HFA Announces Purpose Brands Co-Founders Chuck Runyon and Dave Mortensen as 2026 HFA Hall of Fame Inductees

WASHINGTON, DC-November 3, 2025-The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) announces Chuck Runyon and Dave Mortensen, co-founders of Anytime Fitness and Purpose Brands, as the final inductees into the 2026 class of the Health & Fitness Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on March 15 in San Diego, ahead of the opening of The HFA Show.

Runyon and Mortensen, who also serve as co-chairs of the Purpose Brands Board of Directors, launched Anytime Fitness in 2002 as a more accessible alternative to traditional big-box gyms. In 2024, their original parent company, Self Esteem Brands, merged with Orangetheory Fitness and was rebranded as Purpose Brands. The portfolio also includes The Bar Method, Basecamp Fitness, and Waxing the City.

With more than 20 years of leadership, Runyon and Mortensen have built Purpose Brands into one of the largest fitness franchise networks in the world-serving over six million members across over 7,000 locations in more than 40 countries and seven continents, including Antarctica.

Their commitment to service extends beyond business. They developed a franchise program tailored for military veterans, designed to leverage veterans' discipline and leadership skills. The program has earned top rankings from Vetrepreneur and other organizations for its impact and accessibility. They have earned high praise for building a supportive franchise community that, in turn, supports its members through empathy and innovation.

Runyon and Mortensen have also been tireless advocates for the fitness industry, actively lobbying at both the state and federal levels to promote health and wellness initiatives.

"Chuck Runyon and Dave Mortensen didn't just build a brand-they reshaped the fitness landscape," said HFA President and CEO Liz Clark. "Their vision for Anytime Fitness sparked a global movement rooted in accessibility, authenticity, and community. More than two decades later, that same vision powers Purpose Brands. Their franchising model has empowered thousands of entrepreneurs to achieve their dreams of business ownership."

Purpose Brands and its affiliated companies have received numerous accolades for growth and performance, including:

• Best Franchises in America - Forbes
• No. 1 Top Global Franchise - Entrepreneur Magazine
• Fastest-Growing Fitness Club in the World - Entrepreneur Magazine
• No. 1 Fitness Franchise in the World - Entrepreneur Magazine
• No. 1 Franchise for Veterans - Entrepreneur Magazine
• Best Company to Work For in Minnesota - Minnesota Business Magazine
• Top Military Friendly Franchise - GI Jobs

In 2009, HFA (then known as IHRSA) honored Anytime Fitness with the John McCarthy Industry Visionary Award.

"We're honored, humbled, and thrilled to be selected for the HFA Hall of Fame," Runyon and Mortensen said in a joint statement. "We love this people-and-purpose driven industry as much as we ever have, and we'll continue dedicating resources to protect, promote, and grow it worldwide. There's never been a better time to be in the wellness sector-and the best days are ahead. A heartfelt thank you to our employees, franchisees, and suppliers across the Purpose Brands global network."

Runyon and Mortensen will be inducted in the second class of the HFA Hall of Fame with Gainesville Health & Fitness Center Founder and CEO Joe Cirull, ResetOne Co-founder and CEO Annbeth Eschbach, fitness evangelists Jack and Elaine LaLanne, Fitness Formula Clubs Founder and CEO Gale Landers, and Les Mills Founder Phillip Mills.

The HFA Hall of Fame recognizes individuals whose contributions have elevated the profiles of the association and industry, set new standards for excellence in leadership, and supported the industry's commitment to improved physical and mental health for all.

Inductees are chosen based on the following criteria:

• Health and fitness business community leaders who have invented, innovated, created, and grown services, products, and programs that have shaped the industry;
• Those who have expanded the industry over time and its impact around the world and/or driven key development and improvement of the association over time;
• Exceptional advocates whose message has resonated with non-governmental organizations and government officials on behalf of association and industry goals; or,
• Seminal industry, academic, and allied organization leaders as determined by the Hall of Fame selection committee.

Tickets to the HFA Hall of Fame induction ceremony are available for $250 and can be added during The HFA Show registration process. Proceeds from the tickets go to the HFA Foundation, a 501(c)3 public charity that works to support health through exercise.

For more information about the HFA Hall of Fame and to register for The HFA Show 2026, visit healthandfitness.org/show.

About the Health & Fitness Association

The Health & Fitness Association (formerly IHRSA), a global community of industry leaders, is the only worldwide trade association providing a unified voice for the community of leaders who operate health and fitness facilities, offer professional guidance on physical activity, and provide the tools and equipment to do so to the millions of fitness facility members who understand that exercise improves their physical and mental health.

Through advocacy, education, and research, the association speaks to opportunities, challenges, and changes that are moving the industry into a new era.

Founded in 1981, the association publishes a monthly magazine, Health & Fitness Business, and operates The HFA Show, the HFA European Congress, and the Fly-In and Advocacy Summit. The association also partners on events around the world, including Fitness Brasil, ChinaFit, and MEFIT Summit. Follow the Health & Fitness Association on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.