Virtual Run Canada

Marc Roy, from Ottawa, Ontario, pitched Virtual Run Canada, asking for $700,000 for 20%. The company runs virtual races that participants complete at their own pace using walking, running, cycling, swimming or crawling, tracked through a digital platform, with single events costing around $30 and a monthly subscription with swag costing $45. The business launched in 2020 as a pivot from Marc Roy's core company, Sportstats, which provides timing and results for major marathons and events like the Toronto Waterfront Marathon and IRONMAN Hawaii and generates $5 to $6 million a year with about $500,000 in net margin; Virtual Run Canada had about 200 monthly subscribers, 30,000 individual runners, and had generated $1.3 million in sales after 11 months.

Wes Hall and Arlene Dickinson jointly offered $700,000 for 40% across both businesses, which Marc Roy did not accept outright. Vincenzo Guzzo offered $700,000 for 25% of both companies and Michele Romanow offered $700,000 for 35% of both companies; Manjit Minhas went out, saying the business was too niche. Marc Roy negotiated with Wes Hall and Arlene Dickinson, and they settled on $700,000 for 30%, which Marc Roy accepted.

We haven’t confirmed whether Virtual Run Canada is still operating.