5 Lessons From Runningman for Fitness & Wellness Brands Looking To Grow
Ferris wheels, ice baths, obstacle courses and Doug E. Fresh — Runningman 2025 showed how fitness and wellness thrives when it feels like a festival. Here are five takeaways for brands
ROME, GEORGIA — “I can signal down below to stop the Ferris wheel so you can get off,” Robby Wade, co-founder and CEO of Rythm Health, offered.
“Yeah?” I asked, clinging to the bar in the middle of our Ferris wheel car, considering it.
“Yeah, it’s not a problem,” he said, raising his arm to wave to the person down below.
“You know what, don’t worry about it. I’ll be alright,” I said.
I was not alright. But this is Runningman — a place where you’re supposed to break through barriers, even if yours happens to be a fear of heights.
That’s the paradox of Runningman, which is equal parts boundary-pushing and clarity. It throws you into the unexpected: a Ferris wheel ride that doubled as a blood test, a pickle-eating contest, circling a one-mile loop for the 25th time or sweating through the world’s largest sauna. But beneath the spectacle lies something more serious. For brands, these moments reveal what truly resonates with consumers, with experiences that surprise, connect and push people beyond their usual limits.
That’s why Runningman isn’t just a health-centric weekend camp for grown-ups. It is, sure, but it’s also something bigger. It’s a case study for an industry still figuring out how best to engage consumers in a competitive, distracted and divided world where loneliness and depression rates are at a historic high, even as wellness content floods our feeds. It can be hard to cut through the noise, but at Runningman, something real is.
Here are five lessons fitness and wellness brands can take away from Runningman’s biggest wins:
1. Participation > Perfection
Runningman’s flat, one-mile loop format encouraged participants to choose what felt most comfortable: running, walking or a mix of both for a 5K, 10K, half marathon or full marathon. Some even pushed through a 50K ultra (about 31 miles). It wasn’t about medals or leaderboards; it was about surprising yourself. Some used the loop to ruck with weighted vests from GoRuck, others to catch up in conversation or simply settle into complete focus.
For brands, it’s a reminder that lowering the barrier to entry (rather than catering only to ultra-athletes) can empower consumers to go further than expected and create lasting, feel-good memories. Altogether, runners logged more than 13,558 collective miles over the weekend, with ample opportunities to recharge and recover at activations including one hosted by Hyperice, featuring the recovery tech brand’s new Hyperboot.
2. Recovery Reigns
From FjØrd cold plunges to Othership’s “World’s Largest Sauna,” recovery was one of the weekend’s biggest draws. Attendees flocked to both activations, highlighting just how much people are craving opportunities to rest and restore.
Othership isn’t new to the recovery game, but the brand brought it to life in a big way at Runningman: a 4,000+ square-foot sauna outfitted with 12 wood-burning stoves, live DJs and guided rounds that turned heat therapy into a communal ritual. Othership, already a staple in Toronto and New York City, is looking to expand its model of community-driven wellness following an $8.5 million raise this summer.
One key takeaway? At most fitness and wellness events, consumers already expect to sweat. But in today’s “do more” culture, where many athletes and health-minded consumers are already overachievers in every facet of life, what they’re craving is a place to pause and exhale.
3. Go Big or Go Forgotten
Runningman’s activations felt less like standard sponsorships and more like a throwback to childhood summer fairs, only reimagined through a wellness lens. There was goat yoga with Sweet Honey Farm, the chance to meet a pony, ducks, bunnies and baby goats, and even an ice cream truck courtesy of Promix. Promix didn’t stop there: it also rolled in with a juice bar, a jousting arena and a 100-foot obstacle course. TRX hosted strength sessions and kept the community gym open throughout the weekend, while a slip-’n-slide gave adults permission to play like kids again.
And then came the true centerpiece: a 110-foot white Ferris wheel where attendees could literally test their blood mid-spin, courtesy of Rythm Health. Wade explained that Rythm’s Ferris wheel was built on a simple idea of taking something people are typically unhappy about (a blood test) and pairing it with something fun, transforming a clinical task into part of the adventure.
“The immersive activations put on by companies doing cutting-edge work in fitness and wellness create an environment that is as inspiring as it is unforgettable,” Runningman co-founder Devon Lévesque said. “Our partners brought this year to the next level.”
Altogether, these weren’t passive activations at Runningman; they were experiences people lined up for, tapping into the powerful pull of nostalgia and creating a weekend-long bubble of youth, a time when the biggest concern was a sunburn.
4. Approachability Over Aggressive Sales
Runningman showed that brand presence doesn’t have to feel like a sales pitch. Instead, it came across as relaxed and organic. Rather than hawking products or pushing sign-ups, activations invited people in.
You could wander over to Everyday Dose’s café for a functional coffee, grab a cold Athletic Brewing Co. non-alcoholic beer from a cooler or chat with the founder of Saltwater Co., a hydration beverage brand infused with Himalayan pink salt. It wasn’t about transactions or pressure; it was about discovery.
It may be a hard pill for brands to swallow, but it’s an important reminder that consumers are savvy and quick to tune out aggressive pitches. Creating authentic and approachable spaces where people can try, ask questions and connect can leave a lasting impression and potentially create a lifelong customer.
5. Break the Categories, Build the Experiences
Just like consumers are stacking supplements for optimization, Runningman stacked experiences and perfected the mix over three days. Motivational keynotes from Maya Raichoora, Ben Nemtin and Runningman co-founder Jesse Itzler flowed into obstacle courses, while Zen Zone practices like a cacao ceremony with Daniel Lawler, breathwork and guided meditation with Erika Polsinelli, yoga with Stella Stephanopoulos and energy healing with Neysha Arcelay gave way to late-night concerts, capped by a surprise performance by Doug E. Fresh.
The Learning Lab added even more depth, with Olympian Jeff Galloway, Dream Performance & Recovery co-founder Todd Anderson, Fittish founder Jenna Owens and health and fitness personality Michael Smoak leading sessions on running fundamentals, recovery, clean beauty, habit stacking, alternative medicine, sleep and more.
Ultimately, Runningman proves that fitness and wellness don’t belong in boxes, and the future of the industry may hinge on making it all feel a little more like a festival.
“Runningman is my favorite weekend of the year,” Itzler said. “There’s truly nothing like it on the planet. We’re not here to compete, we’re here to connect. I can’t wait for next year.”