SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Mascot Sports, the experiential agency that built the talent-led run club category, today announced it has been named to the 2026 Inc. 5000, Inc.'s annual ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America at No. 405. It is the company's second consecutive year on the list, which ranks companies by revenue growth from 2022 to 2025.
Founded in 2016 by CEO Ryan Dawkins, Mascot built a business around a format that did not exist three years ago. The playbook is straightforward: pair a recognizable artist with a running event, then let their fanbase turn up in person. Diplo's Run Club started it in the fall of 2024 and has since sold more than 100,000 tickets, drawing 10,000 to 15,000 runners per event. Travis Barker's Run Travis Run followed in late 2025. Gunna's Wunna Run Club has since raced in nine cities, including New York, Toronto and Johannesburg.
The recognition has followed. In March, Diplo's Run Club was named one of Fast Company's 2026 Most Innovative Companies, placing in the wellness and personal care sector and on the overall list. Last fall the San Francisco Business Times ranked Mascot the 12th fastest-growing private company in the Bay Area on 250% growth over two years.
"Artists have always had huge, devoted audiences and almost no way to be with them outside a stage and a barricade," said Ryan Dawkins, founder and CEO of Mascot Sports. "A run club fixes that. You finish tired, you finish proud, and the artist is right there finishing with you. No concert does that. No road race does that either. Numbers like these tell us people were waiting for someone to try it."
Mascot handles routing, permitting, production, creative, sponsorship and content in house. Alongside the run clubs it produces the Golden State Warriors' Golden State 5K, the Bay Bridge Half Marathon and the Livermore Valley Half Marathon & 5K. Each run club series supports a nonprofit partner: Good Sports, Gunna's Great Giveaway and Community Organized Relief Effort.
About Mascot SportsMascot Sports is an experiential marketing and live event production agency working at the intersection of sports, music and brand activation. Founded in 2016 by Ryan Dawkins, the company produces talent-led running and wellness events nationwide and works with partners including Live Nation, UMG, Warner Bros. and Red Bull. Mascot is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Denver and Asheville. For more information, visit MascotSports.com.
Media Contact:
Ryan Dawkins
pr@mascotsports.com
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