RUN AS YOU ARE

A Borderless Running Community, Where Everyone Is Welcome.

We are the platform that makes running fun and inclusive. Connect your favourite activity tracking app to get started. Unlock experiences alongside a global community of runners.

- VISIT PROJECT WEBSITE -

UPDATE: OCTOBER 2022

This original content below was created when we first launched Run As You Are in April 2022. The project has evolved to involve a much broader community. Visit the above Project Website link for all updated information and sign-up.

LEARN ABOUT NFTS
JOIN RAYA DISCORD
WHY NFT'S / THE EVOLUTION OF COMMUNITY

How We Stand Up For Diversity.

At RAYA, we believe in the power of community, an inclusive culture, and breaking down barriers for runners around the world. Creating real change doesn’t happen overnight, nor does it happen alone. This collection of 5102 unique NFTs is a celebration of the future of run culture. By minting a 1:1 NFT, you are joining a global community of runners on a mission to positively impact the world, one step at a time.

Our Manifesto

_Run
We run for mental clarity, for health, for space, for balance in our lives. Running is a form of movement shared by millions around the world. It is forward momentum in its simplest form.

_As You Are
Running embraces all that choose to take part. It does not care about race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, personal aesthetic, whether you prefer trails, roads, short distance, or long distance. A sport that embraces all, allowing each individual to participate in any way they like, and one that opens the doors for self-expression and personal achievement as defined by each one of us.

Run As You Are
A colourful collection of characters as unique as each one of us and a representation of how we at Vancouver Running Co. view the world of runners. Characters that allow us to be silly or serious through literal representation or a vague idea of how we perceive ourselves as we put one foot in front of the other.

Behind The Project

Vancouver Running Company
We are Vancouver Running Co., a group of runners, creatives, and dreamers. Our purpose is to bring happiness to every runner* in the world. (*If you move forward, you’re a runner.) and through Run As You Are we aim to inspire you to embrace your uniqueness and embody who you are as a runner and person. It is time the world embraces all forms of runners from all backgrounds. It is time to Run As You Are.

OddFutur3
A creative studio that empowers brands, artists, and creators in using web3 technology, helping bridge the gap from the physical world to the metaverse. We support companies in transitioning from web2 to web3 through education, consultancy, and partnerships. As believers in a more equitable future, we are here to build an end-to-end ecosystem that makes the adoption of NFTs, DAOs, cryptocurrency, and blockchain technology more accessible for all.

PROJECT ARTIST: Marlon Soriano
A Vancouver-based multi-disciplinary artist specializing in Illustration and Graphic Design. Growing up, illustration and design had always been an influential part of Marlon’s life. After graduating from the Vancouver Film School in 2011, Marlon started his career working as a full-time graphic designer, photographer, and videographer for Victory Creative.

Marlon has always been committed to building meaningful connections within the Vancouver community. He has worked with clients such as lululemon, Red Bull, Vancouver Running Co., Myodetox, Vancouver Canucks, and BC Lions. Today, Marlon oversees the creative direction of WSDM CLUB and Knowledge Barbers.

RAYA BLOG

  • Run As You Are (RAYA)

    by Nick Lo

    Running is developed, not learnt. From the day we take our very first steps, the gait cycle is hardwired in our anatomical system.

    From crawling to walking to running, locomotion is born from our innate desire to explore, to get from point A to point B, and to unlock new ways to interact with the world.

    We are born to run, all of us.

    READ MORE

  • Why NFT's / The Evolution of Community

    by Rob Smith

    Back in the summer of 2021 Nick and I started jamming on how we could bring a new and innovative art project to the Vancouver Running Co. community. We wanted to drive a project that celebrated diversity in run through visual art that would be created by our friend Marlon Soriano.

    Shortly after beginning the yet to be named project, and seeing the first design ideas from Marlon, it became very apparent that his art deserved to be seen by millions of people.

    READ MORE

HELPFUL RESOURCES

  • WHAT IS AN NFT

    NFT stands for non-fungible token. It is a digital asset that contains identifying information recorded in a smart contract.

    This information is what makes each non-fungible token unique, and as such, they cannot be directly replaced by another token. This is the concept of fungibility. No two NFTs are alike, and as such each NFT is 1 of 1 and non-fungible.

    This is quite different from fiat currency, where one dollar is the same as another dollar. There is no quantifiable difference between the two, and thus are fungible. The same thing exists with cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin. If you send someone one Bitcoin (very generous of you by the way), and they promised to pay you one Bitcoin back in the future, it wouldn’t matter to you which Bitcoin they send, as long as it’s one Bitcoin.

    LEARN MORE

  • NFT 101 - QUICK GUIDE TO NFT'S

    Blockchain is confusing, we get it. But we’re here to help. This technology will change the way we interact digitally and enhance the way we interact with our community.

    To bridge the gap with education, here is our comprehensive guide on all the basics of blockchain, cryptocurrency, and NFTs.

    LEARN MORE

  • WHAT IS DISCORD

    At its core, Discord is a web-based communication app. If you're familiar with chat services like Slack, which many users are familiar with due to its widespread use in the business world, Discord is in the same category.

    Originally developed for the gaming community Discord is now widely used within the NFT community, with each project (RAYA) utilizing it's own server to broadcast community/project updates, movement challenges for RunList (minting/purchasing priority) status, interact with fellow runners and RAYA members and more.

    LEARN MORE ABOUT DISCORD

    JOIN RUN AS YOU ARE DISCORD

  • HOW DO I PURCHASE A RAYA NFT?

    Run As You Are is following a road map as we build our community of movement lovers. The date of mint (day you can purchase) is currently set for end of May/early June.

    To stay up to date and join in the fun you will want to join the RAYA Discord and view the project roadmap above.