Running the Distance: How a Half Marathon Mirrors Project Success

Here’s what 21K on the pavement taught me about pushing limits and staying the course.

The start (0-7 km)

You show up on race day, you’re fired up, and ready to go. But most importantly, you’re not alone. There are thousands of people with the same overarching goal (read: to finish the race) that are going to apply their strengths and do their best to mitigate their weakness in an effort to achieve success.

You hear the starting gun and you’re off. For the first few kilometres, you’re fuelled by the adrenaline of the day and the excitement of everyone around you. 

Sound familiar? This initial rush is a lot like a project kickoff meeting. 

Sure, the scale of that meeting is going to be a lot smaller than a race with 30,000 runners but you get the idea. 

When we start a project, everyone involved is looking forward to the opportunity to create great work for a great cause.

The climb (7-16 km)

The first few kilometres fly by. You’ve trained for this, and how well you prepared will shape your performance now.  In a project context, think of your ‘training’ as all the other projects you’ve been on. You bring all your previous experience with you now to whatever problem you’re trying to solve and that’s extremely valuable if you apply it when needed.

At this point in the race it’s important to be in tune with your body — do you need fuel? Water? Electrolytes? Most racers have a plan for this: hydrate at every water station. Take a gel every 45 minutes for fuel.

These are like external power ups that set you up for success, especially when they’re built into the plan from the start.

— Elio Peterson, Producer, Lead Strategist, and Half-Marathoner

In the project world, that could look like a standing meeting with your internal team to stay aligned and on track or maybe it’s a timeline for external feedback to keep everyone on schedule.

It’s crucial to recognize when things aren’t going to plan and fine tune at this stage before it’s too late.

The final push (16-20 km)

I was feeling so strong until the 16th kilometre — that’s when the mental game began. I mentally repeated, what’s another 5km? I reminded myself that there’s less ahead of me than what’s behind me.

This stage usually comes when the bulk of a project is complete. Maybe the communications strategy or campaign brand has been approved — and you’re creating the tactical pieces needed for implementation. Sometimes delays creep in or an unexpected stakeholder has feedback that requires adjustments.

Patience, resilience, and perseverance are key here. It helps to remind oneself that we all have the same goal: to help make the world a better place. And that there’s less road ahead than the ground we’ve already covered.

The finish line (20-21.1km)

Before you know it, you’ve made it to the home stretch! 

On the race course, this part is packed with crowds cheering you — and the other runners — on to the very end. There’s something special about reaching your goal alongside others who worked just as hard to make it there too. It’s exhilarating.

When a project makes it to the finish line and launches, it’s extremely satisfying. You put in the time and effort over the span of the project and now it’s out in the world, ready to make an impact. 

Pat yourself, and your teammates, on the back. Take a breath. Take a moment to recognize that you did the thing. 

Every project, no matter how small in scale, is an accomplishment. Sure, sometimes they’re also a massive success, but there are always lessons to be learned. 

If you want to talk strategy — running or otherwise — get in touch.