A story in your ears
Dr. Kidusa, a disgraced archaeologist at base camp, guides you through the ruins over your own music, so you run to find out what happens next.
In development · Coming to iPhone
Turn every run into an adventure story
Run as a field explorer hunting a lost civilization. Push your pace to survive the episode, gather clues, and solve the puzzles to unlock what comes next.
First 100 get beta access, a badge and their name in the credits.
Why it matters
Give every run a reason
Most running apps just track your pace. Running Theory gives you a reason to keep going.
Your pace is the controller
Commands like Push, Hold and Burst turn collapsing tunnels and close calls into short pace challenges, judged against your own normal pace, not anyone else’s.
Answer mid-run
Solve riddles out loud or by changing your pace. Wrong answers have story consequences, not punishments.
Puzzles that pay off
Clues land in your Journal. Every few episodes, a sealed door only opens if you’ve solved its puzzle.
Train for your first 5K
The episodes double as a 5K plan, and every challenge scales to your own pace, so you can start from zero.
Full Story or Focused
Hear the whole story, or switch to a shorter mode with just the essentials.
The gameplay
How to explore
Pick your episode
Choose a length from 20 to 45 minutes and hit start.
Run the story
Listen, react to pace commands and answer riddles by voice or pace.
Unlock the next door
After your run, use your Journal clues to solve puzzles and open new episodes.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be a runner?
No. Challenges are based on your own pace, so it works whether you run every day or you’re just getting started.
What's my first week like?
Your first run is the Prologue and Episode 1, about 20 minutes at your own pace. Afterward, you look over the clues in your Journal. Your second run, Episode 2, ends at a sealed Door, and your clues crack it open to unlock what's next. Every episode builds toward your first 5K.
Can I listen to my own music?
Yes. The story plays over whatever you're listening to.
Do I have to talk out loud?
No. You can turn voice off and answer everything by changing your pace instead.
Is it free?
The beta is free, and Running Theory is free at launch.
What's a Founding Explorer?
The first 100 people on the waitlist. You get first access to the TestFlight beta, a permanent badge in the app, a say in what gets built next, and your name in the credits.
How do I get into the beta?
Join the waitlist. The first 100 get TestFlight invites first, and sharing your link moves you up the line.
Already on the list?
Help shape what gets built first with this 4-minute survey: https://tinyurl.com/msxhy2vd
Get early access
Run to find out what happens next
Join the waitlist today. Share your link to move up the line for the TestFlight beta.
