About the Author

Hi, I’m Justin Gardner, one of those “5k a day” runners you’ll find in the middle of the pack at your local Turkey Trot. I began my running journey over a decade ago when some coworkers wanted to enter a 5K race for charity, and I thought it’d be fun to join. Little did I know that my competitive side would kick in and I’d finish 11th in a 500 person race with a 5k time of 19:55. After that, I was hooked, and my journey has led me to a lifelong love of getting out on the roads and trails of Missouri and Kansas. When I’m not running, I practice acro yoga in the Kansas City, MO area and have been organizing and building that community for over a decade. I also write/direct/produce films, and work with local not-for-profits to help support the local film community.