The Trials and Tribulations of Running YouTubers

LMAOOO savage

Floberg attracts a certain demographic. Young, new runners, a lot have mustaches, mullets, potentially want to be a "hybrid" athlete. They have very few individual thoughts, probably no inner monologue and are simply desperate for advice on how to live their lives. What is the latest trend? They'll follow it. What TV show is everyone watching? They'll watch it. They probably won't understand it and wonder what all the fuss is about but they will watch it all because it's the "in" thing.

There are a large group of people who want to be "influenced" - they don't have any thoughts. They want to be spoon fed everything. The way social media algorithms work means that content creators, especially niche, smaller creators like Floberg etc need to interact with their audience. They respond to Strava and YouTube comments and make their viewers think they're special. It's their job. It's like people who pay Only Fans girls thousands a month just for personalised videos. It's their job. They're doing it for money.

When you see the Strava comments for Ben is Running, Phily, Nick Bester and a few others you see they are getting a lot of new runners idolising them. "Oh man, your easy pace is my 5k pace" etc. This is the perfect demographic to have watching your videos because they'll be the only ones who'll pay $100 a month for a "celebrity" coach who probably just gives them cookie cutter plans straight from the pages of Pfitz or JD but with a few fancy "on/off" or "cut down" workouts. Anyone with any modicum of experience with running will see right through them.

As many have said, when the "boom" is over and these people move on to the next "fad" it will be interesting to see what they find to shill. Many, and I know Floberg will be one, will find something else to do. He's looking to make money. He does not "love running and it's community" he loves making easy money

You're both from there also, aren't you?

They're still within that London commuter belt though - sure not as pricey as London itself or the more traditional commuter areas but it'll still push the price up a fair chunk when neither of them need super fast access to central London particularly often.

I guess he gets benefits of living where he does from access to the Essex countryside by *doing loads of his miles as out and backs along a dual carriageway*. That's the real baffling thing to me - you live in a small town, loads of access to nice areas around you - and also deliberately within a short journey to London or other nice cities and areas but constantly go back to running along one of two main roads seems like a real boring choice.

Probably, he wants to find the flattest possible route to look cool on strava

Has anyone else wondered why the Running Influencer 'market' is so dominated by Brits?

I get that being a native English speaker is a big advantage, but if you look at the number of British influencers versus those from other English-speaking countries, the ratio is still very lopsided.

It's not like running is a lot bigger in Britain than in other countries, although Parkrun might help a bit in promoting running culture.

IDK about you, but I find US running content to be very college orientated, always talking about ncaa or D1 which I don't know anything about/don't care and not interested. Also the fact they use the imperial system and I'm not smart enough/don't care enough to convert.

Really enjoyed the Ben Parks Comrades video.

Just came across as very honest about the struggles he has faced even though it was obviously painful talking about them.

I wish him well and hope he gets the support he needs.

Think there are only so many ShoeTuber "influencers" on YouTube from anywhere.

Biggest channels (I can think of) in the UK that regularly do shoe reviews are Ben Parkes, Run Testers at over 100K subs then likes of EddBud, the one I can't name who does not actually run everyday, Run 4 Adventure, FOD, Bigger. Am I an "influencer" ? I largely get influenced by those other channels, buy a pair of shoes and may put out some thoughts on it. Ben Felton does some shoe reviews and clearly is an "influencer" but he is not all in on it IMHO.

In the USA we have Kofuzi, BITR, Seth (do we still count him as a ShoeTuber ? Just about) with relatively big subs - over 100K. Then likes DOR, Yowana, Run Like Heller, Road Trail Run. You could count Wear Testers who are huge and do some running stuff and several other very big sneaker head channels like Seth Fowler and Hes Kicks that I watch now and again if feature running shoes.

OK USA is a "bigger" place than seems just as many and the Americans seem more likely to turn up somewhere.

Speculating here but I think the reason we in the UK seems to have lots of running YouTubers might be because the climate and the geography lends itself to doing lots of races often, in fairly amenable weather, in a way that might be accessible to those watching it.

So if I'm watching Nick Bester go all in at another parkrun PB attempt, I too can don my 'race day best' and have a go at Battersea parkrun in generally agreeable weather.

The same can't be said as easily for e.g. US based channels where running round Flagstaff or Boulder or Boston isn't so relatable (even to other US based viewers).

But you often get "The Athlete Special" going all out at parkrun in the USA.

Great to see you read this Tim (assuming this is the actual Tim G)

Any more collab videos in the pipeline? Enjoyed that one where loads of you were at a 10K race - FOD, Brooms, Andy, Marm, Donato, Raley twins etc..

A collab video between you & Nick Bester would be awesome! Make it happen.

Also a race between you, FOD, Brooms, Donato, Marm - but with an age/gender handicap incorporated somehow would be great. Maybe all go to the same parkrun and highest age grade wins.

Yes the real me :) Due to be racing John Broom again at the Mid Cheshire 5K in late Aug. I do talk to a lot of the other YouTubers from time to time so maybe.

Ben Parkes out today and running 20k with moving time of 1:31 and total time of 2:54. Has anyone ever got to the bottom of what he is doing?

Judging by his content he is probably curled into a ball crying I'm assuming.

Maybe, when he reviews why he failed again he might look at the stop start runs

We need to see more of "This Week on Running YouTube" - I enjoy your dulcet tones and reviews of the YouTube running scene. You've put me on to a few channels I would have otherwise never found out about

I should get them going again.

Re Ben Parkes I assume he is filming B roll in some of his runs with the big pauses. I see it is also 31 deg C and feels like 34. I think I would need to take a few breaks. Otherwise it is the usual metronomic just outside 7:00 pace which always seems rather quick to me given that is more or less current MP.

I will second this. My second favourite videos on YouTube after RantoJapan.

But I'd like the Mills brothers (CrownmyRun) to participate and of course commenting while competing.

I used to be a big fan of Matt Runs, the bus driver guy, but I can't help feeling a little suspicious about his gains and the fact he doesn't run slower than about 4:30 per KM at any point