Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Shimon.
Hi Eric, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m Eric Shimon, born and raised in Aventura, Florida. Growing up, I always felt like my city was unique. We sat between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, surrounded by culture, nightlife, luxury, and nonstop energy. On paper, Aventura had everything. But despite all of it, something always felt missing to me: a real sense of community.
There wasn’t a heartbeat to the city. People lived next to each other, but not with each other. That idea stayed with me for years.
I’ve always been active. Running and training have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. But during my runs through the streets I grew up on, I started noticing something that eventually changed the way I viewed everything around me. Everywhere I looked were people doing the exact same thing I was doing: running alone, headphones in, passing each other without interaction.
Same streets. Same routines. No connection.
At the same time, the world itself was changing rapidly. We’re living through one of the most technologically advanced periods in human history. Artificial intelligence can now create hyper-realistic videos, voices, photos, and even personalities online that blur the line between what’s real and what isn’t. The internet is becoming flooded with content engineered to grab attention, but not necessarily create genuine human connection.
And I think people are beginning to feel that.
For all the ways technology has connected us digitally, it has disconnected us emotionally. People are craving experiences that feel real again. Real conversations. Real energy. Real human interaction.
That’s why I believe run clubs have exploded globally over the last few years. I don’t think people are just showing up for fitness. Running is simply the vehicle. What people are really searching for is belonging.
That realization became the foundation for me creating Runknown.
It started with five people, mostly friends and family, meeting on a Tuesday night in Aventura. No production or expectations. Just consistency. We kept showing up week after week, rain or shine, and slowly the group started growing. Five became fifteen. Fifteen became thirty. Then fifty. Before long, it became obvious that our city had been craving this kind of connection the entire time.
What makes the story even more meaningful to me is where it all happened. Aventura is home to Aventura Mall, one of the most recognized retail destinations in the country, and that became our home base. What started as a small run club gathering in a parking lot evolved into one of the fastest-growing wellness and community movements in South Florida.
As we grew, we focused on creating more than just a workout. We brought in live DJs, wellness activations, brand partnerships, and turned Tuesday nights into an experience people genuinely looked forward to. The growth happened organically because people could feel the authenticity behind it.
Today, Runknown averages more than 150 runners every week. We’ve hosted sold-out wellness events with hundreds of attendees and partnered with brands like Lamborghini Miami, lululemon, and Anatomy. But honestly, what makes me most proud is that we built all of this right here in the city that raised me.
Right here in Aventura.
Because at the end of the day, Runknown was never just about running. It was about proving that community still matters. And in a world becoming more digital, artificial, and disconnected by the day, I think people are naturally gravitating back toward experiences that feel human.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it has not been a smooth road. Not even close.
The first challenge nobody warns you about is the weight of being a community leader. When you start something like this, you think the hard part is getting people to show up. It’s not. The hard part is what comes after they show up. Now you’re responsible for the experience. For the energy. For making sure every single Tuesday feels worth someone’s evening, worth their drive, worth them choosing you over everything else they could be doing that night. Learning how to consistently deliver that, week after week, took time. It took reading rooms, making adjustments, failing, and showing up the next Tuesday better than the last.
There were weeks where the turnout was low and doubt crept in. Weeks where the logistics fell apart. Weeks where I questioned whether this was actually going anywhere or if I was just a guy running in circles, literally. That internal battle is real and it doesn’t get talked about enough.
Then there’s the business side, which is a completely different education. Going from run club founder to event producer to brand partner, none of that comes with a manual. Learning how to structure sponsorship deals, negotiate contracts, manage vendor relationships, handle legal agreements, and build something that functions like a real company while still feeling like a community, that’s a balancing act I’m still refining.
And through all of it, the one non-negotiable was consistency. No matter what was happening behind the scenes, Tuesday came every week. Because the moment you break that trust with your community, it’s very hard to get back.
The road has been messy. But every obstacle taught me something the smooth road never could have, and that’s how we got here today.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Runknown LLC?
Runknown started as a run club. I still think it’s important to say that first because it keeps us grounded in what this actually is at its core: people coming together to move, connect, and be part of something bigger than themselves.
But it naturally became much more than that.
What we have really built is a wellness community.
We wanted to create a space where someone could show up alone and leave feeling connected. In a world where people spend hours consuming content online and still go to bed feeling isolated, our runs and events became something different. A reset. Familiar faces. Real energy that exists completely outside of phones and algorithms. As the community grew, everything around it grew naturally with it.
But what I am most proud of is the consistency of the people. There are people who have not missed a Tuesday in over a year. Who built friendships here, relationships, support systems. Who came during hard seasons of their lives and found structure and warmth in this environment.
Brands can be copied. Events can be copied. Authenticity cannot.
That is what Runknown has become. Not just my vision, but something this community built together.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Book: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
A timeless blueprint for human connection and communication. The principles are simple but the impact is profound
Podcast: The Tim Ferriss Show
One of my favorites. Long-form conversations with world-class performers across business, athletics, and investing. What sets it apart for me is the focus on how high achievers think, not just what they do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://runknown.club/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runknownclub/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shims/
