year and Overall Specialty Rep of the Year. His passions are helping the sport move to the next level, his family (wife Kathy and daughters Lanah and Michaela), and providing opportunities to excel through athletics.
Craig
Apparel
Craig has led award-winning global product teams at the highest level of sport, with stints at ASICS, Brooks, and adidas. He believes in building better runs through better products and an innovation model based on athlete feedback.
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His international experience has given him the opportunity to work with CEOs, Olympic medalists, and world record holders alike. He holds a master’s degree in athletic leadership from Clemson University and a BA from the University of Virginia, where he ran for the Cavaliers’ cross country and track teams. Now living in SoCal again, Craig logs miles with his husky Cruz and lends Sound Running his apparel expertise and humor.
Partner With Us
Let’s build something
Sound Running can bring your event to life, build your product, and create smarter training for your runners.
Our Partners
In great company
Let’s Chat
Make something happen
We’re always looking for new partnership opportunities. Drop us a note below and we’ll be in touch.