The line between "elite sponsored runner" and " running influencer" will continue to blur.
Of course the difference is that Molly has an Olympic medal and is a 4-time NCAA D1 Champ. People like Matt Choi (and really anyone running around 3 hours for a marathon are a dime a dozen in the sport imo). Yet people like Matt can shotgun beers and film during the Boston Marathon and get way, way more "likes" and have a bigger following because they are more relatable to the masses or a "hybrid athlete" (or whatever that means).
But if one is active online and they have a decent social following (no matter how slow or fast they are) they have "an influence." Brands do recognize that as well as the engagement.
I don't know Molly really well at all, although I had a nice chat with her after the Honolulu Marathon (she had raced the 10km there). She seemed pretty down to Earth and was quite friendly.
In terms of social media engagement (taking the whole "Influencer" angle into account)....doing events and racing very frequently is part of the formula. For example: the Boston Marathon one week, then the London Marathon the next...then doing some promo for addidas/puma at their HQ for something. Also product/shoe reviews and filming during your race to show interaction with the crowds/fellow runners and yelling things like "Let's Go!" every mile. You get wined and dined and travel all the time as well as free product from all the major brands. And all you have to do is have that camera out recording everything on a selfie stick and posting some nice edits to social nearly every day!
Of course for a real elite/fast runner like Molly the expectations are a lot higher. You don't just jump in the Boston Marathon and then the London Marathon the next week. If takes some pretty serious focus to run a 2:20s or faster marathon (or nail an ultramarathon trail race at a high level).
Influencers really have it easier than fast pros because it doesn't really matter if they run 3:05 or 3:45....as long as they finish and get another star in the marathon majors they are seen as being an inspiration or a "hero."
In any case, I apologize for the long rant. I think for runners like Molly (especially given her sister is an "Influencer") it's easy to get pressured from social media because you feel like your career is on the line all the time. I think we'll see more very high level road marathon runners like Des Linden and Molly start doing ultras more in the future though. It is a fun niche of running and it can be a good break from pounding the pavement.
It would be great to see runners like Molly and Des mix it up on the trails/ultras more...especially if they are staying healthy and have some specific build-ups.
Oh crap...here he goes again, another rant from Sage.
if your original goal goes away but you are high quality stuff and we have 5k/10k track spots doesn't that make more sense? i get "got hurt and needs to retask/remotivate" but common sense is if you're coming off a pounding type injury you maybe back off the distance and definitely don't set out to run even further.
and all due respect to either "it's her life" or "but this is what she does," is she's now out injured again. you're literally arguing in favor of the now-known negative outcome, with the benefit of hindsight. i get arguing this 2 months ago when this was theorized, but knowing how it turned out? please.
my personal adult experience was every time i had something shut me down i had to fight back through a fitness-gain period where i risked some other injury. at that point i am content to do anything, not thirsting to extend out. when i tore up my knee in adult soccer, it had ached badly the week before, i wanted to limit my minutes, but we're short on subs and ahead in an upset game. i didn't listen to my body. i paid. that and i think a lot of the folks on here tend to forget you build up to all this distance over years and often they want back to normal after shutdowns in a matter of weeks or months. your body is no longer used to it.
i think we also need to separate out accidents/collisions from pounding. you trip over something or someone hits you, that's not necessarily a signal you have an issue. you have a non-contact, non-accident repetitive stress injury, your body is talking to you. now, it might be something rest or diet fixes, but your body is saying i can't handle this. common sense is listen to it.
Molly Seidel ended up being such a disappointment for me. I was such a fan after the Olympic trials and Olympics, but her comportment since then has really turned me off. It's not interesting to follow her running career when she's bouncing from road to trails, running inconsistently, variously claiming injury and running marathons, and DNSing more than is typical.
Mental illness is a big driver unfortunately. Hope she finds peace. This behavior is apparent in another fast former NCAA YouTuber but will not name because she’s very fragile
S. Canaday wrote: The line between "elite sponsored runner" and " running influencer" will continue to blur.
Illogical Molly wrote: The kicker is that Molly ran a granola road marathon last weekend, the 26.TrueMarathon.
If Molly hadnt won state, footlocker and NCAAs she wouldve been a granola girl in Colorado. The fact the stars aligned so many times including the trials and games is phenomenal.
Great athlete, great story but doesnt need to be replicated to solidify her legacy.
If she wants to go the ultra-social media influencer route, I highly suggest she take a page from Annie Hughes' book (@annie.a.hughes) who is based in Leadville. Not because Annie Hughes is a superstar but because Hughes is a great person, she grew up near Molly and they probably have more in common than everyone immediately thinks. Molly could uniquely learn from her and, of course, vice versa. I think Hughes had relatively decent success in high school (WI & CO) then stopped running collegiately before turning to ultras.
Take a timeout, Molly. Change your setting, try a new lifestyle. Run just to run! Dont let the naysayers shun you, instead shut them out. It is perfectly okay to be a granola girl.
Molly could retire today and still have a successful career to look back on. In that respect, she can do whatever she wants.
However, it does seem hollow to have it end like this. I hope she has the desire to pull the reins and focus solely on the road marathon. She has the gift.
Molly could retire today and still have a successful career to look back on. In that respect, she can do whatever she wants.
However, it does seem hollow to have it end like this. I hope she has the desire to pull the reins and focus solely on the road marathon. She has the gift.
Yeah, the talent is not in question. It’s a matter of whether she can get the body and brain together long enough to maximize that talent...assuming that she wants to.
Man is it just me or is your undertone a little salty about running influencers?
Not that I blame you. It's cringe and annoying when so many others pour blood, sweat, and tears into actually getting better at running.
I'd be salty too if I spent time and energy giving Kofuzi dedicated coaching only for him to go ruin all of his hard work by putting content creation first.
The line between "elite sponsored runner" and " running influencer" will continue to blur.
Of course the difference is that Molly has an Olympic medal and is a 4-time NCAA D1 Champ. People like Matt Choi (and really anyone running around 3 hours for a marathon are a dime a dozen in the sport imo). Yet people like Matt can shotgun beers and film during the Boston Marathon and get way, way more "likes" and have a bigger following because they are more relatable to the masses or a "hybrid athlete" (or whatever that means).
But if one is active online and they have a decent social following (no matter how slow or fast they are) they have "an influence." Brands do recognize that as well as the engagement.
I don't know Molly really well at all, although I had a nice chat with her after the Honolulu Marathon (she had raced the 10km there). She seemed pretty down to Earth and was quite friendly.
In terms of social media engagement (taking the whole "Influencer" angle into account)....doing events and racing very frequently is part of the formula. For example: the Boston Marathon one week, then the London Marathon the next...then doing some promo for addidas/puma at their HQ for something. Also product/shoe reviews and filming during your race to show interaction with the crowds/fellow runners and yelling things like "Let's Go!" every mile. You get wined and dined and travel all the time as well as free product from all the major brands. And all you have to do is have that camera out recording everything on a selfie stick and posting some nice edits to social nearly every day!
Of course for a real elite/fast runner like Molly the expectations are a lot higher. You don't just jump in the Boston Marathon and then the London Marathon the next week. If takes some pretty serious focus to run a 2:20s or faster marathon (or nail an ultramarathon trail race at a high level).
Influencers really have it easier than fast pros because it doesn't really matter if they run 3:05 or 3:45....as long as they finish and get another star in the marathon majors they are seen as being an inspiration or a "hero."
In any case, I apologize for the long rant. I think for runners like Molly (especially given her sister is an "Influencer") it's easy to get pressured from social media because you feel like your career is on the line all the time. I think we'll see more very high level road marathon runners like Des Linden and Molly start doing ultras more in the future though. It is a fun niche of running and it can be a good break from pounding the pavement.
It would be great to see runners like Molly and Des mix it up on the trails/ultras more...especially if they are staying healthy and have some specific build-ups.
We value your knowledge here, Sage. I see this even locally where I live--runners of all times and abilities are trying to move to the 'gram and make it big socially. Some of it is timing in terms of making it big...as you noted, road marathoners are going to the trails now.
I know a really fast lady who is going to the trails simply because she said it'll bring her more exposure on socials.
Lots more non-runners I know are clout-chasing and making that attempt to get a break/get famous--it sets you up for life and no more 40-hour workweeks at a job they don't like, praying for time to go fast and get to retirement. Getting famous/wealthy in a short time opens up so many doors--obvious, of course, but many people are starting to catch on.
She was out creating content (and eating bad food?) w Laura Green on the mean streats of Btown, USA.
I'm not laughing. That's not a good look for Molly to be BFF with social media influencer Laura Green who barely runs these days. Matt Choi has run tons more this year than Laura Green has in the past few years.
Laura Green is a legit talent. NOP founder? and 3:05 marathoner...
A lot of the East Coast elites/near-elites/Ivies, etc. seem to all run in the same social circles. AOTR, noushy14 (another elite runner in that social space), Choi (I think he was Ivy), Believe in the Run (Thomas and Meaghan) team, etc.
Laura is cool though--she has said she doesn't take herself too seriously and has great vids. She's also mentioned she's aware she's lucky to have the privilege to do what she does. I respect that!
It may be an East Coast thing, running is popular up there. Wife's family is in Boston/Cape Cod and verified that too.
This post was edited 3 minutes after it was posted.
S. Canaday wrote: The line between "elite sponsored runner" and " running influencer" will continue to blur.
Illogical Molly wrote: The kicker is that Molly ran a granola road marathon last weekend, the 26.TrueMarathon.
If Molly hadnt won state, footlocker and NCAAs she wouldve been a granola girl in Colorado. The fact the stars aligned so many times including the trials and games is phenomenal.
Great athlete, great story but doesnt need to be replicated to solidify her legacy.
If she wants to go the ultra-social media influencer route, I highly suggest she take a page from Annie Hughes' book (@annie.a.hughes) who is based in Leadville. Not because Annie Hughes is a superstar but because Hughes is a great person, she grew up near Molly and they probably have more in common than everyone immediately thinks. Molly could uniquely learn from her and, of course, vice versa. I think Hughes had relatively decent success in high school (WI & CO) then stopped running collegiately before turning to ultras.
Take a timeout, Molly. Change your setting, try a new lifestyle. Run just to run! Dont let the naysayers shun you, instead shut them out. It is perfectly okay to be a granola girl.
What is a granola girl in this context? Is it just someone living in Boulder and soaking up the running culture/training, etc.?