Race fast, travel slow: See Europe with this Tommie's tips

By GENE McGIVERN / St. Thomas Sports Information

Start with a love of running.

Mix in a passion for travel, the outdoors, and exploration.

Combine a knack for connecting with friends and making new acquaintances.

Add interesting resumes, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a family link to an Olympic athlete and business owner.

Top it off with the bond of a happily married couple known to sometimes finish each other's sentences.

That's the recipe behind Finish Line Travel, a growing venture created by University of St. Thomas alum Dan Bergan and his wife Jessica.

An Ames, Iowa, native, Dan Bergan majored in computer science here and graduated in 1994. After starting his career with Anderson Consulting, he also worked for a Twin Cities software startup, and also did e-commerce and business tasks for his family's business, Championship Productions.

Jessica Bergan, a native of Stillwater and a graduate of Minnesota-Duluth, met Dan through mutual St. Thomas friends. She's also had a variety of work experiences. She currently teaches skiing at the Vail slopes, 30 miles from their home in Silverthorne, Colo.

Varied Resumes

A Tommie cross country and track and field competitor from the early 1990s, Dan once built of streak of 450 consecutive days of running without a day off during his college days. Now in his late 40s, from his home in the mountains, he was last year's national champ in the Masters division of snowshoe racing. In 2020 he was Masters runner-up.

"This year's race was a much bigger accomplishment," explained Dan, who tapped into workout ideas from his father, Bill Bergan, who led Iowa State University teams to two NCAA championships and two runner-up finishes in cross country running.

"The snowshoe race was here in Colorado, and my dad and I came up with a training plan. I trained very hard all winter. There were some world champions in the race -- World Mountain Running Champion Joe Gray and World Xterra Champion Josiah Middaugh. To place ninth overall and second Masters was great. I finished just ahead of last year's overall runner-up."

Impressive for anyone, let alone a guy who has lived with Type 1 diabetes most of his life.

Dan's focus and discipline, Jessica's creativity and energy, and their blended teamwork are at the core of their business concept.

"We love travel, and had a couple of trips to Europe after we got married," Dan said. "We traveled to Paris recently and competed in a 10K race. We posted photos onto our Facebook page, and it was crazy how many people were talking and sharing the photos. That made us think 'We love travel, we love running, so let's see if we can make this work as a business.' "

Building a Company

Their prime Finish Line Travel customer is the runner of any ability looking to visit Europe and compete in marathons, half marathons or unique road races. The Bergans serve as tour guides and build a personal experience over seven days. Their goal is to immerse their clients in the culture of cities like Paris, Antwerp or Lucerne.

"Our business model is more of providing a boutique-like, small-group experience," Dan explained. "Our company motto is 'Race fast, travel slow.' We want to help people who travel with us to slow down and really learn about a city."

Jessica added, "We're finding that people are looking for something a little different than a big-box trip, with 100 people riding from stop-to-stop on tour buses. We're right there, we're your hosts. We identify unique locations to share. We want to give people that high level of service and share experiences that a local resident would provide. In Paris, we have partners who host a personal French wine tasting dinner with our group. We also have a dinner in the basement of one of the oldest buildings in Paris."

They continue to expand their list of European contacts. A valuable connection in Belgium, Bob Verbeeck, was one his dad's famous Iowa State runners, who Dan first met as a grade schooler. Verbeeck starred for the Cyclones, was a 1984 Olympian competing for Belgium, later was the 1985 European indoor champion at 3,000 meters, and today is CEO of a sports marketing group in his native country.

"Bob's company puts on sporting events throughout Europe," Dan said. "He holds fun and unique races with the course running through some of the top breweries in Belgium."

Jessica explained that running is an easy activity for tourists. "Running is a great way to see a new city," she said. "You just need to pack your running shoes. There are bike tour companies that sponsor similar tours, but for that you have to ship your bike, put it together, worry about storing it and securing it. That's a lot of work. Running is a great way to introduce yourself to a city. Many of the sights in cities like Paris you can cover during a 6-7 mile run. Plus, runners do like their food and drink, so it's a great way to burn off the calories."

Dan said they've relied on research and organization skills as they've tried to build their idea into a full-blown business model.

"We did a beta tour with my brother and some of his friends," he said. "They were our first test group. We spent another year or two researching, perfecting details like local tour guides and unique restaurants. Some companies that sponsor these trips jump from city to city, and you may not learn so many of the cool things that distinguish Belgium and Paris."

Jessica added, "We took our first group last fall to Belgium, a seven-day trip. We started in Bruges, known for its cobblestone lanes, canals, market squares and soaring towers. We hosted a day of beer tasting after the race. We traveled farther out in the country to taste what's billed as 'The Best Beer in the World,' made by monks in an abbey. Then after four nights, we went to Antwerp, a city a little off the radar."

What's Next

Seven trips were planned throughout Europe during 2020, but the Covid-19 outbreak and its worldwide disruption forced postponements until next year.

They still plan to host 2021 trips to races that include the Prague Marathon in the Czech Republic; the D-Day Landing Marathon in Normandy; and fall trips including a Paris 10-miler from the Eiffel Tower to the Palace of Versailles; the Belgium Great Bruges Marathon; and the Swiss City Marathon in Lucerne, plus a visit to the wine-producing region."

"We just decided with the pandemic, because of the unknowns and the likelihood of cancelations, let's play it safe and really focus on 2021," Jessica said. "Let's work to get those trips locked down and make those the best ever."

The Bergans reach out to old and new clients via a newsletter and also rely on social media for most of their marketing. They interact with runners where they gather, working booths at major running races to get the word out about their services. They note that one challenge of a new business is in "educating potential clients about a concept that few people know exists."

Starting May 31 they will be hosting a series of Zoom seminars allowing guests to learn about the European destinations that they offer in their tours.

May 31 at noon CDT - Virtual Tour of Switzerland our Swiss guide and our hotel partner and private chef.
June 14 at noon CDT - Virtual Belgian Chocolate Tasting

Check their Facebook page (Finish Line Travel) or website for more details and future events.

They are encouraged but not surprised that the popularity of running has surged for people holed up during the pandemic. Like any successful entrepreneurs, they are trying to blend good ideas and preparation with a healthy dose of optimism.

"I think after this year," Dan said, "people are going to be bursting to get moving and do something different. This can give people hope and something to look forward to. They can start planning and training for these 2021 races now."

The couple sees potential for their business to one day add other destinations -- New Zealand, where they honeymooned; Germany; Portugal; and even Kenya.

For now, Jessica said, the Bergans are content to master some familiar European trips and their new passion, Israel. "To start, 'let's do that one thing really really well."

University of St. Thomas Athletics

Race fast, travel slow: See Europe with this Tommie's tips

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