Influencers Ruining Major Marathons

The incentives are to show up and do group runs and events, not to run a fast time. You can do more than 1-2 marathons if time is a secondary goal.

The only marathon that has an aura for the vast vast majority of non-competitive runners that make up every marathon field is Boston because you have to qualify for it. Otherwise, unless you are a pro or a sub-elite trying to qualify for your country's trials/national championship race, a marathon is a personal race of trying to beat your own goals and anyone who is concerning themselves with what any other non-competitive runner is doing on the course is doing it wrong.

I believe all the Major Marathons have an aura about them, and when I see individuals running Berlin, and then Chicago, and then NYC all in the same Fall, to me it seems like these individuals are normalizing these huge events. But I guess if they can afford the entry fees and the plane tickets, and they can manage it all with their personal lives, good for them.

Some people go for quantity instead of quality. Look at the Marathon Maniacs, older slower people who impress by the number of marathons they've done, not by their PRs. BTW, are they still a thing? Don't really see them around much now.

They are. They often wear shirts with all the states they've done marathons in.

Why are you frustrated? Is it because you are too slow to get in? Why is that the fault of "influencers"?

Frustrated because some of them are almost making it seem like Chicago or NYC are just another long run for them. When the majority of runners look at those events as if they are the biggest race in their life. When influencers make these events seem so easy to participate in, it takes away the aura of the event.

The WMM races are essentially marketing events for the cities that host them. A handful of pros running really fast upfront give them legitimacy as competitions, but the spectacle of hobby joggers coming from all over the globe to "celebrate" is what they care most about. Those folks fill up hotels, restaurants, visit museums, spend money on merch and at local retailers. etc. It's a huge win for the local chamber of commerce and tourism council. Influencers are more important than second tier athletes looking for a fast time because a happy influencer promoting fun, the beautiful fall colors, the energy of the city, etc. brings real money to town the following year. A 2:20 guy seeking an OTQ travels solo, on a tight budget and, if he publicizes his effort, reaches a handful of likeminded people or just his devoted family/friends.

I am not trying to anger anyone with this. It's just reality that the WMM care more for large crowds and spectacle than they do about records and qualifying opportunities. WMM events are basically Rock-N-Roll marathons on 'roids. Stephen Gnoza is correct that influencer meet-ups and shakeouts are just as important as race day for their brands and their followers.

Don't worry about what the "influencers" are doing.

During 'Rona, the shutdown and influx of new shoe technology made watching shoetubers interesting on occasion. The channels tended to be organic and original and less money driven back then. Many of the content creators were in it for genuine reasons and actually motivated people to get out the door and exercise.

Now, shoetubers are all generic. The channels are incentivized to get clicks and keep free product coming in. Each follows the same format. Nothing is original. None of the opinions offered are unbiased, regardless of the disclaimers, if any of the legally required disclaimers are even offered. The channels all promote shallow, narcissistic, and materialistic behavior. Seth became a Running Wearhouse hack that's created his own running cult. Kofuzi sells out to whoever offers him free trips. Matt Chio is whatever the hell brand of terrible influencer he is. Don't worry about the shallow stuff these people are doing.

they're losers and narcissists. ignore their posts. better yet, don't use social media at all then you won't have to ignore them.

Definitely considering this.

OK, this is the thing- I think the acceptance of just finishing a marathon has diminished the respect the distance, as a race, should have.

Are they ruining it? Not exactly, but I do think that the average hobby jogger doesn't respect the distance like runners used to.

I guess having them creates more races and gives the serious runners more opportunity to really race.

It bothers me a little that these people don't recognize the accomplishments of the better runners.

I think they just don't get it. I wasn't exceptionally fast when I was young, but I was decent enough. Once a small group on a little pub to pub run on a Friday night were talking about training for marathons. When I said that I ran my 20 milers at 6:00 pace they all looked at me like I had two heads. A couple suggested that it was impossible to do a 20 mile training run at 6:00 pace.

The others just thought I was REALLY fast.

Their lack of knowledge leads to this.

I like to compare it to the average "duffer" who struggles to break 100 in golf- they understand that the guy who's in the 70's is good and the pros are amazing.

I think the average tennis player realizes how much better the pros and the best local players are.

One "problem" we have is the "a mile is a mile" attitude and the fact that everyone who finishes is somehow a good runner just because they finished.

People who are really slow have been doing this for a couple of years. It's the new thing. I'm influencers are adding fuel to the boom. But I bet the cities hosting the marathons love them. They're the type that would spend more on other stuff while there.

They do help make these events profitable for the host cities.

That's a good thing.

I've recently become intrigued by the WMM, and it's not because i'm going to try to hammer a PR (those days are long gone). The idea of using the excuse of a marathon to travel to various countries and do an extended sightseeing tour through the city (before, during, and after the "race") is a real positive. Not falling into the influencer camp, but I guess similar in the lack of interest in a flat out fast time.

I have no issue with the sightseeing or tours of the city. I have no issue with the group runs and the community building that comes from it. What I have an issue with is these influencers running WMM's like it's their weekend long run, when less financially fortunate runners across the world would love to have one chance to run in a WMM. It sucks to see someone posting a "Medal Monday" post with 3 WMM medals all from 2023, when you have someone who trains all year to run in one of these events.

You can't just log on and register for any of these marathons like you would a little neighborhood 5K- so how are they getting in?

Also, if you've been paying any attention the past few years, the new kick is that marathons are for everyone! The common folk, non-runners, it's inclusive! Lots of people aren't really runners, they just do marathons. Look at all the coverage and this is who is highlighted. Especially New York.

Ah yes, marathons are for everyone! Walk the entire thing, go for it! That's a pretty expensive walk.

Let's all sign up for Boston-Berlin-Chicago-NYC all in on year. Sounds great on the knees.

I, for one, absolutely love watching YouTube runners contradict their own advice and throw their goals and credibility out the window when they run back to back marathons for vanity purposes.

goes horribly wrong 100% of the time, they suffer, their times suffer, the excuses Flow like a river, and they go crawling back to training having wasted valuable time towards their main progress goals.

we’re all human, we all make mistakes, but man is it funny to see those mistakes so openly flaunted.