About Us

The Kansas City Smoke is a USATF Elite and Sub-Elite Club established to provide training and competitive opportunities to emerging elite and post-collegiate distance runners across all disciplines, from track to road, as well as our exceptional team of Masters athletes. We also have an extremely strong group of Ultra Marathon competitors, with every ultra athlete having finished with a top 100 calendar year time in North America in one or more ultra categories.

Founded in 2002, the Kansas City Smoke achieved USA Track and Field Elite Development status in 2004, a designation we were granted again in 2008 for the current Olympic Cycle. This status is awarded to clubs that provide a high level of support to their members, helping them compete at an elite level within the USATF system.

We achieved early success with two Smoke athletes qualifying for the 2004 USA Olympic Marathon Trials and three qualifying for the 2008 Marathon Trials. Multiple athletes have qualified for USA Track and Field Indoor and Outdoor National Championship meets, and our men's team won the 2008 USATF Club Track and Field National Championships. We continue to welcome new athletes who qualify for the Olympic Trials, most recently in 2025.

Our club is an affiliate member of the Road Runners Club of America. Through the RRCA, we are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.