Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica DeLine.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I moved to California from Minnesota and was in awe of all the beautiful trails. I was also very surprised to learn there were almost zero trail races around, so I decided to start my own. I did as much research as I could, talked to other race directors (who were all pretty friendly) and set out planning my first race.
This business began up in Orange County with a 50 Mile and 50K trail race back in 2008 and when I moved to San Diego I started putting on trail races here as well. At the time, my race in Orange County was the only trail race and the county’s first 50/50 ultra trail race.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Running a business is not always easy – especially one in which I rely on volunteers to help with much of the work on race day. One year I had some volunteers fall through last minute and had to scramble to get enough to make it work. That same year the boiled potatoes on the course froze due to cold weather in the mountains and I had many complaints that came out of that race.
Lesson learned and I have to work to build things back up again. There is a lot of reliance on volunteers to come through for your and I almost always have to shuffle things around on race day to make it work from last minute cancellations and the like. A LOT of work goes into putting on trail races so a part of it is a labor of love for sure.
Please tell us about Dirty Feet Productions.
I put on trail races and for the most part, they are not easy. I pride myself in putting on fun and challenging races in beautiful areas at a reasonable cost and have a tagline of “Friendly, Low-Key, Fun, Challenging Courses”. Most of my 50K or 50 Mile races cost less than local marathons. I put on shorter races too like a 10K poker fun run and half marathon in December that encourages costumes. All of my races are on trails and I think most people should get out and enjoy natures. Trails are much better way to get into running that being on the road or sidewalk.
I’m proud of what I have built up and the reputation I have for fun and challenging races. Most other race companies are flashy or expensive or purely in it for profit but I’m in it to help people fall in love with trail running and have a good time at races they enter without breaking the bank. Good low key fun!
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I think the biggest thing is marketing. It’s not my best skill and if I could start things over or even just do each race over since they happen once per year, it would be to do a better job marketing and finding ways to reach people who may enjoy my races.
I don’t need my races to be huge, but it helps to have a good turnout and usually makes it more fun for the participants as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://trailrunning.dirtyfeet.us/
- Email: jessica@dirtyfeet.us
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dirtyfeettrail/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dirtyfeettrail/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/dirtyfeettrail
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