Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 27, 2025

At RunnerSource.net (a service provided by Sparky1 LLC), we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and the measures we take to safeguard your information when you interact with the RunnerSource.net website or subscribe to our newsletter.

Information We Collect

Newsletter Sign‑Up Information. We receive and store personal information you provide when subscribing to the RunnerSource.net newsletter or contacting us through our website (built on the Wix platform). This typically includes your name and email address, and any additional details you choose to provide (for example, in a contact‑form message).
Age‑Screening Data (for children’s privacy compliance). To help us comply with children’s‑privacy laws, we may ask for month and year of birth (not full date) before collecting subscription details. This is used only to determine whether we may lawfully collect your information (see Children’s Privacy & Age‑Screening below). We do not collect the day of birth unless needed for compliance.

Donation Information. If you choose to support RunnerSource.net via a donation, you may provide additional information such as billing name and payment details. Payment information (like credit card numbers) is not stored on our servers; it is processed securely by third‑party payment processors through the Wix platform. We may retain records of your donation (e.g., name, email, and amount) for bookkeeping and to acknowledge your contribution.

Technical Data. We automatically collect certain technical information to enhance your browsing experience and improve our service. This includes:

Your Internet Protocol (IP) address and basic location (city/region) derived from it.
Browser type, version, and operating system/device information.
Connection details such as page load times, session duration, and date/time of access.
Interaction data about how you navigate our site (e.g., pages visited, clicks, and scrolls).

How We Use Your Information

Communicating with You. We use your name and email to send you the weekly RunnerSource.net newsletter and occasional service‑related announcements (such as important updates or changes to our platform). We may also use your information to respond to any inquiries or support requests you send us. We do not send marketing emails unrelated to RunnerSource.net, and every newsletter email includes an unsubscribe link so you can opt out at any time.

Processing Donations. If you make a donation, we use the provided information to process the transaction (via our payment processor) and to send you a confirmation or receipt. For recurring donations, your information is used to manage your subscription and payment schedule.

Site Improvement and Analytics. The technical and usage data we collect help us understand how users interact with our website and content. We may use this data (potentially via tools like Google Analytics) to monitor site performance, evaluate what content is most useful to readers, and improve the user experience of our website and newsletter over time.

Security and Compliance. Collected information is also used to maintain the security and integrity of our website, prevent fraud or misuse, and ensure we comply with applicable legal obligations. For example, IP addresses may be used to detect and block malicious activities.

Children’s‑Privacy Compliance. Where we use an age screen, we use the month/year you provide solely to determine whether we may lawfully collect your personal information or whether we must refrain from collection or obtain parental authorization. See Children’s Privacy & Age‑Screening below.

Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to safeguard your personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Your subscription data is stored in secure cloud services (for instance, in a protected Google Sheets database via Google Apps Script) and is accessible only to us and our authorized service providers. While no system can be guaranteed 100% secure, we strive to protect your data to the best of our ability and regularly review our security practices.

Cookies and Analytics

Our website may employ cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect session information and analyze user behavior. For example, we may use cookies to remember your preferences or to gather aggregate data about site traffic. In the future, we may utilize Google Analytics (or similar services) which set their own cookies to help us understand how visitors find and use our site. This information helps us monitor performance and improve the quality of your experience. You can adjust your browser settings to refuse or delete cookies; however, certain site features (like login or form functionality) might not work properly if cookies are disabled.
Signals: We do not currently respond to browser “Do Not Track” (DNT) signals. If we were ever to sell or share personal information for cross‑context behavioral advertising as defined by California law (we do not do so today), we would process opt‑out preference signals (such as Global Privacy Control) as required by the CPRA regulations.

Data Sharing and Third‑Party Services

We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties. However, we rely on reputable third‑party services to operate RunnerSource.net, and your data may be shared with or processed by them strictly for the purposes outlined in this policy:

Website Platform (Wix.com). Our site is built and hosted on Wix, which means that information you submit (such as through subscription forms or contact forms) is transmitted through and stored on Wix’s systems. Wix provides tools to help site owners meet GDPR obligations and implements technical and security measures.
Email and Data Storage (Google). We use Google Apps Script and Google Sheets to securely store and manage our subscriber list (your name and email). Access to this data is restricted to our team.
Payment Processing. Donations made on RunnerSource.net are handled by third‑party payment gateways (e.g., credit‑card processors or other payment services integrated via Wix). When you donate, your payment details are transmitted directly to these providers. Sparky1 LLC does not receive or store your sensitive financial information (such as full credit‑card numbers). These payment providers are responsible for safeguarding your financial data and have their own privacy policies and security certifications (for example, PCI DSS compliance).

We ensure that all such third‑party processors are trustworthy and used only as necessary to deliver our service. Each third party is given only the information required to perform their role (for instance, our email list is stored with Google, but payment info goes only to the payment processor). These providers are not permitted to use your information for any purpose other than delivering the services we’ve contracted them for.

Third‑Party Links

The RunnerSource.net website and newsletters may contain links to external websites for your reference or convenience (for example, links to the original podcast or video content that we summarize, or links to articles and resources). Please note that if you follow a third‑party link, you will be entering a site not controlled by Sparky1 LLC. We are not responsible for the content, security, or privacy practices of external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies and terms of any third‑party websites or services that you visit via links from our site.

Children’s Privacy & Age‑Screening

RunnerSource.net is a general‑audience service with content aimed at high‑school athletes and adults. We are committed to protecting children’s privacy:

Under 13 (U.S.). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. We use a neutral age screen before collecting subscription details; if a visitor self‑identifies as under 13, we do not collect their personal information (or, where applicable, we would first obtain verifiable parental consent). We design the screen to avoid encouraging users to misstate their age (e.g., allowing free entry of month and year).
General‑audience blocking. Because RunnerSource.net is a general‑audience site, we may decline to accept subscriptions from users who indicate they are under 13. (Different rules apply to child‑directed or “mixed‑audience” services.)
Teens (13–17). If you are under 18, you should subscribe only with a parent/guardian’s permission.
EU/UK. If you are in the EU/UK, note that GDPR Article 8 requires parental authorization for children under the applicable digital age of consent (up to 16) to use information‑society services based on consent. We do not knowingly accept subscriptions below that threshold without appropriate authorization.

If we learn that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child contrary to this section, we will delete it promptly and honor any verifiable parent/guardian request.

Your Rights

All users. You have the right to unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time. Every email we send includes an unsubscribe link at the bottom; clicking that link removes you from our mailing list, or you can contact us directly to request removal or update of your information. We will honor legitimate requests in accordance with applicable law.

EU/UK and other regions with data‑protection laws. Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have rights to request access, correction, deletion, restriction, objection, and data portability. We will respond as required by applicable law.

California (CPRA). We do not sell or share personal information for cross‑context behavioral advertising. If that changes, we will provide required opt‑out mechanisms and will not sell/share minors’ personal information without the opt‑in consent required by law (parent/guardian consent if under 13; the minor’s consent if 13–15). We will also process opt‑out preference signals (e.g., Global Privacy Control) as required by CPRA regulations.

Please note that even after you unsubscribe from the newsletter, we may retain certain data as required for legal or internal business purposes (such as donation records or proof of consent), but we will no longer use your email to send you communications once you have opted out.

Data Retention

We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy or as required by law (e.g., accounting and tax records for donations). For children’s information (e.g., parent‑contact details collected solely for consent), we retain it only as long as needed to meet the request or legal obligation and then delete it.

International Visitors & Data Transfers

If you access RunnerSource.net from outside the United States, your information may be processed in the U.S. Where required, we implement appropriate safeguards for international transfers.

Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may update or revise this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, incorporate new features, or ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations. When we make changes, we will post the updated policy on this page and update the “Last Updated” date at the top. Changes take effect immediately upon posting. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Your continued use of the RunnerSource.net website or subscription to the newsletter after any modifications signifies your acceptance of the updated terms of the Privacy Policy.

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding your personal information or this Privacy Policy, please reach out to us. The best way to contact us is through the contact form on our website (RunnerSource.net) or by replying to one of our emails. As RunnerSource.net is operated by Sparky1 LLC, you may also mail inquiries to our business address (PMB 165, 26828 Maple Valley Blk DMD Rd SE, Maple Valley, WA 98038). We are here to help and will respond as promptly as possible to address your concerns.

Privacy Policy

RunnerSource.net is a service provided by Sparky1 LLC