“I just hope people have fun,” Jesse Itzler told me as we walked along the route of Runningman Festival’s main event, an 8-hour, choose-your-own distance race with options ranging from 5K to 50K. Itzler, a prolific entrepreneur, public speaker, and endurance runner, is the founder of Atlanta’s All Day Running Co., the running store that puts on the Runningman Festival.
“The Race,” as it’s aptly named, takes place around a 1-mile loop and you can run for as long as you want, or don’t want. It kicks off at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, sandwiched between myriad fitness classes, perception-shifting wellness sessions, the world’s largest sauna, cold plunges, and a concert from pop-savant-turned-Everest-summiter Mike Posner, among other things.
This festival has already taken leaps in popularity, growing by 25% from 800 runners in its 2023 debut to over 1,000 in 2024. That may not sound like a huge number when compared to other races, but, after attending the festival myself, I think the intimate feel of the event is one of its greatest strengths.
Runningman Festival can be just about anything the fitness enthusiast wants it to be: you can run the longest race of your life (90% of entrants surpassed their mileage goal), you can learn all about ‘shrooms (yes, those ‘shrooms), you can gain new wellness skills, or you can simply enjoy being around a thousand like-minded people.
The Runningman Festival
Had a comment about “just having fun” come out of someone else’s mouth, the response might have sounded a bit hackneyed. But Itzler, an accomplished ultra-runner and entrepreneur, carries the aura of a man telling the gospel truth.
Maybe it was because he kind of looks like Will Ferrell and had just shed the American-flag-adorned blazer he wore to kick off Saturday’s main event. But I believe it’s his prodigious talent for making mind-melting endurance sports and wellness pursuits seem like an afternoon in the park.
When you first set foot on the Runningman Festival grounds at Kingston Downs — a former horse track in Rome, Georgia — you’d be forgiven for thinking you just walked into a micro Burning Man. Within the 1-mile loop that also serves as the race course, you’ll find hundreds of tents lined up in rows, a stage surrounded by booming speakers, people wearing very little clothing, and a lineup of brand sponsors that seem like they were selected based on their love for psychedelic mushrooms.
The weekend centers around The Race, but that’s in no way the only focus of Runningman. From the first arrivals on Friday at 2:00 p.m. until the closing ceremonies on Sunday at 2:00 p.m., there was hardly any time when another activity wasn’t taking place (save for maybe 6 hours each night).
Day One: Don’t Party Too Hard (Drink Lots of Water)
Step closer, and you’d have noticed that your fellow “Runners” were scantily clad because they were hopping back and forth between a cold plunge and the World’s Biggest Sauna, or had just wrapped a HIIT workout followed by zenned-out breath work. When anyone was actually stationary (which was rare), they were scheming about how many loops they could run.
At the same time, they dug their hands through bottomless coolers full of Red Bull, functional mushroom-infused seltzers, and beers. The bar stayed open late, but the night did not cater to booze-fueled raucous behavior.
One of the more refreshing sights of the weekend was seeing the “drink responsibly” mindset in practice, not out of obligation, but because that’s how the typical Runningman attendee prefers it. (There were a lot of Athletic Brewing N/A beers being passed around, though.)
After picking up your packet on Friday afternoon, you have access to classes and breakout sessions galore, all leading up to a keynote speech from Itzler himself. Intro to Cold Exposure, Guided Yoga, and the all-important Beer Mile highlight the evening, but you can also check out the pickle-eating contest or an introduction to the walk-run method.
Unfortunately for me, a baggage hiccup in Atlanta forced me to miss the afternoon’s “World’s Hottest Party,” where hundreds of folks gathered in the giant sauna with a live DJ — an event I think has to be considered can’t-miss next year.
Don’t Miss the Keynote
The highlight, though, was the Everest Mindset Panel, which featured Mike Posner, Devon Levesque, and Dr. Jon Kedrowski, each of whom previously summited Mt. Everest. They spoke about their experience on the mountain and what it took to get them there.
Even if you don’t care about summiting Everest, hearing their stories was a treat. Posner’s story, in particular, resonates: He went from a worldwide pop star most known for a song about popping pills with Avicii in Ibiza, to a wellness aficionado and Everest summiter that credits his life-changing about-face to breath work and a commitment to always taking the next step.
He’s still a talented artist with indisputable charm and confidence on stage, but something about seeing a guy go from the height of fame to a self-proclaimed rock bottom, and come back again is immensely inspiring. Not every life change has to be meteoric in scale, but sometimes a good Everest anecdote is necessary to teach us that.
Day Two: The Race
Saturday serves the meat and potatoes of the Runningman Festival. Shouts from the stage start early, acting as a de-facto wakeup call for the entire group of 1,000 runners to hear.
After fitness guru and GQ writer Joe Holder led the entire group in a warm-up at the start line, Itzler stepped back up to the mic to kick off the race, aforementioned American-flag blazer and pom-pom beanie in tow.
In almost every race I’ve done, the feeling at the starting line is one of relatively silent anxiety. But the Runningman starting line was distinctly different. Everyone was there to conquer something within themselves, rather than the people around them.
It gave the starting line a buzz of excitement rather than tension. It was refreshing, if not particularly adrenaline-pumping. Everyone just seemed stoked to be there, regardless of the outcome.
Part of the startline’s chill vibes owed to the overall ethos of the race. Yes, people signed up to PR or run the longest race they’ve ever run, but the entire thing takes place on a 1-mile loop. If you weren’t there to enjoy yourself, the race could easily turn into a tedious activity.
The course stays open for 8 hours and participants can leave for a bit and come back to run some more later. So to keep the mood at least as much fun as grueling, runners can indulge in a mid-race sauna session, or hunt down some spicy pickles and a Red Bull pick-me-up.
Post-Race Celebration
After The Race on Saturday morning, the day was jam-packed with things to do, including yoga, breathwork, an intro to microdosing, and a musical performance from Posner. He ran a 50K in the morning and played for everyone just a few hours later, still rocking his Garmin Fenix and Hoka trail running shoes — the same ones he wore during the race.
After Posner’s hour-long acoustic set that included all the hits — yes, I Took a Pill in Ibiza included — Itzler hopped on stage to introduce the Runningman Band, who played a deliriously long set of covers long into the night, kicking off the celebratory post-run party.
Nobody seems to run out of energy at Runningman, but maybe that’s proof of concept; perhaps recovering properly and taking some extra time to focus on your well-being can keep you going longer than you knew you could.
Day Three: Recovery (With Goats)
If you made it to bed early (or identify as a masochistic early riser), Sunday morning offered more of the same. A Wim Hof breathing seminar, led by (you guessed it) Posner, kicked off activities, followed by a reflection walk with baby goats, a panel on clean eating, and another on recovery (which was much-needed after the previous evening’s shenanigans).
The reflection walk provided a peaceful deviation from the intensity of the rest of the weekend — walking quietly with cuddly farm animals can do a lot for a worn-out psyche. The clean eating panel was a tough, albeit convincing, exercise for me — my hands and mouth occupied by a bacon, egg, and cheese crepe. Hey, everything in moderation, right?
Nonetheless, it was enlightening to hear from a well-versed panel of professionals in the world of health advocacy and law-making. One particularly jarring takeaway pertained to the differences between European and American bread; you don’t want to know what’s in the U.S.-version (potassium bromate).
The ensuing recovery panel did a deep dive on the benefits of cold-exposure, saunas, and other practices — all of which helped me in my own endurance journey, though your mileage may vary.
From there, it came time to sign off and take a deep breath. And after all of that, a deep breath was very much welcome. Those who were lingered piled into their cars and headed home, pockets full of healthy snacks and highly coveted Runningman merch.
Choose Your Own Adventure
This year’s Runningman was one for the books, and if you went into it with the right mindset, there was a lot to take home beyond a custom hoodie. It was less a time to set a record in the marathon, and more a lively opportunity to challenge your mind and body.
Beyond a unique chance to push yourself to the limits on the race course, Runningman provided ample opportunities to listen, learn, and meet new people — or not! That was the beauty of it; Runningman lets you choose your own adventure.
If you’re interested in conquering a running race in a very welcoming, low-stakes environment; if you want to explore the world of functional mushrooms, clean eating, and/or breathwork; or if you just want to hang out with some really cool people, Runningman is a must-do for your calendar next year.
Keep an eye on the All Day Running Co. website or Instagram for more information on the 2025 edition.
