Remember that movie? Classic, right?
And the best line in the film: "If you build it, they will come."
Great advice.
A year ago, I launched the first annual Runningman Festival. I wanted to do something different. The image in my head was an “event”—I knew it involved running, but I wanted it to be so much more than that.
I wanted it to be for everyone. Instead of fretting over all the details, I took a leap of faith and let it roll. I built it, confident that they would come.
As my team and I brainstormed and experimented, the festival took shape. We envisioned it as fun, entertaining, communal, bold, spiritual, inspiring—a memory for a lifetime. So…
We staged a three-day extravaganza sprawling across 5,000 acres in Kingston, Georgia. It wasn't your typical race; it was an immersive experience for runners of all kinds.
We offered the usual suspects—5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons, and full marathons—but we amped it up with live music, the world's largest sauna, ice baths, starlit camping, yoga, captivating speakers, food trucks, and DJs spinning beats till dawn.
It blended festival vibes with self-discovery retreats and high-energy business conferences.
When people asked me about the event, I told them, "It was more than just a run—it was a full-blown experience."
The energy was electric, and we saw participants pushing their limits in ways we hadn't imagined—like signing up for a 5K and finishing with a marathon medal around their necks.
Take my nine-year-old son, Charlie, for example. He didn't just run; he tested his limits. Five hours on the course, a quick lunch break, and boom—kid finishes a marathon.
Sometimes, life's greatest adventures unfold when we stop overthinking and start doing. Like building that baseball field in the middle of nowhere, we can't always predict who will show up or how things will unfold.
But when we create something with passion, purpose, and a lot of heart, the right people find their way to us.
So whether it's a race you've been itching to run, a business you've dreamed of launching, or a creative project simmering on the back burner, my advice is simple: go for it.
Build it, and they will come.
