Find your next step
First 100 memberships
Founding Charter memberships at a locked rate — $79/month for the first 100 members of the new XLR8 High Performance Center. A $25 reservation holds your spot.
VR station rentals
30-minute station rentals — includes 25 minutes of play. Book online.
XLR8 Recovery Clinic
Sports massage, therapeutic massage, and recovery services with Jalil Saab. Explore services and pricing.
Strength training
One-time 60-minute sessions with Joe Laxton — three levels, one focused session, ongoing member support.
Nutrition coaching
One-on-one 30-minute nutrition consultations with Joe Laxton — three focus levels, nutrition app access included.
Golf simulator
30- or 60-minute simulator reservations — practice solo or bring friends, with 20% off each golfer in groups of two or more. Book online.
Basketball shooting
Dedicated 30- or 60-minute reservations on our GRIND automatic passing and return machine — get your reps, track your progress.
Baseball and softball cage rentals
Exclusive baseball or softball cage rentals — 30, 60, or 90 minutes with the pitching machine, at one flat per-athlete rate. Coming soon.
Performance testing
Metabolic, sprint & power, and anaerobic testing at XLR8 Performance Lab — know your numbers and train with purpose.
Online training plan
Individualized online running training from XLR8 Performance Lab. $349/month.
XLR8 Academy — coming soon
Track-and-field learning and training opportunities are on the way. Ask about upcoming Academy offerings.
Meet the people behind your next step
Ben Tilus
Head Performance Coach, founder and owner
Connect with Ben about testing, training goals, and individualized running coaching.
About Coach Ben
Coach Ben Tilus is a sports performance coach and data analyst who has helped runners of all distances achieve maximum results through individual testing and optimized training since 2008. He founded XLR8 Performance Lab in 2020, starting with about a dozen athletes, and today serves more than 400 athletes from youth to professional.
A snapshot of the athletes he has assisted includes:
- 1 world record and 4 American records
- 3 indoor and 7 outdoor national champions
- 33 individual state cross-country champions and 233 state track and field champions
- 150 all-state cross-country runners and 39 cross-country and track All-Americans
- 41 Iowa all-time record performances from 200 meters through 5000 meters
- 12 Iowa Gatorade Players of the Year and 8 Drake Relays Most Valuable Performers
- Nike and Foot Locker national cross-country qualifiers and a World U20 qualifier
- More than $15,000,000 in collegiate scholarships earned by his athletes
Coach Tilus also pushes the sport forward through:
- XLR8 Performance Lab Podcast host
- Runner Formula app designer
- XLR8 High Performance Center gym owner
- XLR8 Academy youth track development
- XLR8 online coaching certification and coach mentorship
Joe Laxton
Strength training
Joe brings strength and weight-training experience to the XLR8 Performance Lab team.
Jalil Saab
Sports massage and recovery
Jalil, founder of Physiologic Clinic, leads XLR8 Recovery Clinic with a focus on sports massage and movement-focused recovery.
Not sure who to ask? Ask about your goals and the team will point you to the right person.
Latest from the blog
XLR8 Athlete Highlight – Caleb Ten Pas
Caleb Ten Pas is currently an 8th grader who attends Des Moines Christian school. He recently ran a 4:31 1600 and a 2:05 800 at the IATC Middle School state
XLR8 Athlete Highlight – Maddy Childs
We are so excited to be starting a series where we highlight some of our athletes who are coming up through the ranks and may not yet have garnered
Mental Toughness: Why you struggle with it and how you can improve it.
Most of you have experienced the shame of walking away from a race you had hoped to do well in, but instead you “laid an egg”. You just KNEW you
The new Norwalk space
The XLR8 High Performance Center opens at 250 Delaware St, Suite 120. These images are architectural renderings; the finished facility may vary.
Indoor turf, simulators and loungeRendering 
Performance lab testing roomRendering
Visit XLR8 Performance Lab
250 Delaware St, Suite 120, Norwalk, IA 50211Have a question about where to start? Contact the team and we'll help you find the relevant service.