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Running influencers are nothing new, but some of us involved in the online running scene have noticed a change recently. When I’m attracted to a caption that reads “My 5K race-day routine \ud83c\udfc3\u200d\u2640\ufe0f (full breakdown below)” only to discover that the breakdown is sponsored by a major running app, I have to roll my eyes. Even if they don’t go that far lying about your time<\/a>These \u201crunfluencers\u201d add a lot of noise and distraction to the community. <\/p>\n Not that there’s anything wrong in principle with running influencers. I love seeing someone share their journey from couch to 10km\u2014community is everything in this sport! The issue comes when, in their efforts to profit from the content creator economy, brands like Nike Run Club, Runna, and Strava give the platform to a new class of runfluencers: aspirational, relatable, and, often, quite unqualified to dispense training advice. They’re also ill-equipped to handle their own setbacks, as I’ve seen a plethora of content creators blame brands for their injuries (especially those falling for useless AI-generated training plans). If you prefer to be an influencer rather than a runner, You may also be banned<\/a> From the New York City Marathon.<\/p>\n In short, there is a wide gap between such people Look <\/em>Like runners giving advice, and people who actually know how to train runners. And if you’re getting your programming advice from the wrong side of that gap, you’re leaving valuable knowledge on the table at best, and setting yourself up for hurt at worst.<\/p>\n I’ve watched this ongoing surge happen in real time. The New York City Marathon Lottery has become just as ridiculous as the real lottery. Even local road races are selling out much faster than before the pandemic. A new wave of first-time runners need guidance, and they’re turning to social media.<\/p>\n The problem is that social media rewards specific types of running content: race-day vlogs, before and after transitions, and even dramatic conflicts with other runners. And while professional athletes have incorporated the off-season into their routines, content creators can’t afford to take time off from their content. <\/p>\n These algorithms don’t exactly reward nuance, like the unnatural reality of base-building, or the importance of running most of your miles at a conversational pace. Every time the algorithm runs its counts the boring, perfect advice loses out to the exciting, compelling advice.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, brands have incentives to make the situation worse. A sponsorship deal with a creator who has one million followers on TikTok will reach more potential customers than a meticulous training guide written by a certified coach who only has 12,000 YouTube subscribers. Like every other corner of the Internet, the result is an information ecosystem that is noisier, less reliable, and harder to navigate.<\/p>\n I need to be more specific here, because “advice from influential people is bad” is also not necessarily true. Some of this may even be perfectly sensible. But not all this, with hindsight. Here are the typical red flags I keep seeing from unqualified runfluencers online:<\/p>\n Running very fast, very frequently.<\/strong> About 80% of the training should be done at an easy, conversational pace. There is work that is about 20% faster, such as intervals, speed, threshold runs. Easy running doesn’t make for “impactful” content, so the resulting advice often leads recreational runners to run too much, which is one of the fastest routes to overuse injury and burnout.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Incorrect shoe, gear and training plan information.<\/strong> Manufacturers are rarely in a position to give an unbiased assessment of whether a $200 carbon-plate shoe is suitable for the beginning marathon runner watching their video (it usually isn’t), because their income depends on the relationship with the brand. This one’s obvious, but worth saying: content creators are ultimately trying to sell you something. If they strongly endorse any type of app or gear, make sure you do your own due diligence on their claims. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n Personal portrait is completely missing.<\/strong> A real coach asks questions. What is your injury history? How many days per week can you train? How much sleep are you getting? Influencer advice, structurally, cannot do this. A video or post is a one-way street, and, again, their advice may also be based on false time<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n So how do you know good and bad? Here’s a set of questions to ask before getting someone’s training philosophy into your head.<\/p>\n Look for trustworthy certifications: USATF (USA Track & Field) Level 1, 2, or 3 coaching certification; RRCA (Road Runners Club of America) certification; Exercise science, or sports physiology degree; Or experience as a competitive athlete. A large number of followers is not any authenticity.<\/p>\n Giving flat, directive advice\u2014”Everyone should run at least five days a week,” or “You should always go for a long run on Sunday”\u2014without any caveats or explanation, is a red flag. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n What do you think so far? To see what the “why” behind a workout might look like, I recommend reading why you need to run at a slower pace, why you should start running stairs, and what a fartlek is all about. <\/p>\n Sponsorships and brand deals are not automatically disqualified, but they should be clearly disclosed and taken into account in how you value gear reviews and product recommendations. Undisclosed sponsorship is a significant red flag.<\/p>\n There are a huge amount of excellent running resources online, and most of them are completely free. Here are some of my favorites. <\/p>\nHow was the Runfluencer Economy Born?<\/h2>\n
Most Common Mistakes Made by Runfluencers<\/h2>\n
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How to evaluate online ongoing advice<\/h2>\n
What are their credentials and are they legitimate? <\/h3>\n
Do they explain why, or just what? <\/h3>\n
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\n <\/span>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nDo they readily disclose their sponsors or financial ties? <\/h3>\n
Where to get good (free!) advice about running <\/h2>\n