Eat Superfoods with Runivore
“We believe that Mother Nature is awesome at creating healthy and nutritious foods. Our focus is on combining ingredients into delicious easy to consume combinations.”
RUNIVORE is an Asia-based running food company started by three regular dudes turned ultra-runners who weren’t satisfied with their nutrition options and decided to make their own. Runivore offers supplements created with natural superfoods that are effective and delicious. Endurance sports bring a sense of happiness and fulfillment, and so should the foods we eat for everyday training and races.
If you have lived in Asia long enough and are a health nut or endurance athlete you may have noticed that 10 years ago it was very difficult to find local nutritional supplements in the market. Fast forward to 2020 with the growth of endurance sports in the region and with that products too, both locally and domestically. We caught up with Taiwan based superfoods brand Runivore to learn more about how they came about creating their superfood bars, what they love about endurance racing and the beauty and secret of trail running in Taiwan!!
Curito:
Hi Tom! Could you introduce yourself to our readers?
Tom:
Hi Runners, my name is Tom in the US, Tomasz in Poland, and 湯瑪士 when in Taiwan. I was born in communist Poland, we escaped to USA when I was 12. USA is where I got the bulk of my education ending with a degree in industrial engineering from Cornell University. I worked in software integration after graduation, then moved to Taiwan with a plan to work abroad for 1 year. I fell in love with Taiwan so one year turned into many many years. I’ve since received my MBA from NCCU in Taipei, changed my career to marketing and launched Runivore - the best sports nutrition company on the island.
Curito:
What were you doing before you co-founded Runivore?
Tom:
I was working in marketing at HTC where I helped to launch the very first Android smart phone. It was a rollercoaster ride with many ups and downs. I decided to get off the ride in 2013 and started a marketing consulting business.
Curito:
Could you walk us through that journey where you and your co-founders decided to run an ultramarathon and through that experience decided to create Runivore back in 2013?
Tom:
We were three dudes who started to run together and it was just an escalation of distance. It was Runivore Will who kept pushing the distance further. I think there must have been some beer involved that pushed us to commit to a 100km race. We trained together a lot - running at least 1 marathon a month, sometime 2 on a single weekend, sometimes a 65km race. We spent a lot of time together and we chatted about starting a business - that’s where the idea was born.
Curito:
Were you guys trying to solve a void in the marketplace for health and superfoods in Taiwan? What were some of the challenges you encountered and what did you guys learn from this?
Tom:
While we were doing all that running, we did have trouble finding quality portable fuel. Something easy to store, healthy, packed with calories, in short something that could help us with the training and during long races. So that is why we decided to start our business focusing on nutrition.
Curito:
Could you introduce Runivore products to us a little and inform us of the health and nutritional benefits of eating energy, protein bars (the fun science behind it)!
Tom:
We have a simple philosophy towards our products. We believe that Mother Nature is awesome at creating healthy and nutritious foods. Our focus is on combining ingredients into delicious easy to consume combinations. We work with chefs and nutritionists to optimize the taste and also to ensure that we are delivering the right kind of nutrition for active people. In general our energy bars have a good combination of fast energy (sugars from fruits), medium energy (more complex carbs like gluten free oats), and slow energy (nuts and seeds), so they are great for endurance events and for recovery. Our newest protein bar - Mighty Banana is fine-tuned to help runners, triathletes, cyclists recover after hard workouts. The natural fruits, nuts and seeds are boosted by pea protein isolate to give it a little extra muscle recovery boost.
Curito:
Why do you think in Taiwan and Asia health food and superfoods are not as commonly seen or offered? How has that landscape changed in the last few years and how has Runivore been able to educate more consumers in Taiwan about the benefits of eating clean. Have you noticed others starting to create similar products as yours here?
Tom:
We think Taiwan is on the verge of more people accepting eating healthy energy bars. We already see bars being very popular in HK and Singapore, it is just a matter of time. The reason why it hasn’t caught up yet is that some Taiwanese people still prefer a lunch box or a rice ball (these are not necessarily bad choices depending on the quality), others still eat junk food and they are slowly discovering that there are healthier options out there. The people in Taiwan who win races are more educated about the importance of nutrition for active people and they are slowly spreading the news to other, more casual, athletes.
“The terrain is so much more challenging here. The jungle, the steep ascents, the technical downhills, all of this combined make Taiwan a really challenging environment - we love it.”
Curito:
The concept was simple to provide fuel for runners but your products can reach across a wide range of people, has this been something you have thought to market to as well?
Tom:
Yes, we always saw the trail running community as our bull’s eye target, and we have started reaching out from the epicenter to cyclists, hikers, yoga people. Our biggest single customer is a hard core rock climber for example. We also have some regular customers who are just busy professionals who want a healthy snack option in the afternoon.
Curito:
Is energy balls not something you would be interested in making that would be suitable for gym rats and yogis?
Tom:
We’ve had some prototypes of these kinds of products and we continue to look into those ideas.
Curito:
As an endurance athlete living in Taiwan could you tell us what the trail running, ultramarathon scene is like here? How has it changed since you started to enter this space in the last few years?
Tom:
I did my first 50k trail run in Taiwan so this is my native land. When I go back to the states I usually divide my expected time in half. So a 50 k in Taiwan takes me about 10 hours and about 5 in the US. I tell that to people who come here for the first time. Usually they don’t believe it until after the race. The terrain is so much more challenging here. The jungle, the steep ascents, the technical downhills, all of this combined make Taiwan a really challenging environment - we love it.
As far as the running scene, it is maturing quite quickly. Action Asia has been coming to Taiwan and putting together great events. In the last few years Chia Chia trail has been putting on some cool unique races. And there are also some epic world class races put together by Taiwan Beast Runners (our partner for Explore Your Backyard). Their Formosa Trail race has of this year become a Western States qualifying race.
Curito:
Would you say Taiwan is a hidden gem and there is a lot of potential to host bigger international races here in the future, post covid?
Tom:
Yes, Taiwan is definitely a hidden gem. I can’t believe I have stayed hidden for so long. We’re looking forward to it becoming more discovered but also love the fact that it is quite low key.
Curito:
We have some amazing trails. Why do you think we don't get as much exposure here as other countries?
Tom:
Maybe Taiwan is just too tough for people? That’s a challenge to all those tough trail runners around the world. Come to Taiwan and see what real awesome trails look like. :)
Curito:
Who are some of your mentors and what inspires you to continue to run everyday, create trail race experiences and new products for Runivore?
Tom:
I have too many running mentors to mention. When I was 9 years old, my mentor and inspiration was Rocky (I loved all the running scenes), and I would run all around my city with friends after watching his movie. As life got more complicated, I used running as an escape or to give some perspective to the pressures of the day. In college, it was a good way to have a study break. In professional life it is a great way to think about problems and brainstorm some solutions. Today, I’m constantly inspired by runners and their determination. Having experienced pain during long runs (100k +), I admire athletes that push the boundaries of what is possible. We take the same approach towards managing Runivore - it’s a long race and we look forward to the challenges along the way. It makes success feel so much better knowing that we’ve had to overcome some rough patches.
Curito:
How has covid affected Runivore?
Tom:
I think we are very lucky to be in Taiwan, where Covid has been managed so well. Some of our events and some big partnership initiatives have been delayed a bit. But overall the business keeps moving forward. Our online sales seems to have picked up in Taiwan. Our partners abroad have also had a slow down, but overall we feel positive about the future.
Curito:
What do you hope to achieve in this new decade?
Tom:
We are hoping to get some more PBs (personal bests). That goes for running a new faster time in a marathon, but more importantly we hope to take Runivore to the next level. We really feel that Runivore should be a niche global brand, we’ve been building the foundation for it here in Taiwan, and the next decade will be the time to make that a reality. That will mean entering new markets, developing more products, and launching some really epic running events.
Curito:
What is the best way to keep up with Runivores events and offerings, potential collaboration opportunities and where can people purchase Runivore goods? Do you ship internationally?
Tom:
The best way to stay in touch with us is to follow us on FB , IG or on our website blog - just Google “Runivore" and you’ll find us. You can also write to us at info@runivore.com if you want to get on our mailing list. If you’re in a market where we don’t yet exist then info@runivore.com is also a great way to inquire about international shipping.
Curito:
Tom, thank you so much for sharing your story and Runivore’s journey with us. I look forward to seeing more products you guys create in the marketplace! I leave you with 3 books that Tom has been inspired by for you to add to your reading list!
Iron War: Dave Scott, Mark Allen, and the Greatest Race Ever Run
Tom, signed up for an ironman race after reading this true story of two badass athletes with very different approaches to training and life - one chill, one hardcore.
Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons
This is a great starter for those who are interested in running long distance (longer than a marathon).
Eat and Run My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness
A great guide to eating well and running well by one of the best ultramarathon legends out there.
First published on November 13, 2020
