I don’t have as strong of language, perhaps, but it does kind of boggle the mind. All summer - and I mean, literally daily, if you follow Matt Fox on Strava, he was complaining about heat. Starting runs late in the morning because he doesn’t have a job [aside: how does he afford bills? I don’t actually know if he’s addressed it - coaching?] and wishing for cold weather. It was incessant. Chicago came - he promised a 2:16 - and he ran 2:19 complaining of the heat.
I do think, sadly, he makes enough money off of coaching (complete with AI generated email communication!) to more or less afford his lifestyle. The brand deals have long since dried up, his YouTube is essentially dead, and he had to rename his travel company in order to avoid having it associated with the tainted SweatElite brand.
His coaching, as far as I can tell, seems to involve taking workouts he's seen others doing on Strava / YouTube and adapting the paces. Which, to a certain extent is fine (it's a copycat game after all), but I'm not exactly sure how much he understands the point of the sessions he's adapting after listening to some of his IMO podcasts. Also, the fact that he calls it the Sweat Elite Coaching Academy, a name that would seem to imply that the organization teaches people how to coach, will never not seem dumb to me. I guess he was maybe going for SEO or something with that, but maybe I'm giving too much credit to a dude who would take ozempic during his marathon training.
This whole video definitely seems like TL let him know that he could no longer take up several rooms of the McMansion hoarding shoes and cosplaying very part-time as an online entrepreneur. Glad to see the boys will no longer need to split a bedroom four ways because the Big D trucker hats, coffee mugs, and sublimated singlets needed their own room. I would say this is growth from SJD, but the fact that he keeps all those shoes continues to be worrisome, especially since he is no longer doing any sort of reviews.
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I like most of her content, but I agree that title has missed the mark and I've not watched the video as a result despite watching most of her race videos. In her defence I think they play around with the titles to try and get the most engagement, so a lot of the titles probably aren't what they actually think, just what they think will get the most clicks.
It's interesting to watch races of any type I find, I watch a lot of running content (more when I was running more), I like her personality to watch as well yeah, some of it is definitely too much and a miss, but the high energy generally keeps me engaged and I think for me she mostly comes off well and as being likable (obviously chalk and cheese if you don't like her). I like how there's a bit of a real life side to it as well. I tend to like channels that have lots of racing with a bit of a real life human element to it as well which I think they do well.
Agreed. RTJ (Jake) is the best running YT content. Absolutely would recommend if anyone hasn't seen any of his content.
He also validates my also silly high mileage, so I appreciate that.
Not a runner (well a third of one), I also love triathlete Lionel Sanders. I bet he can be polarizing, but I find his content has some good tips.
After seeing Ran to Japan posted about so positively on this thread I finally checked out a few of his videos. Very enjoyable! That he has an MMA background and credits some of his durability to years of getting kicked in the shin! Funny but also I did martial arts as a kid before running and I remember in my early years my legs could take a pounding and bounce back so maybe there's something to it! As others have said, it's not just training talk or documenting his runs but actually following someone on an ambitious journey. The window into the Japanese running world is also super interesting. I had nearly given up on youtube runners who weren't established pros but I'm excited to see where Jake can take his running!
. I would say this is growth from SJD, but the fact that he keeps all those shoes continues to be worrisome, especially since he is no longer doing any sort of reviews.
I watched it earlier, I think at one point he hinted at giving away all of his excess gifted clothing/shoes but I may have misinterpreted that and I can't be bothered watching again. But might be the subject of a future video I guess.
"credits some of his durability to years of getting kicked in the shin!"
Apparently, you didn’t realize that he was joking. He just laughed on the podcast about how his humor often goes unnoticed.
I took the getting his shin's kicked as a joke but I do think there is something to the lower leg strength/durability from martials arts that can be helpful with running. His humor is definitely a strong suit of the channel.
I am happy, making content is a bit of fun, I have kids and a life outside of running... I film, edit, publish, delete the footage, repeat... yes I dip in and out of this thread here, I read the posts and this one caught my eye.... I am a micro creator compared to a lot of who gets discussed on here but the point i'd make is... if you're not happy, why do you do it? its not a money maker, youtube pays peanuts, its only the sponsorships that will pay the bills and that would depend on follower size. Not going deep into who's good and who's not but the ones that are willing to share their training and lay it all out their get my respect.... training will always divide opinion because there are so many ways to train these days but here's a thought I always keep at the forefront of my mind... dont take yourself too seriously and be open to (sensible) critisism because we all have our flaws. And finally, +1 for the headcam vote, its the least intrusive but best way to share race content (seen on another recent post).
I am happy, making content is a bit of fun, I have kids and a life outside of running... I film, edit, publish, delete the footage, repeat... yes I dip in and out of this thread here, I read the posts and this one caught my eye.... I am a micro creator compared to a lot of who gets discussed on here but the point i'd make is... if you're not happy, why do you do it? its not a money maker, youtube pays peanuts, its only the sponsorships that will pay the bills and that would depend on follower size. Not going deep into who's good and who's not but the ones that are willing to share their training and lay it all out their get my respect.... training will always divide opinion because there are so many ways to train these days but here's a thought I always keep at the forefront of my mind... dont take yourself too seriously and be open to (sensible) critisism because we all have our flaws. And finally, +1 for the headcam vote, its the least intrusive but best way to share race content (seen on another recent post).
Would you class yourself as an influencer though? I view you more as a YouTuber.
In a good way.
But I dont think you really have to change much to keep others happy / worry about if you're gonna get a brand deals out of it.
It's the obviously fake stuff (PB as a prime example) that irks a lot of people (I think).
I would like to think "youtuber" but I have to appreciate that i have had sponsors of my training series and by definition... so maybe thats up for debate haha! I know what you mean though... last year it got f*cking ridiculous with regards to the circus noise being created around marathons... and although influencers are part of it, I do think brands need to take more responsibility as I feel they are starting to make new runners feel like marathons are what they should be aiming for... I did a video on it after the Matt Choi thing so I dont mind vocalising that on here either... shakeout runs are fine, nothing wrong with them... but the idea (if you take the race seriously) is to do a shakeout the day before and rest up (by all means hang around, have a coffee, chat etc but then bugger off back to your home or hotel)... the amount to content pumped out last year contrary to this was insane so I just distanced myself from it... takes the p*ss out of the sport in my eyes. Thats why I support a lot of local races, they deserve the media space more than the big ones
Anyone know any of these influencers in real life? What are they like as people?
So these experiences span 2019-2024 across UK, Austria, Kenya: Ben Parkes - this is going back many years but very shy and socially awkward when we saw him at an event. I don't know the right way to explain it but it was almost as if he was constantly checking to see if people were all looking at him. Also wasn't very engaging with the people who did approach him. Ben Felton - incredibly brief encounters at 2 different events, more focussed on whipping his go-pro out to film at inconvenient times in crowded places, and then less interested in a couple 'fans' as he instead wanted to spend the time chatting up Philly B who was there. Had to listen to some of their chat as we were cooling down the same direction around the track after an event, not something anyone should have to live through Welsh Runner - raced against him twice. Thought he'd be quite quiet but he was loud, obnoxious and arrogant. I'm sure FODRunner who is posting in this thread will defend him because they're close mates, but I was surprised to see him ignore a bunch of kids after an event in Leicester, more pre-occupied with running back and forth infront of his go-pro, and then raced him again in London, where he started screaming at himself in the middle of a 5K to hype himself up. very weird. Also made a massive performance of coming across the finish line. Was quite awkward for everyone around to see him screaming and hollering. Theatrical overload: man-child.
Callum Elson - met him at two different Mile races. Brief chats as I was in the heat(s) before him, but very much as he seems in his videos: nice, down to earth, loves a bit of banter, and very to the point. Seems the type of guy who'd be great to have a pint with in the pub.
Stephen Scullion - not really an influencer like the rest of these but I followed him from his podcast days years before he had a youtube channel. I randomly bumped into him on a run in Belfast the day after I had done a race in Armagh,NI and he stopped and had a chat with me, asked me loads of questions about myself as if we'd known eachother already. Didnt have to spend as much time with me as he did. For all his battles he was seemingly a very soft/gentle guy, so it's really tough to see how much of a war he's seemingly been through mentally in recent years. Nick Bester - exactly as you'd expect, everything is about him, pushing people out of his way at the start of the Big Half in central London, similiar at another London race and just loves talking about himself to people who are just trying to get ready for their own race. God knows what it would take to get a genuine thought or emotion out of him. Jake Barraclough/Ran To Japan - he is a friend of a friend who compete for the same club, so have had brief chats with him a couple times. Really nice and normal guy. Not sure how more to describe him other than he's just a very normal bloke & the channel doesnt seem to have gone to his head John Heymans - stayed with him for a week in Iten, eating all our meals together and other down-time. The youtube channel definitely is a more dramatised version of who he really is. In reality (and this was before he started the channel) he was one of the nicest people I've ever met in my life. I wont go into all the long backstories but the guy has 0 ego, is very considerate of others and you'd never know he was an OLY finalist based on how he comes across - I didnt know who he was when I met him and it took him 2-3days to even admit the standard of athlete he was. He was just happy to debate training philosophies, running myths, doping rumours etc and play card games.
George Mills/the5Kguys - briefly spent some time with him in Vienna at a meet. Very nice and polite guy, quite unnecessarily serious, but all media coverage of him seems to show that too.
finally, I've never met him myself but I have a mutual friend with Jake Wightman who always speaks very highly of him, and how he's just a very normal, down to earth lad. Shame can't be said for the other British 1500m World Champion we've had.
well said FOD. keep chugging away, big fan of your vids and how you race local events rather than dramatic journeys to failing to achieve certain times in a marathon as per 90% of the content out there
A question to you... do you think the environment you meet or see these people in makes a difference to your first impressions? ie if they are at a race, are they in the zone? or if you see them in a more "casual" environment are they more relaxed? I've had experiences with some on this list that are contrary to what you are saying but also some that are absolutely spot on and how you describe them is exactly how i find them, but then I have seen some "out of racing mode" so I wondered if thats what the difference is... either way, rude behaviour is never excusable
Thank you, I have done my fair share of failed marathon journeys, I am passing on that mantle to younger fresh blood! I get much more of a kick these days racing local runners around my ability and getting to know them... I do love getting involved in a big race every now and again but local races is my bread and butter these days
A question to you... do you think the environment you meet or see these people in makes a difference to your first impressions? ie if they are at a race, are they in the zone? or if you see them in a more "casual" environment are they more relaxed? I've had experiences with some on this list that are contrary to what you are saying but also some that are absolutely spot on and how you describe them is exactly how i find them, but then I have seen some "out of racing mode" so I wondered if thats what the difference is... either way, rude behaviour is never excusable
it's a fair question because I'm not very chatty pre-race however if I quit my job for this and now my entire career and income was based around wanting people to watch me, I'd probably adjust how I acted and be a bit more sociable.
To counter your point - Callum & George were lovely and that was before they were going to race. Bester is famously a **** irrespective of environment and Felton & Rees were mid&post race(s) where one is being very self-centred in and out of the race and the other is only interested in talking to another social media 'famous' personality. Ben Parkes wasn't competing at the event I saw him at, he was just watching (maybe doing a meetup?) so there's little excuse there either.
Scullion is maybe the most widely known (and probably most pestered for a photo etc) yet he was one of the nicest - and that was when he wasn't even at a sporting event, so when you talk about environment, he would be arguably less likely to want to engage with people during his own personal time (plus he was with his then-partner, but still gave me some time).
Ultimately I think it just comes down to the type of person you are, how seriously you take yourself, and how lost you then become in your online-persona, forgetting that you're not famous for your abilities or sporting achievements, you just run around holding a camera so people recognise you - it's ultimately a form of attention seeking because there is no USP, and I wonder if that attracts a certain type of individual or if certain personalities just aren't able to handle that maturely - at the end of the day these youtubers are no different from any of the other folks in their event yet seem to get carried away with the notoriety like we couldn't all go buy a go-pro for a couple hundred quid - except we don't feel the need to.
I appreciate you may have had many sound interactions with your friend Matt, but at the end of the day this (and others) is just like when you have a close mate who's a cool guy but a bit of nightmare when he's drunk.
You can tell people "he's normally a lovely guy, he's not normally like this" but if he's consistently rubbing people up the wrong way when he's drunk, well unfortunately he is like this then.
Very valid all round.... the reason I asked is although I have had different interactions to yourself with some (and maybe thats because I make content too?) I have found myself in race situations on the startline with some of these people (and some not listed) that have been proper knobheads... and others that cant give you enough of their time... completely contrasting! It boils down to the fact that, as you rightly say, we carry a go pro around with us or a head cam... it doesnt make you a celebrity or have any bigger status than anyone else on that startline. The ones that feel like they have a status are the knobheads, I avoid those. I had one interaction with one on the list who saw me and said "hey andy great to see you, how are you" and as soon as i started talking they looked over my shoulder, saw someone else and just walked off as I was mid sentence... I will let you guess who that was...