There are some experiences that are easy to describe.
And then there are the ones that are almost impossible to put into words.
The magic that happens when the 261 Fearless community comes together is one of those things.
You can talk about the running. You can talk about the learning. You can talk about the laughter, the hugs, the new friendships and the conversations that continue long after the event is over.
But somehow, none of those words quite capture it.
For 48 hours on August 28–29, nearly 100 261 Fearless Coaches from seven countries — the United States, United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, Chile, New Zealand and Albania — came together in Vienna, Austria, for the second International Coach Summit.
And it was everything we hoped it would be.
Running. Learning. Laughing. Connecting. Crossing borders.
Crossing Borders
“Crossing Borders” was the theme of this year’s Summit, and it showed up in more ways than we could have imagined.
We crossed borders between countries and cultures as coaches traveled from around the world to be together. We crossed borders between communities as we shared ideas and experiences from our own 261 Clubs. And we explored the borders that can exist within ourselves — the ones created by mindset, assumptions, and the limits we sometimes place on what we believe is possible.
But perhaps the most important border we crossed was the one between strangers and friends.
Because that’s what happens when the 261 community comes together.
Exploring Vienna, the 261 way
Our 48 hours together began with a treasure hunt through Vienna.
Coaches worked in teams to explore the city, discovering places and stories connected to special women in Austrian history. It was part sightseeing adventure, part history lesson and part getting-to-know-you challenge.
And, as tends to happen when you put a group of 261 Coaches together, there was plenty of laughter along the way.
Our home base for the Summit was The Social Hub Vienna, where coaches could continue conversations over meals, coffee and those spontaneous moments that seem to happen whenever 261 women are together.
Learning from our partners
At Sportpark Donaucity, we spent an afternoon connecting with some of the incredible partners who support the work of 261 Fearless.
With adidas, Peloton and Verbund, coaches had the opportunity to learn, connect and see firsthand how partnerships can help create opportunities for women through movement, community and education.
These relationships are an important part of helping 261 Fearless grow but the Summit was also a reminder that partnerships aren’t just about organizations working together. They’re about people coming together around a shared belief in what women can do.
An evening with Kathrine
That evening, we gathered for a special screening of Tough Old Broads, followed by a virtual Q&A with 261 Fearless co-founder Kathrine Switzer and director Stacey Tennenbaum.
The documentary offered another opportunity to reflect on women who have challenged expectations and refused to accept the limitations placed on them.
And then we had the chance to hear directly from Kathrine and Stacey — connecting the story we had just watched with the work being carried forward by the women in that room.
It was a fitting moment for a Summit centered on crossing borders.
After all, Kathrine crossed one of the most visible barriers in women’s running nearly 60 years ago. Today, the 261 community continues to cross new ones.
Running together, connecting across cultures
Then came one of the moments that captured the spirit of the entire Summit.
At the Wiener Prater, our coaches joined the local 261 running group for a Meet Run led by 261 Coach Fereshteh.
The group brings together women from Afghanistan and Syria, creating a space where they can connect through running and community.
And for a little while, there were no borders.
There was just the rhythm of our feet, conversations along the route, encouragement, smiles and laughter.
It’s easy to say that running brings women together. But being there and experiencing it firsthand is something else entirely.
This is what we mean when we say running is just the beginning.
Crossing the borders of mindset
We closed our 48 hours together at the Haus des Sports with an educational session led by Brunilda Kondi, a 261 Coach with 261 Club Albania.
Her multicultural workshop, “Crossing the Borders of Mindset,” invited coaches to look at the invisible boundaries that can influence how we think, how we interact with others and how we see what is possible.
It was the perfect final session for a Summit that had spent two days crossing borders in every sense of the word.
The part you can’t put on the schedule
You can put a treasure hunt on the schedule.
You can schedule partner sessions, a run, a documentary screening and an educational workshop.
But you can’t schedule the magic.
You can’t schedule the moment when a coach from New Zealand finds herself laughing with a coach from Albania. Or when two women who have never met discover how much they have in common. Or when a conversation over breakfast turns into an idea that someone will take home to her Club.
That’s the part of the 261 Fearless community that is so hard to describe until you’ve experienced it.
As Zelia from 261 Club New England shared:
“I especially enjoyed developing bonds with so many coaches from around the world – sharing ideas, learning from one another, and finding so many similarities despite the miles between us.”
And Marlene from 261 Club Austria put it even more simply:
“I met so many impressive and great women – I’m really grateful for every single minute! My heart is full!”
Our hearts are full, too.
The first International Coach Summit took place in London in 2023. Three years later, Vienna gave us another opportunity to bring this incredible global community together and reminded us why these moments matter so much.
Because 261 Fearless is more than running.
It is women supporting women.
It is connection across cultures and continents.
It is learning from one another and sharing what we’ve learned.
It is the courage to try something new, the confidence to take up space and the belief that we can make a difference in our own communities.
Running is just the beginning.
With gratitude
A Summit like this doesn’t happen without an incredible community behind it.
We are deeply grateful to our partners who helped make the 2026 International Coach Summit possible: adidas, Peloton, Beyond Finance, Avon, Omni Power, The Social Hub Vienna, Verbund, Marathon Tours, Pona and Oberlaa.
And to every Coach who traveled to Vienna!
Thank you for showing up. For sharing your stories. For asking questions. For laughing loudly. For running together. For learning from one another. And for bringing your own piece of the 261 Fearless community to Vienna.
For 48 hours, seven countries came together in one city.
The connections we made there will travel home with us.
And that’s the magic of 261 Fearless.
