Yesterday, I ran and hiked 29.3km (18.2 miles) with a 1,572m (5,158ft) elevation gain in 5 hours and 11 minutes.

The journey brought some observations on how running a long trail race feels a lot like the process of building a business.

The Parallels

There are many similarities between the two endurance tests.

Here are a few things I noticed:

• The hardest kilometers come right before the best ones.
• At first, it feels like it takes forever to make any progress.
• You frequently want to quit, then you’re glad you didn’t.
• It’s an uphill battle, but literally.
• No one smiles in the painful stretch.

One Big Difference

While the struggles can feel the same, there is one big difference.

In business, you’re usually the only one who believes in what you’re doing until it works or the race is done. In racing, everyone else does, even when you don’t.

Conclusion

Both trail running and entrepreneurship are journeys of endurance that test your personal limits. They demand you push through the toughest moments, navigate the slow progress at the start, and find the strength to keep going when you want to quit.

The key takeaway is understanding where your support comes from. In a race, the crowd’s belief can carry you forward. In business, that belief often has to come from within until your vision becomes a reality.

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