Outward in Mexico City

The power of bringing people together remains at the core of what we do at Outward Agency.

Thirty of us gathered at a small hotel in Mexico City. Before our first dinner, we ran four miles through the city together—sharing the energy, damp air, and exhilaration of a new place.

The next morning began with a 4 a.m. bus ride toward the mountains and one of the hardest runs of my life. Elevation, climbing, mud—it had everything. But so did the finish: encouragement, laughter, and a view that made every difficult step worth it.

From there, the experience continued to unfold. We navigated the waterways between the chinampas, practiced yoga outdoors, shared an unforgettable farm-to-table lunch, and took on another long, rolling trail at 8,000 feet.

On our final day, we joined the rest of Mexico City as one of its major thoroughfares closed to cars and opened entirely to people. Cyclists, walkers, runners, families—everyone spilling into the street together. It was sweaty, chaotic, joyful, and deeply human: a living expression of community.

That is what made this activation so meaningful. It wasn’t simply about placing brands within an experience. It was about creating the conditions for people to connect—with one another, with the city, and with something larger than themselves.

This kind of hosting and brand activation is something I create and lead only two or three times a year, working closely with Aire Libre on all logistics and bringing in brand partners such as District Vision, Hoka, Maurten, Roark, and others who believe in the power of shared experience.

I’ve participated in 10 or 12 retreats and hosted another seven or eight—running retreats, digital detoxes, wellness experiences, and everything in between. I don’t say this lightly:

Mexico City was the crowning achievement for adventure travel and experience curation.

Not because everything was perfect, but because of the people, the place, the movement, the challenge, the generosity, and the stories that emerged from bringing them all together.

Together, we created something that felt genuinely human and deeply connected to place. Not a traditional brand activation, but a shared experience that I believe people will carry with them for a very long time.