Every January, I take the time to reflect on how AgTech is evolving within the livestock industry and share my thoughts in a blog. This year, as I was out on my Sunday long run, I couldn’t help but notice the striking parallels between the challenges of building an AgTech ClimateTech business and running ultramarathons. Both require grit, determination, and a willingness to push beyond limits, but one undeniably stands out as the greater test.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve set myself ambitious life goals. Some I’ve ticked off, while others remain ahead of me. Running a marathon was always on that list, and once I achieved it, I became curious about just how far I could push myself. That curiosity led me to ultramarathons and now, as I plan for my next challenge The Track – nine-day, 530-kilometre, unassisted race from Alice Springs to Uluru, in 2027, the lessons I’ve learned from running feel even more relevant to my journey in AgTech.
In this blog, I’d like to share the parallels and contrasts I’ve found between these two demanding paths and reflect on why growing a business like DIT AgTech remains the toughest challenge I’ve faced.
1. Predictability vs. uncertainty
In an ultra, you know the path ahead. The trail might be rugged, the hills steep, and the conditions harsh, but the race doesn’t lie. The only unknowns are how your body will respond and how you’ll manage the pain.
In contrast, building a business like DIT AgTech the race is anything but clear. Market conditions, policy changes, global supply chains, and even unpredictable weather patterns can redefine the course at any moment. You can plan meticulously, but you’ll always be blindsided by something unexpected.
2. Pain with a finish line vs. endless challenges
The pain of a 100-mile run is intense, but it has an endpoint. You know that at mile 100, it’s over. The body heals, and the sense of accomplishment remains.
Growing a business isn’t so merciful. The challenges – cash flow constraints, recruiting the right people, product-market fit, and convincing stakeholders of your vision – are never-ending. Success feels more like a series of milestones than a final victory.
3. Clear rules vs. ambiguity
Trail races have simple, unambiguous rules: stay on course, hit the checkpoints, and finish before the cutoff.
In business, particularly in pioneering industries like AgTech and ClimateTech, the rules are often undefined. For instance, how do you build trust in emerging carbon markets? How do you educate stakeholders on technologies that don’t yet exist? And how do you scale solutions when the regulatory frameworks are still catching up? Sometimes, it can feel like running blind.
4. Individual challenge vs. team effort
An ultramarathon is a deeply personal challenge. While you might have support crews and pacers, it’s ultimately your feet on the trail and your willpower pushing you forward.
In business, success is impossible without a team. Leading a team is a challenge in itself – aligning diverse talents, managing egos, and fostering a shared vision. In DIT AgTech, we’re asking our team to support our big goals to revolutionise agriculture, reduce methane emissions, and monetise carbon credits – all while staying financially sustainable. It’s a collaborative effort, and getting everyone pulling in the same direction is its own kind of endurance event.
The common ground: Purpose
Despite the differences, there’s one thing running and business have in common: purpose. Whether it’s crossing the finish line of an ultramarathon or driving innovation in AgTech, both are driven by a belief in something bigger.
At DIT AgTech our mission is clear: leave the world better than we found it – empowering farmers and helping to maximise the wellbeing and productivity of agricultural livestock and their environment. And that mission is what keeps us going when the uphill battle feels endless.
Building an AgTech ClimateTech business may not come with medals or cheering crowds, but its impact reaches far beyond the individual. It’s a race worth running, one that’s shaping a better future.
Let Your Work Speak.
Mark Peart
CEO, DIT AgTech and CleverCow
