Game of Thrones has inspired fan fiction, weddings, blogs... but exercise? That's a new one.
Run of Thrones is a project that maps runs in the shapes of clan sigils, allowing fans to get their workout in while paying tribute to their favorite House. The first run in the series was a five-mile loop through Jackson Heights, Queens and was shaped like the Stark sigil, a direwolf. Its designer (and the creator of Run of Thrones) is Gene Lu, a runner, Game of Thrones enthusiast and user experience designer who has worked on projects for, among others, Nike+ Running. In other words? Possibly the most qualified person in the world to create a "Run of Thrones" project.
Since that first run in May, Lu has set up a Tumblr to keep track of subsequent routes/sigils and the cities they are completed in. Fans have created "runs of thrones" in as far-flung places as New Delhi, Panama and Los Angeles.
We talked to Lu about how he came up with the idea and the craziest run he's ever been on.
Where did the idea for Run of Thrones come from?
Run of Thrones was something that was born out of our love for the show and our love for running.
Back in early May, I started to experiment with various run routes. The first couple of runs were just random shapes, but several weeks back, I decided that I wanted to run a route that was a bit more special. It was Sunday and I was pretty excited to run because it was the season finale of Game of Thrones. Before my run, I opened up Google Maps and scanned Queens for the House Stark sigil, the direwolf. Lo and behold, the direwolf ran right by the front door of my apartment. I had to run it.
I plotted out the rest of the sigil, emailed the turn-by-turn walking directions to my phone and was out running the route in less than an hour. After the run, I had this amazing run route to share with friends and on top of that, I realized that the House Stark route didn't really feel like a five-mile run because I was constantly referring to my phone for turn-by-turn directions.
In June, I was out in Minneapolis for a conference. This was going to be my first time out in the Midwest so I wanted to explore the city as much as possible. The night before the run, I had scoured the city for the Lannister sigil, the lion. Again, I got lucky. As I was dragging points around the map in Google Maps, the lion's head appeared a few miles north of where I was staying. A mouth formed, then the head, and finally the mane. What I discovered was that the act of plotting out something so intricate with so many constraints built up my anticipation for the run. The route ended up being a 13.5 mile run, my longest run ever. I'd like to point out here that I was averaging about four-mile per run up until that day.
Besides you, who's doing these runs?
The entire Nike+ Running team at R/GA, especially the Game of Thrones fanatics, were very excited about the sigil runs and wanted to do GoT sigil runs of their own. As of today (July 9), we've done the following runs:
House Greyjoy 14.6mi / New York, NY
House Tully 7.2mi / New York, NY
House Baratheon 15.8mi / New York, New York
In the next couple of weeks, we plan on doing a Night's Watch run (the crow) somewhere in Brooklyn and another, more intricate, House Stark run in Queens.
People have taken the initiative to run a House in their own cities, like Chicago, New Delhi, Panama. There was actually a person out in Chicago who did a House Stark run recently.
What's the appeal of the run, do you think?
I think what makes Run of Thrones magical is that these sigil run routes put a new lens on how we see where we live. Once people are aware of this new lens, they cannot not see it. The payoff for running is no longer trying to burn calories, it becomes a form of expression through physical art. It's this wonderful intersection of technology, fandom, and running. As my coworker and fellow Run of Thrones runner, Ryan Scott Tandy says, "Let the city be the canvas and your feet, the brush."
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.