Running is more than just a sport – it’s part of who I am – a part of my identity. Since I lace up my shoes almost every day, I’ve realized that running reflects so much of life: It demands dedication, honesty, and a deep sense of commitment.
My running career began in 2017, when I created an Excel spreadsheet with my personal goals for 2018. It was the first time I made a resolution for the following year.
It also included the goal of running a marathon. A life goal for many people. At the time, I really had no idea what to expect. Running had only been a supplement alongside football to keep the body fit. I had never really run longer than 10km.
Up to that point, I had taken part in two running events in my life. A school run where I came fourth and got the wooden medal (4. place) and a city run in my home town, which I took part in as a schoolboy.
What came after the marathon is history. A journey of the desire to improve in running and triathlon. I soaked everything up. The internet was my learning platform for endurance sports. I tried things. Did workouts that I saw other people did. Some worked, some don’t. I trained 10-12 hours a week and improved quickly. The faster I got, the greater my desire to improve. However, the whole thing came at a cost. Injuries were part of the journey, also exhaustion. But this didn’t stopped me and was all part of the process.
Why starting a brand?
I didn’t want the whole project to be about me. I didn’t want to be known.
I want to create something that stands for something. Something that has a lasting impact on the people or even the world.
It’s about building a brand filter over which I can express my values, creativity and knowledge.
1. Solve Problems
As Paul Graham put it: “The way to get startup ideas is not to try to think of startup ideas. It’s to look for problems, preferably problems you have yourself.” (https://www.paulgraham.com/startupideas.html).
United in Pace for me is about solving problems in running and around. Those that I faced myself and those that others face in their process.
2. Share knowledge
Starting a brand is a way for me to share my expertise and experiences with others. After years of running, I’ve learned so much through both the highs and the lows – the challenges, the breakthroughs, and everything in between. Now I want to give back to the running community by offering what I’ve learned. I know firsthand how tough the journey can be, and I want to guide others through those same ups and downs, supporting them in their own running journeys.
Through UNITED IN PACE, I want to share success stories, training insights, and my own journey to help others succeed. By sharing my own experiences, I hope to inspire others to keep striving, and always keep running.
3. Convey values
Imagine how much better people’s lives would be if they start running. In my opinion everyone (who is physically able to run) can benefit from running. Both physically and mentally. This is something I want to convey to people.
The brand UNITED IN PACE should be a powerful vehicle for inspiring change or making a positive impact. It’s about encouraging people to embrace a lifestyle of hard work, perseverance, and ambition. Because with ambition comes joy and perseverance in the process.
4. The fun game of continuous improvement
A long time I asked myself what my North Star would be for this project. At some point, I realized that every company also have to constantly change in order to be successful over the long term.
So I came to the conclusion that three things are important:
- Create valuable things
- Have fun in the process
- Grow and adapt through feedback and experience
I firmly believe that if you are committed and enjoy what you are doing, something will automatically happen.
5. Creative freedom and entrepreneurship
It was always my dream to start a company. Not something with a lot of people working it. That’s not my nature. I am more a risk averse person and want build something out progressively without spending a big amount of money. The term for this is bootstrapping: founding a company with only little available resources.
For me, starting a brand is about having the freedom to pursue my own ideas and a creative vision without being restricted by someone else’s rules. It gives me the opportunity to build something from the ground up that reflects my unique perspective and goals.
“One of the ways that I believe people express their appreciation to the rest of humanity is to make something wonderful and put it out there. And you never meet the people. You never shake their hands. You never hear their story or tell yours. But somehow, in the act of making something with a great deal of care and love, something’s transmitted there. And it’s a way of expressing to the rest of our species our deep appreciation.”
Steve Jobs
