★ terms of service ★

the rules of the road.

these terms govern your use of therunningdates.com, our products, our run club, and our community. by using the site or signing up, you agree to them.

last updated · april 2026

01.who we are

"the running dates" is a brand operated by the date pac, llc, a limited liability company in los angeles, california. when you see "we," "us," or "our" on this site, that's who.

contact: therunningdates@gmail.com

02.acceptance of these terms

by visiting therunningdates.com, joining the waitlist, applying to be matched, or applying to be a captain, you agree to these terms. if you don't agree, don't use the site.

we may update these terms at any time (see § 12). continued use after changes means you accept the updated terms.

03.eligibility

you must be at least 13 years old to use the website itself. you must be at least 18 years old to participate in any in-person event, the matching program, or the captain program. by using these features, you confirm you meet the age requirement.

04.waitlist & pre-orders

joining the waitlist is free. it gives you first access to product drops, but does not guarantee any product allocation, pricing, or shipping date.

when product drops open:

05.refunds & happy gut guarantee

if our product doesn't work for your gut, your training, or your vibe, contact us within 30 days of receiving your order at therunningdates@gmail.com for a full refund of your first order. one refund per customer.

we don't accept returns of opened consumable product (we can't resell it for safety reasons), but you don't need to return anything to get the refund — your word is enough.

06.shipping

we ship within the continental united states only at launch. additional regions may be added — see the shipping page on the live store when batch 01 opens.

title and risk of loss pass to you when the carrier accepts the package. lost or damaged shipments — contact us, we make it right.

07.your account & content

you are responsible for the accuracy of information you submit (email, phone, name, matching preferences, captain application, etc.). misrepresentation may result in profile removal.

you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use any tagged user-generated content (photos, posts, reviews) you publish on social media using #therunningdates or by tagging @therunningdates, for marketing and community purposes. you may revoke this license by emailing us.

08.intellectual property

the running dates name, logo, mascot characters ("the dates doing things"), product names (first date, blue date, bright date, final date, coffee date), copy on this site, and the question wristband prompts are all owned by the date pac, llc. don't copy them, don't use them in your own product, don't make them into nfts.

we love getting tagged. we don't love getting copied.

09.prohibited uses

you may not:

10.disclaimers

the site is provided "as is." while we put real care into accuracy, we don't warrant that:

before using our products for athletic performance or starting any training program, consult your doctor — especially if you have any medical condition, are pregnant or nursing, or take prescription medications. our gels are food, not medicine.

10b.food, allergens & medical conditions

our gels are made from california organic medjool dates, sea salt, water, and (depending on flavor) blueberry, lemon, green tea, coffee, and cocoa. contains naturally occurring sugars.

allergen notice:

not for medical use. our products have not been evaluated by the fda. they are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. they are food.

if you experience an adverse reaction (allergic reaction, gi distress beyond normal endurance fueling), stop use immediately and contact us at therunningdates@gmail.com. seek medical attention if symptoms are severe.

11.limitation of liability

to the fullest extent permitted by law, the date pac, llc, its founders, captains, and contractors are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of the site, our products, or the run club.

our total liability for any claim arising from these terms or our products is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim, or $100, whichever is greater.

11b.indemnification

you agree to indemnify and hold harmless the date pac, llc, its founders, employees, captains, and contractors from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from:

11c.force majeure

we are not liable for any failure or delay in performance (including order fulfillment, drop dates, or meetup scheduling) caused by circumstances beyond our reasonable control — including but not limited to natural disasters, supply-chain disruptions, carrier failures, pandemics, government action, or acts of god. we will communicate any material delays via email.

11d.captain status

city captains are independent volunteers, not employees, agents, or contractors of the date pac, llc. captains receive limited compensation in product, swag, and event support. their actions and statements are not made on behalf of the date pac. while we screen captains and require they follow a code of conduct, we are not liable for the actions of any captain that fall outside the scope of their volunteer role.

12.updates to these terms

we may revise these terms periodically. when we do, we'll change the "last updated" date and, for material changes, notify active waitlist participants by email.

13.governing law

these terms are governed by the laws of the state of california, without regard to conflict-of-laws rules. any dispute arising from these terms or your use of the site will be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts located in los angeles county, california.

14.termination

we may suspend or terminate your access to the site, the waitlist, the matching program, or the captain program at any time for violation of these terms or for safety reasons (see the matching policy for details).

14b.in-person meetup waiver

participation in any in-person the running dates meetup, run, or matched event requires signing the participant waiver and release at your first meetup. the waiver covers assumption of risk, release of liability for the company and its captains, medical authorization, and an optional photo/video release. you may preview the waiver at any time.

refusal to sign the waiver disqualifies you from in-person participation but does not affect your ability to receive product, drop alerts, or use the website.

15.severability, no waiver, entire agreement

severability. if any provision of these terms is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force.

no waiver. our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of our right to enforce it later.

entire agreement. these terms, together with our privacy policy, sms terms, matching participants policy, and participant waiver, constitute the entire agreement between you and the date pac, llc regarding the site, our products, and in-person events. they supersede any prior agreements or understandings.

16.contact

questions about these terms? therunningdates@gmail.com

by mail: the date pac, llc · los angeles, ca