“I wanted to have fun, not take myself too seriously, and see what happened,” Andrea Sager tells PEOPLE

NEED TO KNOW

• On Nov. 1, 2026, Andrea Sager ran the New York City Marathon wearing a pink shirt stating she was “single” and “looking for a man”
• After posting about it as a joke, she never expected her shirt to go viral or her DMs to be “flooded” with men asking to take her out
• Now, the Texas mother of two is hoping one of those men will be the one

Andrea Sager wasn’t expecting to find love at the New York City Marathon, but she figured she might as well have a little fun trying.

The 35-year-old Houston-based attorney and entrepreneur showed up to the Nov. 1 race wearing a bright pink shirt advertising that she was “single,” but what she didn’t anticipate was that her playful attempt at finding a date would lead to an inbox “flooded” with potential suitors.

“What started as a joke on my marathon shirt has now reached more than 50 million people, and the response has been beyond anything I could have imagined,” Sager tells PEOPLE. “I’ve received countless messages from men interested in applying for the position, and the entire experience has been equal parts hilarious and unexpected.”

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As a single mom to a 9-year-old and a 7-year-old, Sager spends much of her time working and balancing her children’s baseball and softball schedules — leaving little to no time for romance.

“Between motherhood, running businesses, and everything else life throws my way, dating hasn’t always been at the top of my priority list,” she admits. “But lately, I’ve been intentional about making more room for it and putting myself out there.”

Her marathon shirt was one way of doing exactly that. The front read, “Andrea, 35, Single. Great Credit. Bad Judgement,” while the back had another cheeky message: “Looking for a man with more endurance than my ex.”

But what she expected to be a fleeting, funny moment during the race quickly took on a life of its own as videos of her shirt went viral online and men ranging from their 20s to their 70s reached out to her.

“I wanted to have fun, not take myself too seriously and see what happened,” Sager tells PEOPLE. “I certainly didn’t expect 50 million people to come along for the ride!”

The attention, however, has also extended beyond her dating life — opening doors Sager hadn’t considered when she first came up with the idea.

“After getting flooded with requests from people asking where they could buy their own [shirt], the businesswoman in me couldn’t help herself. I quickly launched My Running Billboard so everyone else could join in on the fun,” Sager explains. “I guess my poor judgment might actually be good for business!”

Through My Running Billboard, others can now create their own personalized running shirts and have a little fun with their messages, too. For Sager, the unexpected business venture has been an exciting bonus to an experience that started as a personal joke.

But while her new business is gaining momentum through brand deals and partnerships, her original goal of meeting someone special is still a work in progress.

Despite the many men sliding into her DMs, Sager tells PEOPLE she still hasn’t been on a date since the marathon. The problem? Most of her interested suitors don’t live close enough to grab dinner. 

“I’ve had offers from as far as N.Y.C., San Diego and the Caribbean,” Sager reveals. “Luckily, my next race is Houston HYROX, so hopefully it will attract locals then!”

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And if her marathon experience has shown her anything, it’s that sometimes a little humor and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone can lead to something much bigger than expected.

Whether it’s a new business, a few unexpected opportunities or, hopefully, a date closer to home, Sager is embracing the ride.

“If there’s one thing I hope other women take away from this, it’s that you don’t have to have everything figured out to enjoy your life,” Sager tells PEOPLE. “You can have a full, happy life and still be open to finding someone to share it with.”

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