In the early to mid-1900’s several names such as Frank Marriott, W.K. Vanderbilt, Sig Haughdahl and Sir Malcolm Campbell laid the foundation that birthed the title “Land of Speed” for the Daytona area. In 1954, Bill France Sr founded the Daytona International Speedway, and the rest was history. His ambition to turn a regional series into national corporation brought life to this town, which continues to build today.

That brings us to 2025, where Julian plans to break some records of his own….but he’s doing it all on foot!

No, we don’t mean Flintstone style pushing a car. We mean good old fashioned running! Julian has brought new life to Daytona Beach and his slogan “The Speed Is Back!” Explains it all.

Julian grew up as a soccer player, which requires a different type of athleticism. He didn’t get into running until late 2022 after his uncle invited him to run a 5k race. He was fairly in shape, accompanied by his background in soccer. His initial thought was “This will be a breeze!”. He finished the 5k race (approx. 3.1 miles) in a humbling 38 minutes, 18 minutes off his current personal record of 20 minutes.

That experience went from humbling to invigorating in a flash. It seemed to have sparked a new niche in his athletic journey. Although, that would come with sacrifices. After deep reflection, Julian decided to set aside recreational soccer and focus solely on running. The risk of injury was just too high. He significantly cut back on social drinking and replaced it with strength training in the gym.

Julian made an observation swiftly after making this life changing decision. The market and networking for running in Daytona Beach,FL was dismal. His next sacrifice would be frequent drives to Orlando. He made those drives just to keep himself motivated along with keeping himself around like minded runners.

The networking and connections started off beautifully but inevitably it started to weigh on his social life back home. Time with his family and friends started to dwindle. Unbeknownst to him, he had inspired several people locally. After realizing he built such a strong support back home, he decided to take the show off the road.

With the help of his close friend Antwon Brown, who he met working for a gym, Daytona Speed Run Club had its launch early 2025. They began to blow things out of the water fairly quickly. Most recently, several members raced at the “Run Daytona” event hosted by The Running Element (store located in Daytona One). This event lets runners race on the actual speedway track. DSRC had several members place amongst the top 3 for their age groups! Definitely a successful event!

Some of Julian’s best success stories come from the fruits of transitioning from a solo runner to cultivating a run group. Seeing some of their journeys such as individuals winning awards, seeing members lose weight, seeing the excitement of others breaking personal records and much more. He gives tremendous gratitude to some of the founding members and those who gave him the courage to form the group. Along with Antwon, there was Frantz Charleston and Carl Murray III who made this dream imaginable for him.

Julian’s advice to the people he inspires to run is treat things like a marathon and not a race. Start off slow but at a good pace. Research about hydration. Listen to your body. Start off walking if you have to. Don’t have the mindset that you’re just going to sign up for a 26 mile marathon and kill it. Work your way up and you’ll see quicker progress. Injuries will make the process longer.

A lot of people think about running and immediately get discouraged. They doubt themselves. The key is understanding that it is a mental challenge more than a physical one. The hardest part is starting. You will go from wondering if you can finish to just enjoying nature while listening to inspiring lyrics in your head phones. You’ll go from questioning yourself to realizing you accidentally broke your personal records. You’ll start to meet people trying to progress in life just like yourself. It’s a beautiful journey that Julian encourages anyone to try safely. No matter the age, sex, size, or fitness level.

If you’re interested in joining the mission you can find Julian on social media platforms under “Julian Jamison-Sissle or my nickname CityBoySizzle.”. The group does more than just run. They do social events such as bowling, skating, carting etc. Sporting events such as soccer, flag football, kickball, pickleball and more! Join the movement and don’t let the time “runaway” from you!

Written & Published by Chunta Ankh (of HB Films & Publications.)