From Free Running Club to a ₹6 Crore Business: How Owen Akibi Turned Friendship into an Entrepreneurial Opportunity

Peak and Pace keeps its running sessions free but generates revenue through ticketed parties, comedy nights and adventure trips, demonstrating the commercial potential of community-driven businesses

(SDNA) Business Desk: Not every successful business begins with a detailed investment plan or a search for a profitable product. Sometimes, it starts with a simple personal need. For Owen Akibi, that need was to make friends and build meaningful social connections after moving to New York.

What began as a free running club gradually evolved into a community-based business. According to the reported figures, his venture, Peak and Pace, generated approximately $640,000 in revenue during 2025, equivalent to roughly ₹6 crore at an approximate exchange rate.

The idea offers an interesting example of how a social initiative can develop into a commercial enterprise without charging people for its core activity.

A Personal Search for Friendship Sparked the Idea

Akibi launched Peak and Pace in July 2024 after moving from London to New York. At the time, he was working in algorithmic trading sales at JPMorgan and wanted to meet new people outside his professional circle.

Running offered a natural way to bring people together. Instead of positioning the initiative as a conventional fitness business, he focused on creating a welcoming community where people could exercise, socialise and develop friendships.

The response was encouraging. By the club’s fifth running session, approximately 150 people had reportedly joined.

That early participation demonstrated that the initiative was addressing a need beyond fitness: people were looking for accessible opportunities to meet others and form social connections.

Free Runs Became the Gateway to Paid Events

Akibi’s key business insight was that people who enjoyed meeting through running might also be interested in spending time together outside their regular sessions.

He began organising additional activities, including parties, comedy nights, hiking excursions and skiing trips. Unlike the running sessions, these special events required participants to purchase tickets.

Reported ticket prices ranged from approximately $15 to $25, creating a revenue stream while allowing the club’s central community activity to remain free.

The model established a clear distinction between attracting people and monetising their participation. Free runs helped build trust and expand the community, while optional paid experiences provided opportunities to generate income.

Rather than charging everyone simply to join the club, Peak and Pace offered participants different ways to engage according to their interests.

Social Media Helped the Community Grow

Social media played an important role in spreading awareness of the club’s activities. Photographs, event updates and shared experiences helped introduce Peak and Pace to people beyond its initial group of runners.

One reported experiment involved hosting a party at a Manhattan bar. As the community expanded, the organisers began exploring activities beyond routine running sessions, including trips outside New York and other social experiences.

This approach gave members additional reasons to remain engaged while helping the business diversify its event offerings.

The broader lesson is that a community can become a powerful growth channel when participants genuinely enjoy the experience and share it with others.

Approximately ₹6 Crore in Annual Revenue

According to the reported figures, Peak and Pace generated around $640,000 in revenue in 2025. Ticketed events accounted for much of its income, while the core running sessions continued to be offered free of charge.

Akibi reportedly put the business’s profit margin at approximately 15%.

Based on those figures, the implied profit would be around $96,000 before converting the amount into Indian currency. This is an estimate derived from the reported revenue and margin, not an independently verified profit figure.

The distinction matters because revenue represents the money a business brings in, while profit is what remains after applicable operating costs and other expenses are accounted for.

Event-based businesses must manage venue charges, staffing, marketing, travel arrangements and other costs carefully to maintain sustainable margins.

Building the Business Alongside a Full-Time Job

Behind the growth was a demanding workload. Akibi continued working in finance while managing event planning, coordination and other responsibilities associated with the club.

He reportedly worked as many as 18 hours a day on some days during roughly a year of building the venture. Over time, the demands of operating Peak and Pace began to resemble those of a second full-time job.

The business has since received support from a team of nine contractors, reducing its dependence on Akibi’s direct involvement in every activity.

He is also reportedly considering hiring a head of operations to take greater responsibility for the business’s day-to-day functioning.

Such a transition can be important for founders whose ventures grow beyond what one person can efficiently manage.

What Can Aspiring Entrepreneurs Learn?

Peak and Pace offers several useful lessons for people considering