One Less Barrier: What We Learned from the First 50K Sisterhood
Share
Some of the most meaningful moments in building a company have very little to do with sales.
They come from seeing your product become part of someone else’s story.
This year, Run Slick had the honor of supporting the inaugural First 50K Sisterhood, a program created by The Cairn Project to help women train for and complete their first ultramarathon while raising funds for outdoor scholarships.
The results were remarkable.
Twelve women raced at Wild Woman.
Ten completed their first 50K.
One participant finished as part of a relay team.
Together, the group raised $23,600 for outdoor scholarships—157% of the program’s $15,000 goal.
Those numbers tell part of the story.
But the most meaningful part came afterward, when we had the opportunity to read what the women said about their experience.
A product should remove a problem—not become the story
Run Slick was included in the participants’ gear kits as the program’s anti-chafing partner.
Our role was simple: help the women train and race more comfortably.
According to the post-program survey, Run Slick received positive feedback from all 11 participants who responded. It was the only product among the five sponsor products evaluated that received no negative feedback or caveats.
Participants described using it throughout the full 18-week training program, including on long runs and race day. Several said they were still using it and planned to purchase more when they ran out.
One participant said:
“Worked so well! I forgot chafing was an issue until I forgot to use it on one of my training runs.”
Another shared that she used Run Slick on all of her long runs and never experienced chafing issues.
Others mentioned using it on their thighs, under their bra lines, and anywhere friction had previously made movement uncomfortable.
That feedback means more to me than I can properly explain.
Because the goal of Run Slick has never been to make people think about anti-chafing products.
The goal is the opposite.
We want people to forget about friction so they can focus on the trail, the race, the people around them, and the reason they started moving in the first place.
Why this partnership mattered
Training for a first 50K is already a major undertaking.
There are long runs, early mornings, fatigue, uncertainty, weather, nutrition, pacing, and the mental challenge of doing something that may once have felt impossible.
Chafing can seem like a small issue compared with all of that.
Until it happens.
Then it can change someone’s stride, shorten a training run, affect confidence, or turn an exciting race day into a painful experience.
Removing that one barrier does not complete the race for someone.
But it may help them stay focused on the work that does.
That is why this partnership mattered to us.
It allowed Run Slick to support women not just on race weekend, but throughout the entire process—from the first weeks of training to the 50K finish line.
The value of listening
The report also included a valuable piece of product feedback.
One participant asked whether Run Slick could be offered in a smaller, pocketable format for mid-race use during longer events.
That kind of feedback is a gift.
It comes directly from the people using the product in the exact environment it was designed for.
As a founder, it is easy to spend time thinking about formulas, packaging, performance testing, manufacturing, and positioning.
But the best product insights often come from a runner asking one practical question:
“Could this be easier to carry?”
That is how better products are built—by listening closely to the people who depend on them.
Looking toward 2027
We would be honored to support the First 50K Sisterhood again in 2027.
Our goal is the same as it has always been: create dependable, long-lasting products that help people move more comfortably and confidently.
If we can help the next cohort worry less about chafing —and spend more time believing they can finish their first 50K—that would be a partnership worth continuing.
More than a finish line
The First 50K Sisterhood accomplished something much larger than completing a race.
The women trained together, encouraged one another, pushed beyond what they previously believed was possible, and raised meaningful funding to help more women and girls experience the outdoors.
Run Slick played only a small part in that story.
But we are deeply proud to have been part of it.
Because movement changes people.
Sometimes it begins with a first mile.
Sometimes it leads to a first ultramarathon.
And sometimes the best thing a product can do is quietly remove one barrier along the way.