Conversations with the Inspiring Alexandra Weissner and Cortney Logan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandra Weissner and Cortney Logan.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Alexandra and Cortney. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Our story starts like this, “a blonde and a brunette go to brunch”. Cortney (the blonde) and Alex (the brunette) both discovered their passion for running at different points in their lives, yet, both have the same affinity for the sport! Running is what bonded us together but bRUNch is what made us besties! We DONUT take ourselves too seriously and we love a good pun, a good run, and of course, a good meal.

We met through a mutual friend more than a decade ago and hit it off right away. When Alex moved to Denver in 2010, we started running races every weekend and running together during the week. Running was our “social hour”, our time to decompress. Naturally, our runs were always followed by food and drink! During our runs, we started brainstorming ideas on how we could produce our own running event(s) because we felt like something was missing in the racing industry! That some of these races we were participating in lacked a sense of community and celebration. You train hard, for weeks, if not months and when you cross that finish line, you expect it to be magical (which it is for .5 seconds) until you are ushered through line (a long one at that) where you are congratulated on a job well done by being handed a browned banana and a half bagel, where’s my cream cheese at? Like, where were the high-fives and the after-party celebration? We just ran our hearts out and everyone is just heading back to their cars, back to their regular lives. We knew that there had to be more to these events than just bananas and bagels…

We started small. We created a community, or a “run club” if you will. Having both worked in hospitality ourselves, we knew that many brunch restaurants were not busy right when they opened on the weekends. So, we thought, why don’t we bring the runners to the restaurants? Keep it simple and start and finish at the restaurant, do it as a “ticketed” event that includes run, food, and drinks. Our first event produced over 30 people. And it only grew from there, now having over 15k followers on social media and 60-200 people per event. In early 2019, pivoted away from ticketed events and now offer a majority of free events that include a fun run (walk, skip or stroll), a free KEEL Vodka beverage featuring Sunshine Beverages or The Real Dill Co Bloody Mary Mix, and of course a ton of free swag! Join us at Denver Milk Market every month! There is no excuse not to because, well, it’s free!

In 2014, we launched our own race, The bRUNch Run. The bRUNch Run is an annual road race in Denver. This is the ultimate race for anyone looking to run their first or 100th 5K or 10K. The course is fast and flat and once you cross the finish line, you enter into an amazing brunch festival. The festival features brunch bites from 15+ Colorado restaurants, a bloody mary bar from The Real Dill and Keel Vodka, mimosas, coffee, finisher’s medal, awesome swag and so much more. This race does sell out every year, so people should sign up soon!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Ha! Nope, there have definitely been bumps along the way, but building a business and a brand is never an easy task as it sometimes involves blood, a lot of sweat and tears, and of course mimosas. We’ve learned a lot about ourselves individually and together, our friendship, and how to build a business. Our advice for others looking to start their business venture, “go for it and don’t look back!” You will make mistakes, that’s inevitable. You’ll cry, get angry and want to quit, but as long as you keep your head up and focus on your overall goal, you are in for nothing short of an awesome adventure. Embrace any failures that you may encounter and take comfort in knowing that failure is the mother of all successes!

What should we know about bRUNch Running? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
As a company, we have multiple things that go into what can define us. From a consumer side, we are the best running community you will ever be a part of! We are RRCA certified running coaches, who will be here to guide you on your running, walking, movement adventures. We are known for our community events in Denver, Fort Collins, and Phoenix, Arizona. We also have a national following and have produced pop-up bRUNch events in New York City, Austin, and San Diego.

The bRUNch Run has established itself as one of the top races in Denver! Not only will you have an amazing morning getting your sweat on, but the food and beverage activations at the finish line will make you believe you are at a food festival.

The B2B side of our business is all about experiential marketing. If you are looking to reach fitness enthusiasts, brunch/food lovers, families and dog lovers, we would love to work. We have worked with brands to launch in new markets, product launches, seasonal collections and much more.

We are most proud of the people we have met through this business. Our community is amazing and it is so exciting to watch them set and hit their goals.

The thing that sets us apart from others is our inclusive community. It does not matter how fast or how far you go, we are here to support you. We can be your people. Everyone belongs at bRUNch.

For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
Women can be and do anything they want. No matter your gender, if you are looking to start something of your own, don’t wait for it to be perfect. The thing you are creating will never be perfect, but you will make progress and continue to get better at your craft and grow!

Pricing:

• The bRUNch Run Entry – $60

Contact Info:

• Website: www.brunchrunning.com
• Email: info@brunchrunning.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brunchrunning/
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thebrunchrun

Image Credit:
Photo of Cortney jumping with the crowd in the back – Dustin Hall

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