Why You Shouldn’t Trust ‘Running Influencers’

Running influencers are nothing new, but some of us who follow the online running community have noticed a shift lately. When I’m drawn to a caption like “my 5K training program 🏃‍♀️ (detailed breakdown below)” and then discover it’s sponsored by a major running app, I roll my eyes. Even if they’re not lying about their results , these “running influencers” create a lot of noise and detract from the community.

In theory, there’s nothing wrong with running influencers. I love watching someone share their journey from the couch to a 10K—community is everything in this sport! The problem arises when, in an attempt to capitalize on the creator economy, brands like Nike Run Club, Runna, and Strava create a platform for a new class of running influencers: ambitious, congenial, and often completely incompetent when it comes to training. They’re even incapable of dealing with their own failures, as I’ve seen countless content creators blame brands for their injuries (especially those who fell for poor-quality AI-generated training plans ). Putting an influencer before a runner can even get you banned from the New York City Marathon.

In short, the gap between people who look like runners and offer advice and those who actually know how to coach runners is constantly widening. And if you’re getting training program advice from someone on the wrong side of this gap, you’re missing out on valuable knowledge at best and risking injury at worst.

How the Running Influencer Economy Began

I’ve witnessed this running boom in real time. The New York City Marathon lottery has become as ridiculous as a real lottery. Even tickets for local road races are selling out much faster than before the pandemic. A new wave of aspiring runners needs help, and they’re turning to social media.

The problem is that social media rewards certain types of running content: race vlogs, before-and-after photos, and even dramatized conflicts with other runners. And while professional athletes have off-seasons built into their training schedules, content creators can’t afford to take a break from their activities.

These algorithms don’t particularly appreciate nuances like the ugly reality of building a base or the importance of covering most of the distance at a pace conducive to conversation. Boring but correct advice always loses out to compelling and compelling advice when the algorithm calculates it.

Meanwhile, brands have incentives to make matters worse. A sponsorship deal with a blogger with a million TikTok followers will attract more potential customers than a carefully crafted workout guide from a certified trainer with only 12,000 YouTube subscribers. As with any other corner of the internet, the result is an information ecosystem that is noisier, less reliable, and more difficult to navigate.

The most common mistakes running influencers make.

I need to clarify, because the statement “influencer advice is bad” isn’t necessarily true either. Some of it can be perfectly acceptable—even reasonable. But not all of it. Here are the specific warning signs I constantly see from unqualified running influencers online:

• Running too fast, training too often. About 80% of training mileage should be done at an easy, leisurely pace. About 20% should be fast work, such as intervals, tempo runs, and threshold training. Easy workouts don’t create “impressive” content, so this advice encourages recreational runners to train too hard too often, which is one of the fastest paths to overuse injuries and burnout.

• Misleading information about shoes, gear, and training plans. Content creators can rarely objectively assess whether a $200 shoe with a carbon fiber plate is suitable for the aspiring marathoner watching their videos (usually not), because their income depends on their relationship with the brand. This is obvious, but it’s worth noting: content creators are ultimately trying to sell you something. If they praise an app or gear, be sure to conduct your own due diligence.

• The individual picture is completely ignored. A real coach asks questions: What’s your injury history? How many days a week can you train? How much sleep do you get? Influencer advice, by its very nature, can’t provide this. A video or post is a one-way street, and, again, their advice may even be based on falsified data .

How to evaluate online running tips

So, how do you tell the good from the bad? Here are a few questions to ask yourself before letting someone else’s training philosophy get into your head.

What are their qualifications and are they legal?

Look for reputable certifications: a USATF (USA Track & Field) Level 1, 2, or 3 coaching certification; an RRCA (Road Runners Club of America) certification; a degree in exercise science or exercise physiology; or competitive experience as an athlete. A large number of followers does not necessarily confirm qualifications.

Do they explain “why” or just “what”?

Giving blanket, prescriptive advice—“everyone should run at least five days a week” or “you should always go for long runs on Sundays”—without qualifications or explanation is a red flag.

To understand why you need this or that workout, I recommend reading about why you need to run slower , why you should start running stairs , and what fartlek is in general.

Are they willing to disclose information about their sponsors or financial connections?

Sponsorship agreements and endorsement deals are not automatic grounds for disqualification, but they should be clearly disclosed and taken into account when evaluating gear reviews and product recommendations. Undisclosed sponsorship deals are a serious red flag.

Where can I find helpful (free!) running tips?

There are tons of great running resources online, and most of them are completely free. Here are some of my favorites.

• Hal Higdon’s Free Training Plans . These are my go-to plans. Higdon has been publishing free marathon and half-marathon training plans for all levels, from beginner to advanced, for decades. They are well-structured, feature a conservative approach to progress, and are based on real-world coaching principles.

• Runner’s World . They have reliable, downloadable plans for every occasion, from “Start Running” to “Marathon in Under 3 Hours.”

• Your local running club. Chances are, the collective knowledge gained from the company of people who’ve been running for years is worth more than most of the information on the internet.

• Reddit. Similarly, I often approach running-related subreddits (r/AdvancedRunning, r/running) with due skepticism. The Advanced Running community, in particular, has a high information-to-noise ratio and actively debunks misinformation. Their wiki is a great starting point.

Problem with launching applications

Of course, there are everyone’s favorite running apps. You won’t hear me claim that the coaching features in Runna , Nike Run Club , or Strava are outright bad . Runna, in particular, uses a structured training model, and its programs are backed by certified coaches.

The problem, therefore, isn’t the apps themselves, but the layer of influencer marketing they’re layered with, which often creates unrealistic expectations about pace, mileage, and what progress should look like. If you’re using a structured app, try to understand the training principles it’s based on , not just the exercises it suggests.

Result

None of this means you should stop watching online running content—I, for one, won’t. I enjoy following other people’s stories, their experiences with competitions, and their daily lives as runners. However, there’s a big difference between inspirational and educational content. Ask yourself the questions above to find runners you can truly trust, and discard the unnecessary information.

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