About - Trail Waves

🌊 What is Trail Waves?

Trail Waves is where I used my background in finance to explore the business, economics, and culture of trail and ultra running.

It’s as curious and insightful as a board meeting, but with the chill vibes of a long run with friends.

🗺️ What You’ll Find Here

Trail Waves isn’t overly polished or corporate. It’s curious, grounded, and aims to provide a unique perspective about the business of trail running, including, but not limited to:

Deep dives into how races, brands, and athletes actually make money
Interviews with people building things: athletes, race directors, and founders
Essays at the intersection of endurance, economics, and entrepreneurship
Data-driven breakdowns on the financial flows of the trail running industry
Emerging trends shaping the sport, both obvious and under-the-radar

👋 Who’s Behind Trail Waves?

Trail Waves was created me, Seth LaReau, a 15-year finance veteran with stints at Strava and now Google. After years of helping businesses scale, I felt an itch to combine my experience and personal passion to create something meaningful.

This project is a blend of the two sides of my life: the business brain and the trail heart. It’s my attempt to answer my own questions and share the answers in a way that is smart, unpretentious, and useful to other folks who may be interested.

I currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my wife and two children.

📬 What to Expect

A weekly newsletter exploring the business, finance, and economics of trail running.
Authentic perspectives and unique insights as a trail runner, consumer, and fan of the sport.
Occasional rabbit holes, frameworks, and theories, always grounded in curiosity and a love of the game.
Podcast series with folks building, running, and shaping the sport [TBD in the future].

All of the above, delivered straight to your inbox.