Runningman 2024 a Success as Experiential Wellness Gains Ground
More than 1,000 people attended Runningman 2024, a three-day event featuring a choose-your-distance race and the world’s largest indoor sauna
Runningman might forever change the way we think about staging races.
The second edition of Jesse Itzler’s race-meets-festival-meets-retreat was by all accounts a smashing success, as runners and wellness enthusiasts from across the world gathered in Northwest Georgia for an event that truly is unlike any other.
Held last weekend at Kingston Downs in Rome, Georgia, Runningman 2024 welcomed over 1,000 attendees, with 38 U.S. states and 13 countries represented. That attendance number topped last year’s total of around 800, which bodes well for the young event’s future.
“It’s exceeded my expectations,” Itzler, who created the event through his All Day Running Co., told Athletech News amid the festivities last weekend. “I’ve been doing races for 35 years and there’s definitely no running race in the world like it.”
The three-day event revolved around a choose-your-distance race held on Saturday, with attendees able to pick between 5k, 10k, half-marathon, full marathon and 50k distances. Participants ran a combined 11,335 miles, with 90% of attendees running further than their initial distance goal.
For Itzler, that speaks to the power of an event like Runningman, which prioritizes camaraderie over competition, and encourages people to push their limits without demanding that they do so.
“This is the perfect environment to do a long race,” he said.
The Woodstock of Wellness
At its core, Runningman is about more than just running – it’s an entire wellness festival held over three days, complete with camping tents, immersive experiences and community. Itzler has called it the “Woodstock of wellness.”
At Kingston Downs, the one-mile-long track’s infield featured the world’s largest indoor sauna, a massive pop-up sauna where people could relax after their run (or in between laps). Just outside the sauna, cold plunge tubs from Plunge were set up for those seeking contrast therapy. Nearby, guests could try out Hyperice products including the brand’s famous Hypervolt massage guns and popular Normatec boots.
In total, 59 brands showcased their products at the event, including AG1, Athletic Brewing, Centr, Dream Performance & Recovery, Kane Footwear, Liquid Death, Red Bull and Zico, to name just a handful.
Runningman 2024 also featured panel discussions on important health and wellness topics including breathwork, sleep science and mental health. Mike Posner performed live on Saturday night, and Itzler himself delivered opening and closing remarks.
The Rise of Experiential Wellness
While there may not be another event in the world that’s quite like Runningman, other brands are tapping into the rise of experiential wellness.
This past summer, SoulCycle held its first-ever wellness weekend in The Hamptons. The three-day event featured a live workout held at the indoor cycling brand’s Bridgehampton Barn studio and wellness activations from brands including Hyperice and Allyoos.
Strong New York, a fitness and wellness community created by personal trainer Kenny Santucci, will stage its eighth annual exposition next month in Manhattan. Strong NY also held its own wellness retreat earlier this year, with programming that included running, bootcamp and yoga sessions, and recovery services like cold plunge and sauna.
As for Runningman, Itzler expects the event to get bigger and bigger. Based on his track record in entrepreneurship, there’s reason to believe it might.
“Any project that you have, you want to start small – not that this is small – but you want to think really big, and then you want to go fast,” Itzler told ATN. “We’ve learned so much with two years under our belt that next year we can kick it up a notch.”