CALEB SEALES IS ONLY RUNNING FOR THE PHOTOS. HEAR HIM OUT.

ARTICLE WRITTEN BY MAURICE GARLAND

WHEN ATLANTA RUN CLUB ANNOUNCED THE 2026 ATLANTA MILE ON INSTAGRAM, COMMENTS RANGED FROM RUNNERS AIMING TO FINISH IN UNDER SIX MINUTES TO OTHERS ADMITTING THEY WERE SHOWING UP ONLY FOR THE FINISHER'S MEDAL AND T-SHIRT. SOME WERE EVEN CONTEMPLATING DRIVING HUNDREDS OF MILES JUST TO RUN THE ONE-MILE LOOP IN ATLANTA’S HISTORIC WEST END.

FOR FILM DIRECTOR AND HBUC STUDIOS FOUNDER CALEB SEALES, RUNNING IN THIS YEAR'S RACE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOTIVATE THE PEOPLE WHO WILL SEE THE POST-RACE PHOTOS AND VIDEOS OF HIM RUNNING AND HAVING A GOOD TIME.

"A LOT OF PEOPLE ENJOY SEEING MY JOINING JOURNEY AND TRANSFORMATION THAT I'VE MADE," SAYS SEALES. THIS YEAR’S ATLANTA MILE WILL BE STARTING AND FINISHING AT HBUC. "THAT'S GOING TO INSPIRE SOMEBODY TO HOP ON THE TREADMILL IN THE MORNING INSTEAD OF SITTING ON THE COUCH BEFORE WORK."

SEALES IS MAKING HIS ATLANTA MILE DEBUT IN A YEAR THAT WILL INCLUDE ANOTHER MEMORABLE, PERSONAL FIRST. THE MILE RACE WILL KICK OFF TRAINING FOR HIS FIRST MARATHON, THE CHICAGO MARATHON, IN OCTOBER. BUT HE IS NOT NEW TO RUNNING.

THE SANDERSVILLE, GEORGIA, NATIVE ATTENDED WASHINGTON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE HE WAS A FOUR-SPORT ATHLETE IN FOOTBALL, SOCCER, BASKETBALL AND TRACK. AFTER GRADUATING, HE ATTENDED KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY TO STUDY MARKETING AND BEGIN THE NEXT PHASE OF HIS LIFE, BUT PRETTY MUCH CLOSED THE DOOR ON SPORTS.

“I JUST FOCUSED ON SCHOOL AND WORK," HE SAID OF THAT PERIOD. "I JUST KIND OF LET ATHLETICS FALL BY THE WAYSIDE."

SEALES CONTINUED PUTTING NUMBERS ON THE BOARD ELSEWHERE. HE MOVED PERMANENTLY TO ATLANTA AND JUMP-STARTED HIS CAREER, EVENTUALLY OPENING HIS OWN PRODUCTION COMPANY, OPENSZN. HIS CLIENT LIST SO FAR INCLUDES NIKE, DICK'S SPORTING GOODS, MEGAN THEE STALLION, EARTHGANG, J. COLE, 2 CHAINZ AND STACEY ABRAMS JUST TO NAME A FEW.

"I JUST HAD ENOUGH," SEALES SAID OF A BREAKING POINT HE REACHED IN 2024, WHEN HE DECIDED THE WEIGHT GAIN AND DEPRESSION IN HIS LIFE WERE NO LONGER WELCOME.”

BUT FROM 2020 THROUGH 2023, THINGS BECAME ROCKY AS HE NAVIGATED THE UPS AND DOWNS OF RUNNING A MEDIA COMPANY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE 2023 SAG-AFTRA AND WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA STRIKES. IT DID NOT HELP THAT THE DRINKING AND EATING HABITS HE PICKED UP IN COLLEGE WERE BEGINNING TO TAKE THEIR TOLL.

"I JUST HAD ENOUGH," SEALES SAID OF A BREAKING POINT HE REACHED IN 2024, WHEN HE DECIDED THE WEIGHT GAIN AND DEPRESSION IN HIS LIFE WERE NO LONGER WELCOME. "I GOT TO A POINT WHERE I WAS TIRED OF THE LOWS, TIRED OF THE WAY THAT I FELT AND TIRED OF THE WAY THAT I LOOKED, TO A CERTAIN DEGREE. SO I DECIDED TO JUMP INTO RUNNING. I NEEDED SOMETHING TO GROUND MYSELF."

THINGS DID NOT START EASILY. THE EXTRA POUNDS HE CARRIED MADE SEALES HESITANT TO HIT THE PAVEMENT RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE OF CONCERNS ABOUT THE IMPACT RUNNING WOULD HAVE ON HIS JOINTS. SO HE STARTED WITH THE STAIRMASTER AT HIS LOCAL GYM. EVENTUALLY, A FRIEND CONVINCED HIM TO JOIN HIM FOR A 5K RACE.

"THAT RACE SPARKED A DIFFERENT NERVE AND EXCITEMENT INSIDE OF ME," SAID SEALES, WHO FOUND HIMSELF INSPIRED BY A 70-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO RAN PAST HIM ON THE COURSE. "I WAS LIKE, 'DAMN, IF SHE'S ABLE TO DO THAT AT THAT AGE, I'M NOWHERE NEAR ON TRACK FOR WHERE I NEED TO BE IF I'M EVEN GOING TO GET CLOSE TO LIVING AS OLD AND AS HEALTHY AS SHE IS RIGHT NOW.'"

SINCE THEN, SEALES HAS BUILT CONSISTENCY ONE DAY AT A TIME, RUNNING SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK. HE EVEN TURNED FINDING RANDOM 5K RACES INTO A HOBBY AS A WAY TO ENJOY HIS SATURDAY MORNINGS. THE LIFESTYLE CHANGE HELPED HIM LOSE 70 POUNDS AND GAIN NEW PERSPECTIVES.

“EVERY DAY ISN'T GONNA LOOK THE SAME AND EVERY RUN ISN'T GONNA LOOK THE SAME,” SAYS SEALES. “FOR ME, RUNNING HAS BECOME 90% MENTAL AND 10% PHYSICAL, AND I THINK THAT'S TRUE FOR LIFE TOO. LIFE IS 90% HOW YOU REACT TO WHATEVER HAPPENED VERSUS THE OTHER 10% OF WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING ON."