About this episode

This episode features a discussion about the Countdown to the Cup 5K and the upcoming FIFA World Cup in North Texas with guests Cindy Solomon and Eric Lindberg.

Eleven days before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in North Texas, runners and soccer fans are converging on The Sound at Cypress Waters for the Countdown to the Cup 5K — and in this episode, I get the full story from the two people making it happen. Cindy Solomon of the North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee and Eric Lindberg of On Your Left Marketing & Events join me to break down the race: the cup-shaped finisher medal, the brand-new USATF-certified course with a downhill finish, age group awards featuring the official Dallas World Cup ball, the Flying Saucer after-party, and the virtual option that's pulling registrations from across the country. We also go way beyond the 5K. Cindy walks through everything the Organizing Committee is doing — the FIFA Fan Festival at Fair Park (free, open to the public, 96 of 104 matches shown live), the Unity Cup youth soccer tournament, 26 mini pitches going into underserved communities, Dallas hosting nine matches including the July 14 semifinal, and why this is the first World Cup on U.S. soil since 1994. Eric also makes the case for why this is one of the last major DFW running events before the calendar goes dark for the…

People in this episode

Host: Chris Detzel

Guests: Cindy Solomon, Eric Lindberg

Topics covered

• FIFA World Cup
• running events
• Countdown to the Cup 5K
• Dallas sports
• community engagement

Keywords

• FIFA World Cup 2026
• Dallas running events
• Countdown to the Cup 5K
• Cindy Solomon
• Eric Lindberg

Sponsors

Countdown to the Cup 5K

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee, On Your Left Marketing & Events

Places: Dallas, The Sound at Cypress Waters, Fair Park

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