Create the things you desire
Canning Street1k - A canvas for runners
Ideas have substance when they’re born whilst out running. The rhythm of footsteps, shared cadence of thinking and spaces between strides create a moment when your ideas move from the subconscious into the present.
That's where the Canning1k began.
Most running ideas stay on the pavement though. They evaporate like the sweat from your brow, leaving nothing but the faint scent of possibility. But sometimes, when you want it enough, you act on one of those ideas before it disappears.
You hold onto it.
You make it real.
On Friday, at twilight, the cadence quickened upon Canning Street. Illuminated by shadowed streetlights and intermittent camera flashes, the bitumen lay bare for the thousand-step dash.
Heat after heat, the street was a canvas, for runners to express themselves, spectators to sing, and artists to create. Residents became enchanted by the injected energy of a normally dormant street.
An ecosystem of crews from around the city gave birth to new ways of moving through conversations and celebrations.
The night’s winner: Curiosity. A salute to ideas that are yet to come. The Canning Street 1k — A signal of a thriving web of run culture in the streets of 3000.
Video by Mack Dewar
I’ve had many beautiful and hard learnings whilst co-building AM:PM over the past nine years – one being the unique reward of birthing an idea into reality. Any race takes a community to execute. They’re built on micro-interactions, shared kilometres and visions, many conversations, and trust.
Races like this are created by the community for the community, an offering to inspire others to bring their ideas into reality.
Some reflections on how to build your community:
Some ideas can only be born when you're out there, on the front line of culture, living in the space where your community already exists.
Listen to the complaints, the pain points, the "somebody should" statements. That's where the opportunities hide.
Community experiences don't need to be complex. They need to be authentic to the problems your people are facing.
The best insights often come from the ground up, in this case, from the pavement.
Create space for others to add their magic. Your idea is just the beginning – let the community evolve it.
In the end, the Canning1k wasn't revolutionary. It was evolutionary. The natural next step from countless conversations had on the pavement. It was beyond a running race. It was a canvas for people to express themselves through movement, choosing the medium that feels most natural to them.
We are entering our street racing era, I look forward to where we go next.
As always, move with curiosity,
Willocks x