Silicon Valley North Gives the U.S. Race Platforms Reason to Sprint

London, Ont.-based Race Roster is revolutionizing the race scene

From a 3,330 square-foot space in an unassuming two-storey brick building 200 kilometres southwest of Toronto, a Canadian recreational-technology company gives its Silicon Valley competitors reason to sprint.

Since 2012, London-based Race Roster, arguably the biggest online race registration platform for endurance sports in Canada, has expanded its reach across 10 provinces and 50 states. The vision of five enterprising high school friends has become an example of Ontario’s innovation corridor in action.

“We are definitely one of the youngest in the sector, and two of our competitors ( active.com and eventbrite.com) are multimillion dollar companies. The challenge, which we enthusiastically embrace, is that we are 36 people up against these giants,” said co-founder Chantelle Wilder, 30, who manages the sales team.

Wilder, who qualified for Team Canada at the 2009 World Cross-Country Championships, and her brother Brandon Laan, 32, both competed as semi-professional runners. They each earned scholarships to the University of Hawaii and represented their universities and country at different stages.

In 2011, Laan and Wilder (then living in the U.S.) decided to launch their own 10k charity road race in London. The siblings recruited three high school friends with business and tech savvy to ensure the event was properly branded and marketed. The registration software available at the time did not allow for their desired level of autonomy. So, the group created a stronger solution. That improvised formula became the foundation for Race Roster.

Wilder would eventually move f rom California back to London to reunite with the other founders: Chan Yin, Bob Pluss and Alex Vander Hoeven. As a former member of the New Balance Silicon Valley running team where talking tech on runs was the norm, Wilder sees fertile ground in Canada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. “At a recent London workshop for women in technology, my female colleagues and I were so encouraged to see more than 65 women come together,” said Wilder, a firsttime mother to toddler Damien. Wilder likes to admit to others in the field that balancing family and business is tough, and that’s OK. There’s beauty and opportunity in the chaos, she points out. And it’s important to tap into a helpful support system.

“London is our support system. Without it, we would not have been able to take the risks we’ve taken and the leaps of faith required to get a startup ‘up,’” said Wilder.

That support came in many forms. From relatives babysitting, to indirect guidance from thought leaders like Toronto Mayor John Tory and Communitech ceo Iain Klugman. A small business prize valued at $40,000 gave them direction, while accelerator programs in New York and San Francisco exposed them to best entrepreneurial practices.

Today, the company’s focus is on runner engagement, targeted marketing, trusted relationships and nimble technology as the startup transitions to a scale up. The founders have been able to hire computer science and business focused talent out of Fanshawe College and Western University – eager minds who want an excuse to stay in town.

The Office culture is relaxed and embraces