At age eleven, Matt Kirby stood at the starting line of the Peachtree Road Race, the world’s largest 10K, wearing his father’s race bib. His father had fallen ill the day before, and young Matt, who had never run more than a short sprint, was about to embark on a journey that would shape his future in ways he couldn’t imagine. On that day, there was no concept of being able to run the Peachtree event one day and running the Great Wall marathon years into the future.
“I had no concept of how far 6.2 miles was,” Matt recalls with a laugh. “My aunt will tell the story – she had trained and all this, and I was just out there on adrenaline, literally high-fiving everybody while running. I felt great.”
That infectious enthusiasm of an eleven-year-old running his first race captures the pure joy of running that many adults struggle to maintain. As Matt describes that day, there’s still a hint of that childhood excitement in his voice, even as he prepares for his next big challenge: running the Great Wall of China Marathon in May 2024, his fifth continent in his quest to complete a marathon on all seven continents.
From High School Star to Starting Over
Like many runners, Matt’s journey hasn’t been a straight path from start to finish. After running track and cross country in high school, he hung up his running shoes. “In college, I probably ran five times total, maybe a charity 5K here and there. I was just done with running.”
It wasn’t until his early twenties, during a routine doctor’s visit, that running re-entered his life. “The doctor asked what I did for aerobic activity. I told him I lifted weights but didn’t do anything else. He said I needed to change that.”
Matt’s response to this wake-up call was characteristic of his all-or-nothing approach: he decided to run the Chicago Marathon. “With the benefit of hindsight, I did everything wrong, but I finished. And at that point, when I was done, I was like, ‘Alright, ran a marathon. Check the box.’ For the next probably seven or eight years, I ran maybe seven or eight times total.”
Finding Purpose Beyond the Finish Line
The spark that reignited Matt’s passion for running came from an unexpected source – a breakfast conversation with a friend about someone running marathons on every continent. “I like to travel, and I’m driven by goals,” Matt explains. “It seemed like a cool thing if I got back into running.”
This combination of goal-setting and adventure has taken Matt to races across the globe, from the streets of Marrakech to the trails of Switzerland and the roads of Brisbane. Each race has brought its own lessons and memories.
In Marrakesh, Matt learned a handful of Arabic phrases, including “shukran” (thank you). “I was shouting it out during the race, and the spectators were getting such a kick out of it – who’s this guy trying to speak to us in Arabic? But they were genuinely surprised and grateful, and I was grateful for their support.”
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The Business of Running
As an independent contractor and sales and leadership coach, Matt sees clear parallels between endurance sports and business success. “I’m a voracious reader and sponge of personal growth and development books,” he shares. “I listen to a lot of that stuff when I run. That mindset training really helps in different areas of your life.”
One key lesson he’s learned applies equally to running and business: “You have to detach yourself from results because you can’t control results. You can control your effort and your attitude, but you can’t control if the weather is undesirable or if you get sick. You just gotta control the controllables.”
Finding Joy in the Journey
Matt’s approach to running has evolved from the pure joy of that first Peachtree Road Race to the structured training of high school track, through years of not running at all, to today’s focusing on the Great Wall of China marathon. Through all of this he works on the balance of serious goals and genuine gratitude.
“I know it’s a gift to be able to do it,” he reflects. “We all get injured, we all get sick, and there are days when you’d like to run but physically can’t. That’s frustrating. So on days when I can run, I’m thankful for the ability and the opportunity.”
This gratitude extends beyond just being able to run. Recently, when faced with snow and ice during a scheduled 22-mile training run, Matt found a creative solution. “I ran a mile over icy streets to a parking deck, ran 20 miles in the parking deck, and then ran home. That sucked. That was not fun, but just the feeling of accomplishment and thinking, man, obstacles be damned, I’m gonna do this.”
Advice for New Runners
For those inspired by his story, Matt offers practical wisdom: “Think about your vision. Where do you see yourself in five or ten or more years? For many years of my life, I didn’t like running. I didn’t run. But running is tremendously beneficial physically, mentally – there are so many physiological benefits.”
But perhaps more importantly, he sees running as a way to build character. “Do you want to be a disciplined person? Do you want to be a person of integrity who does what they say they’re gonna do? Running perfectly encapsulates all of those character traits and virtues.”
As Matt prepares for his Great Wall Marathon in May, accompanied this time by his cousin, he can reflect back on his time as an 11 year old running the Peachtree Road Race 10k. In addition to that, he’s also thinking about what comes next. Maybe a triathlon, maybe more marathons in places he’s had to skip due to scheduling. But whatever the next goal might be, he’s learned to appreciate each step of the journey – from that first excited 10K as a kid to running loops in a parking deck on an icy morning.
Because sometimes the most important finish lines are the ones we create for ourselves.
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