WHY I BUILT THIS
An athlete finished a 5km run and looked around to see if anyone was watching.
We were. But by next week, the only proof lived in a coach's memory and a group chat that had already moved on.
Read the full story →Free & open-source for inclusive running clubs
The running app where every athlete belongs
One place for coaches to log runs, caregivers to see progress, and athletes to own every hard-won kilometre.
Watch overview · 4:12
What's in the video
A 4-minute silent walkthrough with background music. On-screen captions appear for each section.
The video shows four perspectives: the coach view (club feed, athlete profiles, weekly summaries), coaching tools (planning sessions, pairing coaches with athletes), Strava integration (@-mentioning athletes in activity titles to sync runs into Kita), the caregiver view (progress and cheers from anywhere), and the athlete view (their personal QR-coded Journey page with stats and milestones).
Free forever · Open source · No athlete email needed · Caregiver privacy controls · Strava sync · Built by a volunteer coach
SEE IT IN ACTION
Three roles. One app. Zero clutter.
Every screen is designed for the person using it — nothing more, nothing less.
Coach feed
Priority alerts, RSVP, weekly digest
Athlete Journey
Avatar, mood, stats, coach connection
Milestone earned
Dignified celebration with certificate
Caregiver view
Progress, encouragement, coach notes
Session management
Schedule, RSVP, coach-athlete pairings
Athlete cues
Helps, avoids, and coaching cues
Club overview
Stats, sessions, and personal bests
BUILT FOR THREE ROLES
Coaches log runs. Caregivers see progress. Athletes own their journey.
Coach
Spend less time chasing updates, more time coaching.
- Log runs manually or sync from Strava — milestones detected automatically
- Schedule sessions with coach pairings and RSVP
- Weekly narrative digests for every athlete, not just numbers
Caregiver
See progress without needing to be at every session.
- Every session, distance, and milestone in one place
- Send cheers that coaches and athletes see
- Control what gets shared — with veto power over public visibility
Athlete
A personal page that says: this progress is yours.
- Scan a QR code, enter a PIN — no email, no account, just run
- Choose your own avatar, colour, and running goals
- Milestone celebrations designed to feel safe, not overwhelming
BUILT DIFFERENTLY
Accessibility is not a feature. It's the foundation.
Every design decision is tested against one question: “Would I say this to a neurotypical adult runner?” If not, it doesn't belong here.
Other apps
Kita
“You’re on fire! 🔥”
“Great run today.”
Public leaderboards
Private milestones
Confetti explosions
Calm, gentle celebration
Requires email + password
QR code + 4-digit PIN
Tiny icons, dense menus
Large buttons, clear labels
Progress shared by default
Sharing is opt-in, caregiver veto
WCAG 2.2 AAA
7:1 contrast everywhere
Text is easy to read in any lighting. Buttons are large enough for everyone. Screen readers work on every page.
Cognitive (W3C COGA)
Literal language only
“Great run today!” not “You're on fire!” No metaphors that confuse literal thinkers. No infantilising praise. Warm but dignified.
Sensory safety
Celebrations that don't overwhelm
Celebrations use gentle colours and calm animations. Athletes who are sensitive to motion or bright visuals still get their moment — just a quieter version.
Privacy by design
Medical data never leaks
Public pages never show medical info, feel ratings, or coach notes. Sharing is opt-in. Caregivers have veto power over what's visible.
HOW IT WORKS
Up and running in three steps
1
Create your club
2
Add your athletes
3
Start logging runs
We help you with setup. No technical skills needed.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Everything you need to know
Yes. Kita is free for any inclusive running club and always will be. The code is open source on GitHub.
No. Athletes access their personal Journey page by scanning a QR code and entering a 4-digit PIN. No email, no password, no app download required.
Only people with a role in your club. Coaches see their athletes. Caregivers see only the athlete linked to them. Athletes see everything their caregiver sees. Medical information, coach notes, and feel ratings are never shown on public pages. Caregivers have veto power over what gets shared.
Yes. Coaches can connect Strava and runs are automatically matched to athletes. You can also log sessions manually.
One person — a volunteer running coach in Singapore who needed a better way to track sessions and share progress with caregivers. The code is open source and the full story is in the essay above.
Kita is built for running clubs right now. The session tracking, milestones, and coaching tools are designed around running. If you run a different sport and want to explore it, get in touch — we'd love to hear what you need.
Ready to make every kilometre count?
We'll set up your club and walk you through your first session. No payment. No sales call. Takes less than a week.
Prefer email? hello@kitarun.com