This Guy Ran A Marathon Shirtless With His Name On His Back And Got A Lot Of Attention

Hey ladies, you already know he's in shape.

A marathon runner has landed a date and a ton of attention after he wrote a personal ad on his back during a recent race.

Steve Bergstrom

Steve Bergstrom told BuzzFeed News he has completed more than 20 marathons, two Ironmans, and four ultra-marathons. He said with all his hobbies dating can be hard, especially since he just moved back to Chicago after living in Germany for three years.

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"I have been trying to play catch up on the Chicago social and dating scene since getting back, but with a pretty demanding job, a grueling commute, and my hobbies, I just don’t have a ton of spare time for it," he said.

The 30-year-old marketing professional said that he had the idea to turn himself into a running personal ad a few days before running the Chicago Marathon and "couldn't stop giggling."

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He added that his idea also stemmed from his frustration with the "modern digital dating scene."

"The Tinders and Bumbles of the world are a great place to waste a whole lot of time and money on unfulfilling first dates, without [in my experience] any worthwhile results," he said.

So, he recruited his cousin to write a message on his back the night before the race that read: "SINGLE / on Facebook / Steve Bergstrom."

Steve Bergstrom

"She gave me an initially disgusted, then hysterically laughing response, at which point any doubts I had about the idea vanished," he said.

Both the marathon and Bergstom's ad were a success. He received multiple Facebook inquiries, including one from a fellow marathoner who was cheering on the runners that day. She had a sign that said, "My Mom is looking for a #catdad."

Steve Bergstrom

Bergstrom said he loved the woman's sense of humor.

"After I found out about the sign, I told her that we would be missing out on a golden opportunity for future storytelling if we didn’t at least meet up for a drink," he said. They have since gone on two dates.

Bergstrom said he had hoped to meet someone special from his "personal ad," but never expected media attention.

"It's been a little overwhelming, but a lot of fun," he said. "This was never about launching myself into stardom, or about trying to rack up as many dates as possible. I am a much bigger fan of quality than quantity."

He said he hopes to inspire people to think outside of the box for love.

"If this little stunt helps people to actually put themselves out there [in whatever way works for them], rather than being stuck behind their screens, then I'd call it a success," he said.