FIFA World Cup Countdown to the Cup 5K: Inside Dallas' Last Big Race Before the World Cup with Cindy Solomon & Eric Lindberg

DFW Running Talk:   FIFA World Cup Countdown to the Cup 5K
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Chris Detzel: [00:00:00] All right. Welcome to another DFW Running Talk. I'm Chris Detzel, and today we have two special guests. One is Eric Lindberg. Eric, how you doing?

Eric Lindberg: Fabulous, Chris. Thanks for be- letting me be here today.

Chris Detzel: Great, and Cindy, I don't see your last name on here, so I already forgot. Solomon. Cindy... Cindy what?

Cindy Solomon: Cindy Solomon.

Chris Detzel: Cindy Solomon. Ooh. Great to have you here. And Cindy, where are you from? 'Cause I want you to kinda introduce that.

Cindy Solomon: Sure. I'm with the North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee. So when it comes to the FIFA World Cup, there's kind of two sides of things. There's FIFA. Yeah. They're in charge of the tournament, the stadium, all the teams coming in, and then each host city has an organizing committee, and we are in charge of everything that takes place in our market.

So everything that you see going on in North Texas, that's our organizing committee.

Chris Detzel: Sweet, and then Eric, tell me why you're here today, a little

Eric Lindberg: bit. That's a great q- that's a great question, Chris. I'm here because On Your Left Marketing and Event was hired by Cindy's crew to produce this amazing event, and we're excited to do [00:01:00] it.

If you've not heard of us, we've been in the market for about 17 years. Yeah. Produced some pretty epic events. Some of them are behind you, over your shoulder. I can even see them, Chris. I

Chris Detzel: didn't do that on purpose. Maybe I did.

Eric Lindberg: But yeah, that's why I'm here.

Chris Detzel: What is this event then? We haven't even announced the event yet, so tell us about it.

Cindy Solomon: Yeah, so I'll tell you a little bit about it. It is our FIFA World Cup Countdown to the Cup 5K. So it's one of our community events we're doing as the lead-up to the World Cup. We are super excited to be able to bring this to the community. It's something that's open to the public. Not every event for World Cup is open to the public.

And so we are trying to get as many people excited about the World Cup. It's taking place 11 days before the World Cup kicks off, and so it's a chance for people in our community, in North Texas, to be around other community members who are excited about running, of course, but also excited about the upcoming World Cup.

Chris Detzel: That's super exciting. I saw the medal on Facebook, so that's pretty cool looking. Now, tell me about [00:02:00] this 5K. Is there age group winners? Is there, winner... What, what does all of that look like, and is there anybody from... Who's running it? Do we know anybody that might be running from one of the teams in Dallas?

Cindy Solomon: So I'll answer the team part, but then I'll let Eric talk about the- Okay ... the way the race is set up. So we have partners, actually two of our host city supporters, the Dallas Cowboys and FC Dallas, Okay ... just two of the teams here in Dallas that are partners of ours with the organizing committee.

They've all been invited. Some of the other soccer teams that we work very closely with, Trinity FC, Atlético, in addition to the other ones North Texas Soccer Association. So there's a lot of different organizations in the soccer community that have been invited, and we hope to see a great turnout on May 13th

Chris Detzel: Before I get to you, Eric, have you ever ran a 5K?

Cindy Solomon: I am a very recreational runner. I typically do a Turkey Trot- ... and maybe the Katy Trail 5K every year. Other than that, I would not call myself a dedicated runner, but I do love getting out there and having fun with my friends when I do.

Chris Detzel: Katy [00:03:00] Trail's tough because it's on a Thursday night, and it's always hot.

Cindy Solomon: And there's that uphill at the end- Yeah ... going up Lockberg.

Chris Detzel: That's it. Yeah, exactly, but we do it every year, my wife and I, pretty much. And then one thing I'll say about that one is it's a very great event, but, it gets dark, and they don't have enough lights, and I'm like, "Come on, guys, put out some more lights so we can see and so I can see my foot."

Anyways, Eric, tell me a little bit about the race itself.

Eric Lindberg: Yeah, so I think the coolest thing, and you kinda hit on it, not to be a spoiler first of all is the finisher medal. There- there's two ways to win the World Cup. One you can start playing soccer now and get really good.

The other is to come out to the Countdown to the Cup and run, walk, however you wanna accomplish those 3.1 miles on your feet. Y- the medal is just incredible. It is it is basically the cup with the FIFA, the Dallas FIFA l- logo on it. It's it's one you can only get once, so it's very cool.

Chris Detzel: Now, you put on some of the best 5K races, by the way. So is there, it's gonna be like a party like usual, or what's going [00:04:00] on?

Eric Lindberg: Yeah, it'll be a lot of activity, live music, all the restaurants in the Sound at Cypress Waters, which is, that's very exciting and cool with, all within itself is that area. If you've not been out to the Sound- Amazing

it is an amazing event space. But yeah, music, you mentioned awards. Yes, we'll do all the traditional age group awards, which are really cool. They're acrylics with a soccer ball in them, and they have the the Countdown to the Cup logo on them. And our overalls and masters get, I don't know the technical word for them, Cindy, but the North Texas soccer balls.

Cindy Solomon: It's our Dallas World Cup ball. So there's the official, Ooh ... Adidas one right here. That's cool. This is the official- ... Adidas World Cup ball, the Tréanda. We have one that's specific for Dallas. It's really cool looking. It's very unique. We're the only host city that has it, obviously, because it's our Dallas colors, but the awards will look like that.

Eric Lindberg: Yeah, they're amazing, so I want one.

Cindy Solomon: Win your age group. I'm

Chris Detzel: gonna, I'm gonna try to win my age group. It always depends who shows up. One time, my wife, they had this thing called Mambo Miles 5K, and I think the first year they did it, my [00:05:00] wife, out of 900 women or 1,000 women, won first place overall.

That was the first day, the first year they had it, and I was like, "Oh the fast people didn't show up." I was like you were fast." So if you never know at these races who's gonna show up, and so you could have a chance to win the whole thing. Absolutely. Yeah. That's always the fun part.

I guess kinda did you guys think, "Oh my gosh, we need to do a 5K. Let me call somebody," but how did that end up? I don't even-

Cindy Solomon: The answer is yes Chris. So actually, Eric and I started talking a year ago. Oh, wow. And we knew we wanted to do this 5K. We knew we wanted to have it be, community and fun run.

So yes, you can go out and run and get time and get your PR, but you can walk, you can take kids in strollers and dogs. So we wanted it to be really a community gathering. And we were looking at our calendar trying to figure out the best- ... time to do it, and there's so much going on in the lead-up to the World Cup.

We started talking, I think, when we were one year out think about how long ago that was. Oh, my God. And this just became the best [00:06:00] possible date. We wanted it to be really close to the World Cup itself. Not too close- ... because we know there's a lot going on. And we determined this date, and again, Eric and I have been talking for over a year, so the fact that we get to see this come to life now is just so exciting.

Chris Detzel: Can you talk a little bit about the the stuff that's gonna go on besides the 5K? Is there some additional- Yeah ... things that I know people are gonna wanna know what else they can do.

Cindy Solomon: Absolutely. So let's not forget this is World Cup. There are the matches that are going on at the stadium.

Right. Dallas has the most matches out of any host city. We have nine of them, so that's incredibly exciting, including the semifinal on July 14th. So of course, if you have tickets, go to the stadium, enjoy those matches. Otherwise we have our FIFA Fan Festival, which is going on the entire World Cup down at Fair Park.

We're taking over Dos Equis Pavilion in lots nine and 10. We have 96 of the 104 matches that are being shown live. We have entertainment on two stages. We have [00:07:00] 10 FIFA commercial partners doing these big activations, our host city supporters doing activations, food, beverage, mascots, drumlines, everything you can think about, and it's free and open to the public.

You do need to go and register, but you get a free ticket. And then there are some elevated experiences you can pay for as well. So Fan Festival, definitely the place to be when you're not at the matches. And then we do have a couple other events going on leading up to World Cup. We also have a 5v5 youth soccer tournament called Unity Cup that's taking place on June 6th.

So that is for 8 to 12-year-olds, boys and girls, so that's something really exciting as well. And then we'll have things like we have a coaches and referees symposium that's taking place right after World Cup starts. So there's a lot we're doing in the community. We're doing mini pitches all around town.

We're doing a lot of legacy programming, so there's a lot going on in the next 25 days before World Cup kicks off. But then once it starts, there's a lot going on besides just the matches.

Chris Detzel: What's a mini pitch?

Cindy Solomon: It's like a [00:08:00] 5v5 it's like tile, not tile, but sport court. Okay. And it goes into places that otherwise wouldn't necessarily have a full-sized pitch.

It's easier to maintain it's great for communities, and a lot of them also have lights and other things. So it's a place for people to go in underserved communities that don't- ... have access to soccer pitches.

Chris Detzel: And where can somebody go to sign up for that?

Cindy Solomon: For the mini pitches?

Chris Detzel: Or ju- just overall stuff to participate in.

Overall

Cindy Solomon: If you go to our website dallasfwc26.com- ... you will see things like community engagement, community involvement, all the information about our FIFA Fan Festival, and ways to get involved in our legacy programs, where those mini pitches are going. We will have six, I believe, five that will open before World Cup begins, and our total will be 26 because it's 2026, mini pitches- Oh

that we're doing overall as part of this community engagement. Great. Cindy's not

Eric Lindberg: busy at all.

Cindy Solomon: Yeah. I don't do the mini pitches. I do... Fan Festival's my baby, but yes.

Chris Detzel: It all sounds fun. And Fan [00:09:00] Festival is it the same website that they can go to to- Yeah ...

Cindy Solomon: okay. Yeah Dallasfwc26. Our tickets went on sale this past Friday.

Again, it is free and open to the public, but you do need to download to register to download a ticket so you can scan it for entry.

Chris Detzel: Yeah, that makes sense. And what else about the 5K did we not talk about that is gonna be really interesting? Anything?

Eric Lindberg: From a runner's perspective, it's a brand-new course.

Yeah. So no one has ever done this route before, so I think Cindy brought up PR, so everybody will PR because it's brand new. Exactly. No one's done it before. It's USATF certified. It's a really pretty course. I actually really like the finish. The finish is downhill, and as you- Finally ... as you finish, you see the artwork that's in the sound, and the lake is in your view.

It's tree-lined. It's really pretty. I'm actually running the course with some folks tomorrow, if you're, if you wanna come out and join me. Figure it out. We've got a... So that's amazing about it. We're working with the Flying Saucer and doing a parting on the- party on the patio afterwards 'cause they're, they butt up right against the [00:10:00] sound.

And then all the sponsors and partners that are gonna be out there, like Andretti Racing, Powerade Water- Cool ... Seek AR, which is a really cool app that the World Cup has launched here, which is super cool.

Cindy Solomon: Michelob Ultra Zero will be out, so a lot of things. Oh, it's gonna be there. And Cypress Waters.

I don't know, Eric mentioned, but it is, it's like a little oasis. If you don't know it's there, you might not know it's there, and then all of a sudden you drive up and you see the water and you see all of these restaurants and businesses. It's such a great little community. And super excited for people to get a chance to see it if they never have.

Eric Lindberg: Yeah. It's a hidden gem, and I think more runs will probably start making their wa- way out there once they see this. But the only challenge is, which is actually kinda cool, you do run through two cities. So we run through Dallas and a, just a hair, a little portion of Irving as well.

Chris Detzel: Okay.

And it'll be the only time it ever happens probably, right?

Cindy Solomon: World Cups are generational. That's right. We haven't had a World Cup here in the States since 1994. Yeah. We are looking forward to the 2031 Women's World Cup. Okay. Dallas has not [00:11:00] yet been chosen as a host city, but we are in the bid for that, so we'd love to bring it back for 2031.

But yeah, World Cups they don't come around very often, so this is an amazing opportunity to be part of something.

Chris Detzel: Yeah, I, whenever Eric told me about it, I thought, again, when it came out, my wife and I were the first to sign up, or at least tops to sign up, for sure. Thank you for that. I'm certainly excited.

Look I think it's gonna be a great race. And, I know that Eric has always put on really good races. And Cindy, we're certainly looking forward to being part of- Kind of the FIFA atmosphere, and see 'em and we obviously we've never ran over there, so that's that, a new location and everything else.

Anything else you guys wanted to talk about that I just didn't bring up?

Eric Lindberg: I think for your audience that's not in Dallas-Fort Worth, there's a virtual option, and I- I would say in the years we've been doing this, besides COVID we've had the biggest response to the virtual opportunity.

We have people emailing us, like I told Cindy just the other day, the people down in Houston were emailing us asking if- Wow ... if they were doing a World Cup run in [00:12:00] Houston, and I think Cindy put it best their organizing committee's not as good as the one in Dallas, so they're not.

Cindy Solomon: I may or may not have said that.

They're great. The best of the best. Houston's great, but I don't think they're doing a 5K.

Eric Lindberg: Yeah. So that's been amazing to, to just talk to people that are emailing and asking about it, and I think the medal drives that.

Chris Detzel: Yeah, so they get the medal, and you just ship it to them and stuff like that. They don't get a bib though?

Yeah.

Eric Lindberg: They get a digital bib- Okay ... they get the medal and the shirt, and then they can, they post their results through their run sign-up account. We don't have awards for the virtual, 'cause it's a little hard to validate those. Yeah.

Cindy Solomon: Yes. The virtual would win every time ...

Chris Detzel: I got a 14:10.

So when you think of the... What was I gonna ask? I forgot the question, but anything else? I,

Eric Lindberg: I think I think the kind of the unique thing about this and Cindy touched on it a little bit, is just the the amount of reach in the soccer community- ... which I think is really cool in blending that with the running community.

I think we're gonna have a lot of youth soccer teams out there that kids are speed demons. It's like going skiing, and the kids pass you by, and they're like, they're fearless. I know. So seeing those, seeing that blend of runners and and [00:13:00] footballers out there I think is gonna be a fun and unique experience.

I

Chris Detzel: think that, soccer players in general are some of the fastest and really good at distance. 5Ks for sure. You even see them do really well in half marathons, once they start getting out of soccer.

Cindy Solomon: Yeah, those midfielders, they're super fit, right? Like they have to be- to run up and down that pitch all day.

Chris Detzel: Cindy, what are you looking forward to the most in the whole soccer games? Do you get to go to any of those or?

Cindy Solomon: I will be at Fan Festival every day. I'm- ... hoping maybe toward the end I might be able to sneak out and go to a match. I've wanted to work on World Cup.

My first job out of college, I worked for Major League Soccer at the league office- ... in New York, and so I've always- That's cool ... here and there and everywhere touched on soccer. I still do a lot of work with Major League Soccer and US Soccer, National Women's Soccer League. Huh. But when Dallas was announced as a host city, I actually met with Monica Paul, and this was, I think, in 2022 maybe, and I sat down with her and I said, "I wanna work on World Cup."

And she said, "Great, we don't know what we're doing yet." And when I had my interview with her to get this [00:14:00] position, she said, "Cindy, I still have your resume in a folder on my desk. I remember sitting down and talking to you, like- Wow ... several years ago, and you really wanted to work on this and here we are."

So- It's a dream come true to work on an event like this, so I'm looking forward to everything. But, certainly to do all these lead up events and to have the impact in the community. I remember being in Dallas in 1994, watching teams practice at my alma mater, Greenhill School.

And Nigeria was practicing there, and I still remember that. I remember the excitement, and so to be able to be part of it from the inside for this year it's gonna be amazing.

Eric Lindberg: And I'll... I'm gonna add on just for the running community, this, because of the World Cup and the amount of resources it's taking within the city, most all major running events all major running events that typically would take place June through July have had to move their dates.

So this is one of those last opportunities to be part of a mega event before that kind of goes dark, so to speak, for a couple of months, and everything kind of readjusts to, to, to August [00:15:00] and September. So it's a really unique event and a really unique way to kinda celebrate the World Cup and being a part of, a global event like this.

I think it's just amazing.

Chris Detzel: I'm looking forward to it. I think it's gonna be pretty awesome and I didn't really As I kinda think about it like you said, Cindy, it hasn't been here since the '90s, and so for it- Yeah ... to come now to, it's 2026, that's a long time to wait. A long time, and- And hopefully we get it in 2030s

Cindy Solomon: and while, you'll see a lot with, the Dallas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee and Dallas FIFA World Cup, it really is North Texas. There's 134 cities, I think, that make up our North Texas- Yeah ... reach. And so if you think about all of the different communities that have a part in putting this event on, it's not one.

It's not just Dallas, it's not just Arlington- Yeah ... where the matches are. It's all of these different communities, and to give everyone a place to join together, celebrate, this 5K is one of the best opportunities to do that.

Chris Detzel: Where can they go to sign up to, for the 5K?

Eric Lindberg: Pretty easy.

It's [00:16:00] countdowntothecup5k.com.

Chris Detzel: Perfect. So make sure everybody goes sign up there. Thank you both for coming on to DFW Running Talk. Really appreciate the time. I'm certainly looking forward to the Cup. I'm gonna... I don't know how hard I'll run, but we'll have fun doing it, and get to go somewhere new and be part of kind of the World Cup.

So thanks, Cindy, and thanks, Eric for doing this, and thanks for coming on DFW Running Talk. Thanks everybody for tuning in to another DFW Running Talk. I'm Chris Detzel. Go to dfwrunningtalk.substa.com for our newsletter. And until next time, thank you both. Thank you. Thanks, Chris.