I view Kofuzi in the same boat as SJD. They are getting pressured by their wives to start contributing more financially and emotionally for the family. It is unbelievable that these guys spend most of their days vlogging their 10 mile runs while most father’s have a real career to make an honest living. Companies like ASIC, and Runna will only be around for a couple of years then move on to the next influential YouTuber at the moment.
I strongly believe Floberg is on the same trajectory within the next 2-3 years.
One thing that the content of someone like the FOD brings across is a genuine love of running and some self reflection. You get the feeling that the Big Man would release videos every week even with 50 viewers or if YouTube stopped paying. The more you think about it the more it appears that all the YouTube channels like this are non US based.
There seems to be a cynicism around the "major" US channels, Floberg, BITR and Kofuzi especially. Instead of wanting to provide insight and help to runners they quickly realised how to make a buck and rip people off.
The Run Testers and BITR are very similar channels, get sent free gear and sent to races yet The Run Testers seems a lot more likely to provide a truly independent review (and do so less smugly)
There is something about Floberg and Kofuzi especially who seem to have a very small following (50,000 viewers worldwide is incredibly small really isn't it) but have somehow disappeared up their own ass thinking they're a running God.
There are many types of YouTubers. Some want to entertain such as Crown My Run and MARM, some want to inform and help such as FOD and 2 Running Brooms (who need more plaudits) but then there are the BITR, Floberg and Kofuzi people of this world who want to make money from YOU and want you to watch them. They don't want to inform, don't want to help, add nothing to the running community and don't care about entertainment, they want to grift, steal and leech off the sport and it's naive newbies.
BITR are even bigger grifters than Kofuzi and there's definitely a cynicism around them. The only difference between them and Kofuzi, is that they irritated their audience long ago. 117k subscribers and on a good day, they get 9,000 views. They used to run the social media accounts of big races and YouTube was a hobby for them. Then they went all in on the influencing schtick during the pandemic (mad short term sense but maybe not long term sense). It's unclear if they've gone back to doing social media accounts for big races or run clubs, but I don't think their YouTube Channel could possible be profitable.
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It looks like he just jogged it for fun from the beginning? Maybe paced some BPN bro. Splits don't really look like the usual blow-up.
Have to say this doesn't reflect the expected level of stubbornness, though. Hope we don't hear any BS excuses. If he just admitted that he decided it was a bad idea to run another race so soon and that his goal for Chicago was unrealistic and he wasn't training right, that would be a good start for a redemption arc. Could be made very "cinematic" too.
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I find his marathon results a bit confusing. I feel like he would destroy me in workouts but I would finish 8 minutes up the road come race day. Maybe New York is the race where it all comes together.
FOD has same profile, his marathon time doesn't really do justice to his times for 5k/10k/HM.
Sure he could knock some time off on a quicker marathon course, but he's barely outside the HM time you need to apply for Championship start at London (before the recent rule change) than the qualifying mark for marathon. But 71:30 HM is far harder than 2:38 marathon. I'd expect him to be close to 2:30 based on other results.
Maybe notable that the HM time was in Fast-R 3 and he felt pretty beaten up post race, did Abingdon in Adios Pro 3, which I think he commented have less pop.
Even Serious Hobby Jogger, 32:20ish 10k and just under 2:36 marathon, bit of a gap between those times.
Not to criticise any of these runners, I know others with exactly the same kind of results. Their training looks very decent to me. I'd just be miles off guessing what marathon time they'd be shooting for looking at their other results.
FOD is a huge, huge man, something like 6 foot 6 abs struggles with nutrition on the longer races. I'm assuming just because of this height he's also heavier than most runners in his time bracket so I think this is holding him back and here is little he can do
FOD has same profile, his marathon time doesn't really do justice to his times for 5k/10k/HM.
Sure he could knock some time off on a quicker marathon course, but he's barely outside the HM time you need to apply for Championship start at London (before the recent rule change) than the qualifying mark for marathon. But 71:30 HM is far harder than 2:38 marathon. I'd expect him to be close to 2:30 based on other results.
Maybe notable that the HM time was in Fast-R 3 and he felt pretty beaten up post race, did Abingdon in Adios Pro 3, which I think he commented have less pop.
Even Serious Hobby Jogger, 32:20ish 10k and just under 2:36 marathon, bit of a gap between those times.
Not to criticise any of these runners, I know others with exactly the same kind of results. Their training looks very decent to me. I'd just be miles off guessing what marathon time they'd be shooting for looking at their other results.
FOD is a huge, huge man, something like 6 foot 6 abs struggles with nutrition on the longer races. I'm assuming just because of this height he's also heavier than most runners in his time bracket so I think this is holding him back and here is little he can do
He’s absolutely ripped too. 6 foot 6 and pure muscle. Must weigh getting on for 18-20 stone? His times are very impressive in that context.
In new that won’t surprise anybody, bitr’s sub 4 pace group massively failed. Somehow neither Thomas, Robby, or wide Jared, who all get paid to run and review shoes, could put together a sub 4 on a perfect weather day after a whole summer of training. Can’t wait to hear the excuses!
In new that won’t surprise anybody, bitr’s sub 4 pace group massively failed. Somehow neither Thomas, Robby, or wide Jared, who all get paid to run and review shoes, could put together a sub 4 on a perfect weather day after a whole summer of training. Can’t wait to hear the excuses!
To be fair to Robbe, he ran 3:59:43, Thomas way off it at 4:15:16 (also intrigued to hear his excuses this time)
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In new that won’t surprise anybody, bitr’s sub 4 pace group massively failed. Somehow neither Thomas, Robby, or wide Jared, who all get paid to run and review shoes, could put together a sub 4 on a perfect weather day after a whole summer of training. Can’t wait to hear the excuses!
To be fair to Robbe, he ran 3:59:43, Thomas way off it at 4:15:16 (also intrigued to hear his excuses this time)
Ah I misread the results. I’ll give Robby his due then. One of them came through
FOD is a huge, huge man, something like 6 foot 6 abs struggles with nutrition on the longer races. I'm assuming just because of this height he's also heavier than most runners in his time bracket so I think this is holding him back and here is little he can do
He’s absolutely ripped too. 6 foot 6 and pure muscle. Must weigh getting on for 18-20 stone? His times are very impressive in that context.
In one of his videos he says he is just under 90kg, so you can knock 4-6 stone off there!
He seems to have worked on his fueling this summer and I'm sure that will improve over the next few blocks.
I'd say he's up against it for sub 2:30, New York not the quickest course and I think his last three marathons are 2:38/2:39/2:39 getting a bit slower each time.
Pretty sure he has done more miles this block but maybe left his best running out there a few weeks back (his sub 16 parkrun placed him 2nd V50 for UK so far this year, 8th all time!) - his training was slightly disrupted with illness recently.
He has run some solid mile reps though, much faster than he was aiming for pre workout. Very interested to see what he runs tomorrow. I think he is capable of sub 2:35
I agree and I wouldn't be surprised if he finishes around 2:40 again. I hope he can get the sub 2:30 but the recent races suggests not.
I find his marathon results a bit confusing. I feel like he would destroy me in workouts but I would finish 8 minutes up the road come race day. Maybe New York is the race where it all comes together.
He had a very solid 2:36 today so I'll give him a sub 2:30 if he ever runs Valencia/Berlin.
He's a great runner but doesn't train like a marathoner should. Way too many sessions.
Really, he's a miler and this is reflected in his performances over the shorter distances.
I think he will break the 2:30 this year if he picks the right race. He has the talent, just needs the right course.
I am sure this has been discussed before but can someone explain to me how Believe In The Run is able to exist and financially support at least 5 people?
In the last 4 weeks they have 26 youtube videos and the most viewed is only 13k plays. None of the podcasts have 50k plays on spotify thus we cannot see the plays on them. So if they aren't get podcast or youtube plays how are they able to convince sponsors to pay them to do stuff?
I can't figure this one out. Help?
The only thing I can think of is someone at the top has a huge trust fund, or won some kind of settlement. They don't have the engagement, they don't have the skill, they don't have a story.
The website/newsletter doesn't rake in money. Yeah there's some payments for appearances but not for that many people.
Unless they cut all their salaries and they all work another job somewhere else. Because yeah, no way.
Hugo Fry takes gold at the BPN Ultra despite being sick. Tough upbringings make tough men. Congrats Hugo
both Hugo Fry and Jonny Davies complete the 50M Ultra complaining of stomach issues. As BPN sponsored athletes who are only there doing the BPN event to advertise BPN supplements, it sure is stupid to openly promote that the products not only didnt work, but in fact worked against them
Hugo Fry takes gold at the BPN Ultra despite being sick. Tough upbringings make tough men. Congrats Hugo
both Hugo Fry and Jonny Davies complete the 50M Ultra complaining of stomach issues. As BPN sponsored athletes who are only there doing the BPN event to advertise BPN supplements, it sure is stupid to openly promote that the products not only didnt work, but in fact worked against them
Those Go Gels are complete crap. Anyone would get stomach pain from consuming them at the necessary rate to fuel a 50 mile ultra.
It looks like he just jogged it for fun from the beginning? Maybe paced some BPN bro. Splits don't really look like the usual blow-up.
Have to say this doesn't reflect the expected level of stubbornness, though. Hope we don't hear any BS excuses. If he just admitted that he decided it was a bad idea to run another race so soon and that his goal for Chicago was unrealistic and he wasn't training right, that would be a good start for a redemption arc. Could be made very "cinematic" too.
His heart rate data, especially at the end, reveals that this was way too difficult of an effort for a guy who figures he's in 2:28 shape.
Floberg saying he only had 3 hours sleep, and was considering DNS…
Elsewhere Mo Abdin who didn’t have a NYC bib had FOMO so ran the route in the middle of the night on closed roads… long way to travel just for that!
I used to like Mo, but he’s started to disappear up his own rectum the last six months or so. Not sure if this is because he left The Running Channel and the natural progression of going solo, why he left TRC or perhaps they just did a better job hiding parts of his personality. Or completely coincidental.
ya I just can’t with floberg anymore. That instagram post about 3 hours of sleep and almost thinking of not racing. Then he ends it with “omg 21 minutes faster today on a course I couldn’t even break 3 on years ago”. The dude is truly off his rocker and unhinged. Even when he is just “fun running” a marathon he can’t be normal and just let the result speak for itself or maybe give a sentence about it like “had fun”. Nope, this guy has to paint a dramatic scenario and still find some excuse or crazy thing to mention to all his followers to make the story all the more epic. It’s so freakin pathetic. And of course the guy has his braindead fanboys commenting he’s an “absolute legend”.
you would think fo someone who acts like he’s competitive, floberg wouldn’t be so gushy about trying to paint the fact he’s “come so far” and is now a stronger man than the 3 hour marathoner he used to be. Bro get over it none of that is impressive. I hope he’s just doing it for the social media because he knows what sells and pulls on the heartstrings of his idiot followers. Because if he seriously is that sentimental and trying to be deep for himself with what he’s writing, then the dude is legit a lunatic.
We have everyday women running 2:30s. they don’t make it a spectacle and need thousands of grown bros to pat them on the back and gush over them to inflate an ego. Such a clown
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