The Trials and Tribulations of Running YouTubers

Just because YouTubers are on the Internet doesn't mean you should be a bellend and insult where they live, how they look and be a Beavis and Butthead type idiot publicly.

Slagging a poncho walk, or someone schilling dubious lending strategies, or basically being a sell out to brands is fine . That's what these influencers do...it's slagging the content, it's not personal insults and trash comments, which aren't ok in my opinion.

What makes it worse is those posting personally offensive stuff know the YouTubers read the thread. It's cowardly.

I don't get why people don't understand you can have a go at content and actions put online, but there is a difference between that and just personally insulting people because you can see them and think , in some bizarre way , it's funny to slag where they live or the home they have, or what they look like.

It makes the poster an absolute a hole .

I just saw that RTJ Jake Barraclough ran a fairly evenly paced 2:19:20 at Gold Coast today.

It's better to talk about them on the online than approach them at a race.

The difference between a runner YouTuber and every other runner is the YouTuber wants the attention and to profit from that attention. They make all that information public information, for profit. You know why every single runner isn’t on YouTube? They don’t want that attention. They don’t want to open themselves and their lives up for public consumption. They also likely lack the necessary narcissism required for the desire for public attention. Public attention and opinion is never going to always be positive reinforcement. And, while I’m not going to insult them, I actually find all the butt kissing comments more offensive than the insults. Why are people constantly kissing up to these YouTubers? It’s weird af. At least here the YouTubers don’t get to control the comments so more than ever people here should be able to say how they feel about these people, even if we don’t like it.

Nick Bester new parkrun video has just dropped guys! Looks like a good one

You could literally say this about any social media platform or "attention seeking behavior" though. It's also this: One must remember it does take at least some Work and Time to film, edit, post, upload and comment/moderate said videos. So yes, obviously Youtubers want their videos to get "attention" (views) to make more Google Adsense money and gain more subs.

Are a lot of us more "narcissistic" than the average runner? Yeah probably for sure! But it's a business and a major stream of income. A lot of us want to be stable financially. As a sponsored runner you are a marketing arm for a brand.

Now, I gotta say it's a heck of a lot easier if one has others filming them and doing the editing work and producing the content. I'll actually give guys like SJD some credit because he's basically always having to film himself (illegal drone shots while driving and all...which those shots I don't condone). It's really hard to film a quality workout that you're doing (if you're a "serious runner" in training) and document it if you don't have a professional film crew (or at least a significant other) following you around on a bike for every workout.

There's always a big financial component in my mind. Does this video and the work behind it justify the time and energy for the business? Those that have the funds and time and just spend a bunch on social media in general can gain power and market share. Paid product placement and promotions, buying fake Instagram followers, paying to get pushed up on the algorithm etc.

You do have to have "thick skin" at a certain level and realize that negative and critical comments are a sheer numbers game. I've literally gotten a death threat because someone didn't like how I smiled at the camera when I was running on a mountain trail. Unlike probably most Youtubers though, I will post on here under my real name and identity....I've got nothing to hide and I value more transparency. It's part of the game to face some critical comments (and some can be very valid and help with my own training/racing and pointing out things like my pneumonia misdiagnosis when I actually had a pulmonary embolism). People call out my "low production quality" on videos and for "talking too much and being boring" and that's all very true and valid too.

But the "industry" is ripe with fake people (not showing much transparency), capitalizing on the latest fads, humblebrags, taking PEDs, and new "influencer coaches" that just started running yesterday shilling garbage like RUNNA and probably getting paid thousands of dollars a pop for their "workout ad." It's all business and capitalism and materialism, but I miss the earlier days of Youtube when I didn't have to think about using photoshop to create a thumbnail with giant contrast text just to "compete" with all the "fake motivational" garbage and "hack training advice" and that is out there nowadays.... Maybe I'm just getting old and cranky though.

Agree with all this Sage. I also agree with people saying you put it out then your open to criticism. It's part of it.

I'm just sick to the back teeth of people thinking criticism can include personal attacks on looks, on people's houses or partners for the sake of it. That isn't criticism, it's just bullying and there's a difference.

Bester needs another way to mount the camera. The backwards visor looks ridiculous.

Göran Winblad equals Seth at 171k! How many years has Seth been at 171k???

Not an Official goal, but Floberg once said he would be able to hit the OTQ in "a couple years"

Sage would you take a Klarna deal if offered?

Sage's post is great, but I think that's the wrong perspective on the Klarna deal. To me Kofuzi taking the Klarna deal, flaming out with Runna after Strava took it over, not finding a partner to pay for his Sydney trip, etc, indicates that brands are finally doing a cost benefit analysis on the sponsored content (and to me sponsored content is if they pay for travel to far flung places, race bibs, or pay you, it's all taxable compensation from my point of view). Diadora probably spent at least $5k per person, maybe far more, flying Kofuzi and friends to Italy to make a sponsored video. How many shoes did it actually sell? Judging by the review of Diadora's shoe Kofuzi posted, not many. Brooks shelled out a ton flying Kofuzi and friends to Seattle. How many shoes did they sell that they otherwise would not have sold? Not many. Asics spent a ton flying Kofuzi and friends to Tokyo. And the list goes on and on and on and on.

I think the Runfluencers like Kofuzi are basically leeches off the system that create the impression of value add to the big brands, and smaller ones too, but actually deliver almost no value because people watching a video about a shoe are probably interested in that shoe. Really the only thing a Kofuzi video might do is talk you out of buying a shoe (or a virtual coaching plan). So why would a brand pay for a video?

That Kofuzi is stooping to Klarna-sponsored content tells you that the brands are finally analyzing the ROI on sponsoring his world tour correctly.

Brands have been holding fancy events for industry press people for decades. It's just that "press" has now expanded to include influencers. Same with ads in magazines in the old days vs. sponsored youtube or instagram posts now. Brands are responding to the changes in how people are consuming content in the age of digital content and social media. Marketing isn't just about selling (that's actually up to the Sales department), but about building brand recognition among other things. I'd say Diadora's sponsorship had at least some effect. I didn't even watch Kofuzi's video and yet here we are talking about Diadora. I didn't even know they existed before all this.

Well, he looks ridiculous regardless of the hat and camera...

The same with Phily; they seemingly both paid to get adult diagnosis of ADHD and autism in Fordy's case.

Clinicians place little value on these sorts of diagnosis. I am not denying that Phily and Fordy are not neurodiverse . However, when tested, they would already have strong belief based on online content or anecdotal experiences they fit the diagnosis. This sways the outcomes of the test (classic confirmation biased).

He took a snake oil pillow deal, so I know what I believe.

utter dog faeces

please stop watching his tragic POV crap. how many times can one guy pump out different vids of him banging it around Battersea Park in some tin-pot race/parkrun. truly embarassing.

guy needs to stop pumping out pointless dross and spend some time with his family. he makes enough money shilling running kit, copy and pasting out training programmes and jogging with the adidas fun runners to not have to do these dire videos

someone tell him to do less vids, and do something more interesting than what u eat in a day or lazy POV balls-deep parkruns. i used to be a viewer, cant take anymore

The difference is that, back in the day, Runners World had circulation figures well into the seven figures. And the payment for the travel was made to the company who then booked (usually coach and budget motel options). These days the payment is made directly to the influencer.

You need to read my new book: ‘Risk it for a biscuit: how I learned to stop worrying and love Nick Bester’