By 
On Saturday, October 3, the Dudley Riggs Theater in Minneapolis became part comedy club, part running-trivia arena. The Twin Cities Game Show, presented with brand partner ASICS and hosted by Laura Green, brought together personalities from the local running community and the entertainment world for an afternoon of trivia, side quests and nonstop banter.
Bruce Brilliance took the stage as the show’s resident comedian, and it was a natural fit. Before he was producing shows and trading jokes with audiences across the Twin Cities, Bruce was a Division I sprinter. Add a stand-up career that includes performing on Comedy Central with Kevin Hart and years as a comedy club owner, and he arrived ready for a game built around running culture and quick thinking.
He shared the stage with two contestants who know the sport from the inside. Carrie Tollefson, a former U.S. Olympian who ran the 1500 meters at the 2004 Athens Olympics, is also a well-known running broadcaster and commentator. Andrea “Dre” Haus, community and marketing manager at Mill City Running and Saint City Running, is a familiar face in the local running scene.
A game built for laughs
The format mixed Jeopardy-style questions about running, Minneapolis and pop culture with comedic side quests and interactive challenges. Contestants raised handheld flags to answer, but getting it right was only part of the job. The real assignment was keeping the room entertained. That’s where Bruce leaned in, with improvised jokes, quick reactions to the host and plenty of playful back-and-forth with his fellow contestants.
How it came together
The invitation grew out of the running community itself. A connection who had seen one of Bruce’s comedy showcases introduced him to Laura Green, and that introduction turned into a seat at the game-show table.
Comedy, athletics and community
The show drew a good crowd, and afterward a number of attendees made a point of telling Bruce how much they enjoyed it. For him, the afternoon was a chance to perform for an audience outside his usual comedy rooms, and to bring together two parts of his life that rarely share a stage: the track and the mic.
It’s the kind of crossover that runs through all of Bruce’s work, whether he’s leading yoga, producing comedy shows or bringing Laugh Therapy to a conference. Humor connects people, and so does a shared love of the sport.
Thank you to ASICS, Laura Green, Carrie Tollefson, Dre Haus and everyone who came out to Dudley Riggs.
Bruce’s running work lives at We Run. Follow along on Instagram at @werunMinnesota.
Want Bruce to bring the laughs to your event? See his upcoming shows or learn about booking him for your team.
