The Miles Were the Excuse

We started with a spreadsheet.

Six cities. A bunch of races. Plenty of miles. We were going to travel around the country, meet people we’d gotten to know online, run some races and come home with memories.

Simple enough, right?

Well, when you put Santino, Lori and me together, a spreadsheet is just a starting point. There’s always another idea, another goal or something we think we can squeeze into the schedule. And sometimes you show up for a race you forgot to register for. More on that in a minute.

The 2026 Everyday Athlete Run Club Tour took us to Oakland, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle and Indianapolis.

We ran marathons, a muddy trail half marathon, another half marathon and an eight-hour event. We spent hours in cars and airplanes. We ate too much restaurant food.

But the thing I’m going to remember most doesn’t have anything to do with how many miles we ran.

It has everything to do with the people we met.

How Six Cities Happened

The original idea really started with Santino. He had missed his sub-four-hour goal at the San Francisco Marathon and wanted to go back and finish the job. I offered to run with him and help pace him.

Because why just support your friend at one marathon when you can turn that idea into a ridiculous multi-city tour?

We picked six cities, spread out the race weekends and started figuring out how to meet as many Everyday Athlete Clubhouse members and runners as possible.

I thought we could organize shakeout runs through local running stores and clubs, show up, and everybody would have a great time.

Some of that happened. Some of it didn’t.

And I’ve realized that trying to make every minute of every trip fit neatly into a spreadsheet isn’t always the best way to build relationships.

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Oakland: When the Goal Meets Reality

We started in Oakland.

We got to meet people from Hella Bae Running and Black Men Run Bay Area. We spent time with Lizzie, Joyce, Ourda and others we’d known through social media.

Those conversations alone made the weekend worthwhile.

Then came the marathon.

Oakland was incredible. The people cheering along the course made it an experience I’ll remember for a long time. The Bay Bridge? That was a different story. That thing was rough.

But I danced afterward, hung out with people and got myself an Impossible Whopper.

I’d call that a pretty good day.

Pittsburgh: More Than Running Support

Pittsburgh was special. Val’s Aid Station welcomed us in a way that’s difficult to explain without experiencing it.

These people take running seriously, but they don’t take themselves too seriously. Music, dancing, laughter and a whole lot of fun.

I spent time talking with Chris and Lori at a coffee shop. We got to know people beyond the conversations we’d had online.

Those are moments I don’t forget.

But the biggest Pittsburgh moment wasn’t mine. Lori defended her dissertation while we were there. Val joined the call, asked a question and supported her.

Think about that. Val wasn’t there to celebrate a finishing time or a new personal record. She showed up for something meaningful in Lori’s life that had nothing to do with running.

That’s community.

And it’s a much bigger deal to me than whether I ran a 4:19 or a 3:45 marathon.

Salt Lake City: The Race I Forgot to Enter

Santino, Lori and I drove to Salt Lake City together. A long road trip. Hours of conversation. We talked about life, the world, sports and whatever else came up.

I don’t remember spending much time talking about race pace or mileage. And I loved that.

While we were there, we got to meet Josh Rosenthal from Borderlands. We’d communicated before, but getting together for coffee was an entirely different experience.

Then we went to packet pickup. A volunteer searched for my name. Couldn’t find it.

You know why? Because I never registered for the race. Thankfully, Josh was there and helped get me a bib.

And what did I get for my trouble? Rain, cold and mud up to my ankles.

It was fantastic.

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San Francisco: A Marathon Weekend That Became Something Else

The San Francisco Marathon was the race that inspired the entire tour. And while we had started with an ambitious goal, by the time we returned to the Bay Area, something had changed.

I was enjoying the experience more than worrying about my watch. We spent time with the Hella Bae Running community again. We connected with Lizzie, Ivan, Joyce and others.

At the expo, I spent time with Peter from Skratch Labs. We’d known each other for years, but having those conversations in person made the relationship even more meaningful.

On race day, I ran across the Golden Gate Bridge, saw the fog over the bay and took in a city that has so much to offer. After the race, Lori, Santino and I ended up enjoying brunch on an outdoor patio near the water.

I couldn’t tell you my finishing time without looking it up. But I can tell you what those conversations felt like.

Seattle: Coming Back to a Place We Loved

Lori and I lived in Seattle for a year. Going back with Santino was an opportunity to revisit coffee shops, restaurants and places we’d enjoyed while living there.

We played tourists and ate. We explored and laughed.

Oh, and we ran Beat the Blerch.

We went in without much of a time expectation, and about halfway through the half marathon I realized breaking two hours might be possible.

So I went for it. And did it.

But what I enjoyed just as much was hanging around afterward, celebrating with Krissy and other runners, eating food and enjoying the day.

The race was great. The experience around the race was even better.

Indianapolis: Eight Hours of People Showing Up

Our last official stop was Hustle in the Heartland in Lebanon, Indiana.

Joe Hardin and Odd Duck Running put on an event that gave us the opportunity to spend hours with members of the Everyday Athlete Clubhouse.

Literally hours. We ran around a loop for eight hours.

Sometimes we ran and talked. Sometimes we walked and talked. Sometimes we just spent time together.

Christy couldn’t race because of a calf issue, but she was out there ringing a cowbell. Hal was in a walking boot, but he still showed up to cheer. Rose stuck to her training plan, ran for two hours and spent the rest of the day supporting everyone else.

And I got to spend my last five laps walking and running with Lori. We don’t often get to participate in races together, so that meant a lot.

Nobody needed to set a record to contribute to that day. They just needed to show up.

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What the Tour Taught Me

Here’s the part that surprised me.

We spend so much time on social media looking at follower counts, likes, views and comments. But those numbers don’t tell you much about the relationships behind them.

They don’t tell you about somebody sharing their anxieties with you.

They don’t tell you about a conversation over coffee that goes much deeper than your latest training cycle.

They don’t tell you about somebody showing up to support your wife during her dissertation defense.

They don’t tell you about a person standing outside in a walking boot cheering on their friends.

The tour helped me understand the difference between followers and friends.

We already knew many of these people. We’d exchanged messages, done interviews and had conversations.

But spending time together moved those relationships to another level. And that was worth every mile of travel.

What Would I Change?

Not a hell of a lot.

The schedule was exhausting. I’m not going to pretend otherwise.

Organizing shakeout runs, trying to meet people at specific times, moving across cities and still managing our businesses and responsibilities was a lot.

Some planned gatherings never materialized. But in their place, other conversations happened.

If we had filled every hour with scheduled events, we might have missed opportunities to sit down with somebody and just talk.

Next year, I’m leaning toward fewer stops and more time in each location.

More flexibility. More coffee and more conversations.

Maybe a little less eating out? I love cooking, and by the end of these trips I was ready to get back into my own kitchen.

Before somebody suggests an Airbnb, I’m not paying another $150 to clean the place myself. Nice try.

Keeping the Memories

That’s why I’m glad we’re sharing this recap in collaboration with ALLMYNE, a platform built around travel experiences and preserving the memories behind them.

Because the race results are already recorded. The memories are what I want to hold onto.

A laugh during a long drive. A cold start line in Pittsburgh. Mud in Utah. Brunch by the bay. A cowbell in Indiana.

Those things tell the story better than any spreadsheet.

The 2026 Everyday Athlete Run Club Tour is technically complete, although we’re still planning to see community members at the New York City Marathon.

And we’re already talking about what the tour could look like next year.

But before we start filling out another spreadsheet, I want to thank Lori, Santino, Joe and every person who took time to meet us, cheer us on, run with us or simply say hello.

You made this experience what it was. We started with races on a calendar. We came home with friends.

Now I have a question for you: What’s one time somebody in the running community made you feel like you belonged?

Tell me in the comments. I want to hear the story.

And if you want the full version of our six-city adventure, listen to the latest solo episode of The Fireside Chat on the Everyday Athlete Podcast Network or watch it on YouTube.

Take Risks. Bet On Yourself.

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