(The) Whisper Community

The idea of supporting families who may not have the financial means for their child(ren) to participate in something as simple as running arose soon after the formation of Whisper Running. With a board aligned, a nonprofit was formed in August 2020, and as good of an idea as it was, sustaining the momentum proved harder than anticipated.

Fast forward to the fall of 2025, Nicholas Marty, a long-time participant of Whisper Running, decided he didn’t have enough to do between working the land on his parents property, training for and running ultra marathons, and being a full-time student at Washington State University, that he wanted to take the lead and return Whisper Community to its original state, and so he took the reins. Nicholas worked tirelessly to help recruit members for the Board of Directors, file paperwork with the IRS to ensure good standing, and last month, our first 990N was successfully processed!

In the words of former board member in 2019(ish) Peter Rosenkranz, Whisper Community is “about the kids.” More specifically, Whisper Community is a Vancouver, Washington-based 501(c)3 non-profit aiming to provide equitable access to youth running participation for athletes in Southwest Washington by helping families overcome financial barriers that inhibit participation.

Access to youth sport participation at any level should not come with financial barriers - we’re talking about children seeking play, albeit in a more structured form. And so, with this in mind, and behind the leg work of Nicholas The Great, and the commitment of our board, Whisper Community is here!

In addition to supporting a child’s desire to be part of a team sport, Whisper Community is the proud new host of Lake to Bay Relay & Ultramarathon, as well as the Halloween Dash Bash Open 5k event.

Click on the tab below to learn more about our mission and our events, or to make a donation today.

Thank you!

Whisper Team Corner

First Up: Ultimook!

Whisper Running kicks-off the start of the season with a race unlike any other - Ultimook!  Saturday, September 5, begins the tenth cross-country season for Whisper, as the first ever Ultimook event for the team was lead by Kira Mahaffy, a legend in the eyes of many!  Kira was a Bowerman transfer in 2017, who led Bowerman to a 13th place at the national USATF XC meet in 2016.  After a summer of training with the handful of girls, around ten at the time, Kira opted to make the switch, and led Whisper to the national stage, and a rather fitting 13th place in Tallahassee, Florida.  Kira is a recent graduate of Montana State University and competes in Ironman events with her father, Matt.

Fast forward a whopping 10 years, and we are taking our largest contingent of runners, 55, into the valley of Tillamook for another run at the Ultimook Race! Ultimook is widely known as a mud run, but that’s only small part of the race - perhaps only 30 meters, or 1%. Ultimook as a majestic aura, with it’s hillsides that surround the tucked away venue. The often low fog that covers the surrounding forest. The stream crossings, overnight stay, dinner and a movie, pancake breakfast, and the short post-race trip south to the Tillamook Factory or north to Seaside, Ultimook provides the perfect commencement to any season.

Whisper has an open door policy, offering free trials to their group training sessions. We aim to include any runner who aspires to improve, who wishes to be part of a team and a family, and who wants a tangible experience of being pushed and believed in beyond their wildest imagination. Kids can do hard things and they love the discipline that comes with running.

With seven regular season meets on the schedule beyond Ultimook, plus Junior Olympics in November (and December), Whisper regularly accepts new runners! To learn more about joining the team, click on the link below!

whisperrunning.com/fallxc!

Use this newsletter or click here to access your pass!

Whisper Tid-Bits!

August Video’s