About Suffer Better

Suffer Better is a CO-based 501c3 nonprofit that offers the community of endurance athletes opportunities to give back to preserve and protect their natural environment and support local communities through running events, educational programs and grants.  

Every single day, we recognize that we are exceedingly fortunate and privileged to be able to run, ride, hike, play in the magnificent outdoor places we do. We believe strongly that comes with the responsibility to fight to protect our natural environment, support those less fortunate and put our energy and efforts to good use to improve our world. 

Our Story

Suffer Better began in the summer of 2013 when, at a tough trail race high in the mountains of CO, our co-founder, Bob Africa, finished strong, passing a number of runners over the final tough miles. Bob’s response when lauded for that gutsy finish, was simple: “You might be younger, faster or have a bigger engine, but I can Suffer Better.”

Something about that simple mantra resonated.  Bob joined forces with fellow runner and training partner, Peter Downing, and the two launched Suffer Better in early 2014, as a way to connect with and inspire the growing endurance community to accomplish bigger things. 

For us at Suffer Better, it's not just about winning or finishing, exercise or fitness. It's about tackling life and athletics with commitment, focus and compassion. We find the outdoors healing, awe-inspiring, rehabilitative, regenerative and energizing.  And we believe we have an obligation to give back.

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Suffer Better Founders

Bob Africa and Peter Downing

An article in now gone Competitor Magazine highlighted the new company and its goals.    

As the community grew, we, sought to do more and connect more athletes with the Suffer Better mantra and the Give Your All and Give Back philosophy.  We launched our own trail-running events that focused on preserving public lands and improving air quality, forged connections with great companies and individuals in the outdoor world, connected with running shops, and ultimately decided that the most effective way to realize our goals was to become a 501c3 nonprofit, which we did in 2019. 

Our Mission

To tap the inexhaustible power, focus, dedication, and commitment of the endurance athlete community to preserve and protect our wild, natural environment, work with and support local nonprofits, and improve local communities.

Reducing Our Footprint

Given our mission, we know it’s our obligation to tread as lightly as possible. To that end, we work hard to lesson our footprint and that of our events.

  • Our races are all cup-free,

  • We minimize our waste, working hard to use only recyclable or compostable materials,

  • We utilize only rechargeable/solar powered generators for all of our power needs,

  • We encourage and incentivize carpooling and ride sharing.

  • We offset our collective carbon emissions through vetted, US-based offset programs.

  • We’ve been recognized 2 years in a row for our sustainability efforts by the US Trail Running Conference.