On this Global Running Day, I say thank you to running. Thank you for giving me a front row seat to a life beyond my wildest dreams. pc: @rabbitwolfcreative #globalrunningday #feedyoursoul #doepicshit #trailrunning #running #ultrarunning #endurance #athlete #rad #radboulder #Boulder #ColoRADo
For those new to RAD, here’s the 411 proof of identity post.
Who am I:
Kelly Newlon/Agent+Manager to Professional Endurance Athletes and Chef-Owner of RAD/RAD Boulder.
Do you have a website:
“I have a question about you as an athlete manager/agent”
Excellent! Send me a DM, an email, and be sure to visit the FAQ section on the RAD website.
“How can I book you for an athlete camp or team summit?”
Reach out via email: [email protected]
“Are you taking on 1:1 clients for meals?”
I am only taking on NBA players at this time.
Thanks so much for supporting RAD. Feel free to reach out for any questions.
#feedyoursoul #doepicshit #endurance #athlete #ultrarunning #trailrunning #climbing #cycling #skimo #rad #radboulder #Boulder #ColoRADo
Each year, I make it a point to focus on youth in sport, the community at large and giving back to the sport that has given me so much.
From year one, RAD has given a minimum of 25% back to the community.
For the first few years, that presented itself by donating more food for local businesses and non-profits than we had any business doing.
My first 8 years assisting athletes with contracts and partnerships consisted entirely of pro bono consultations.
Those hundreds of conversations were how I cut my teeth, learned, listened, and grew into the certified agent and manager I am today.
That work was and remains invaluable.
During these last two years, giving back has primarily involved pro bono work for the next generation of youth in sports, and for athletes I deeply believe in who need help.
This spring that focus has RAD gifting pro bono consultations for 19 athletes on Andy Wacker’s Trail Team.
A giant thank you to Alyssa Clark for diving in with me as she continues her management mentoring at RAD.
And Andy, thank you for trusting us.
Supporting and strengthening the community is always a win.
When someone feels supported, their goals and dreams become limitless.
#doepicshit #radboulder #athlete #community
Regarding one of my athletes I was asked on repeat “What do you see in them that we are missing?”
Another, I was told was a liability. She was signed last week.
One of them, “Wow, you sure moved fast to pick her up”, but the truth is, this athlete and I have intentionally been building our relationship for the better part of a year and waiting for the right time to begin work.
That time is now.
One I was told was, “simply a short course/sub ultra and not what we are looking for” and “we just don’t see a contract that big for her”. Six months later, she had 8 offers and is favored to win her first ever 100M in a few short weeks.
Another had no other offers. Just one. I was told on repeat “we’re looking for a racer, not a thru- hiker”, but one brand believed and went all in. This was the first ever pro I took on officially as an agent.
“Why, why, why?”
Becuase I believe in them.
I believe in belief for its own shining sake.
It’s not simply a yes, it’s a f$ck yes.
Every one of these athletes not only shows up but dominates.
They are a force.
To all the brand partners, coaches and athlete managers who said yes to the ride, thank you.
Thank you so darn much for your belief and trust.
#doepicshit #feedyoursoul #enduranceathlete #radboulder
February was a whirlwind.
The first half had me feeding a cycling team in AZ.
From there I flew to HI to join Morgan and his family in Maui.
An absolute highlight of the trip was spending a day onsite with the Maui Nui team.
I have a bit to unpack still, but was left deeply impressed and affected by their team, mission and ethos.
Lots more to come, but be ready to learn more about them as we grow our partnership in 2026.
#feedyoursoul #doepicshit #endurance #athlete
Today someone on my team turned down a huge opportunity.
They saw beyond the shiny thing and stayed focused on the big dream.
Part of being a professional is making professional decisions.
No doubts. Full send.
#lfg #doepicshit #radboulder #ultra
The 10,000-hour rule suggests that roughly 10,000 hours of deliberate practice are required to achieve mastery in any complex skill. It emphasizes intense, focused training over raw talent, often requiring 7-10 years of consistent intentional practice.
This should not be mistaken for simply showing up for 10,000 hours with soft commitment.
After all, life comes from you not at you.
And we all know that hustle beats talent when talent doesn’t hustle.
Someone innately talented showing up half committed, will surely be usurped by the person without innate talent who hustles seven days a week to be their best. Make those 10,000 hours count.
Mistaking one’s presence for the event, rather than focusing on the spirit of excellence is pure ego.
Researching, troubleshooting, and putting method to practice is the work.
It is also vulnerable, in your face-kick the ego out the window, when done so front facing in a race.
I applaud these two for the individuals they are and the team they have quickly become.
The goal is to be the best. To become so skilled and vigilant, that they cannot be dismissed.
It takes a great deal of peaks and valleys to achieve this.
To be excellent.
#doepicshit #ultrarunning #radboulder #master
Two Golden Tickets and several CR’s+PR’s.
I may never fully recover from the emotion. Seriously, WOW.
Just WOW. That’s an easy shine to give from any side of the fence.
You all set a new bar.
As her agent and friend, my heart was overflowing with happiness watching the 24 yr old Shea Aquilano fight like nothing I have seen from her to date with a 20 minute PR in the fiercest women’s field imaginable...yet fall short of her ultimate prize. The definition of bittersweet.
Shea, our first conversation a year ago, I told you I believed you were the future of this sport. Those thoughts have not wavered. You drove that home this weekend from the gun to the last step of that 100k.
You are a force. Never forget that.
But let’s not overlook the giant wins that fall within the athletes who fought like hell and figured things out on the fly.
The athlete who was wise enough not to start due to an underlying injury, the athlete who pulled themselves from the race due to severe unmanageable pain, the athletes who stayed in the fight and won the mental battle. These are wins.
Watching you each troubleshoot further solidifies my belief in you.
That’s the good stuff. It’s what it’s all about.
Not every day can be everyone’s day.
We’re going to figure the road blocks out.
No rest until it’s done. I got you.
#doepicshit #radboulder #trailrunning #ultrarunning
Today gives me hope.
It’s been a long time coming, nearly a year in effort.
Jennifer Licther single handedly (and unknowingly until now) was responsible for the biggest gridlock in the sport of trail running. We narrowed things down to five brands. All had offers and everyone wanted Jenn on their team. No one could move on budget until Jenn made her decision.
One by one we redlined the list until there were 3 brands, then 2 and it was obvious who the absolute without pause best fit was for both sides.
It was an honor to watch this all unfold.
In the 10 years I have been negotiating for athletes, I can easily say I have never seen more activity and interest. For this athlete to be a woman and person of color is everything.
I want to give a very large shout out to the incomparable Lucy May with Nike ACG. Your work is shifting this sport for the greater good.
I am thrilled to have multiple athletes on your team and in your care.
You deserve endless shine today for this exceptional and diverse team you have built. We need more humans like you.
Thank you.
Adam Merry. It has been a year my friend! Thank you so darn much for hanging in there.
My belief runs deep in you as an athlete, a human and a friend.
The absolute highlight of my year was calling you during a blizzard to say three simple words that brought tears to my eyes…so choked up I could hardly speak, “Lucy said YES!”
We’re never looking back. I got you.
#LFG
#doepicshit #trailrunning #radboulder
Sabrina Pace-Humphreys/1/Activist/Ultrarunner/Trail Runner/Author:
This one is extra special.
This is number one.
Sabrina Pace-Humphreys is pushing the running community forward in all the ways that we need.
She is a Racial & Ethnic Diversity in the Outdoors Consultant, a Social justice activist and co-founder of Black Trail Runners.
Sabrina is a two time book author, public speaker and an expert at building equity and inclusion in the running space helping to ensure visibility and participation of black trail runners and women in the outdoors.
“Sabi is a fierce and unstoppable force for good”~Stephanie Case
She passionately believes that everyone is welcomed on the trail which is what drives her to build a more welcoming, inclusive and equitable running community.
“She is a change maker at her core and we are all lucky to live in the same timeline as her”~Carolina Rubio MacWright
Sabi! I am at a constant loss of words for all you have done, do and will do.
Your fire mystifies me!
Thank you for a lifetime of doing epic shit. You are the gold standard.
#doepicshit #radboulder #trailrunning #thegoodwork
