I is for Influencer
Influencers get a bad rap for "stealing" marathon bibs and generally being an internet irritant, but how about if I told you that *you* are an influencer?
Influencer. It’s a modern word, indicative of the Instagram generation, i.e. since 2012, formally recognized as a word by Merriam-Webster as recently as 2019. New things cause visceral reactions in those who hark for days gone, but influencers have always existed.
Yes, public figures from athletes to royalty, musicians to supermodels through the ages have influenced societal norms. King George III endorsing Wedgwood pottery c.1800 is now recognized as a very early form of marketing, and Twiggy hypebeasted the miniskirt in the 1960s. This isn’t anything new. Just because it’s 'now’ happening in running (Pre was the OG running influencer IMHO), it doesn’t make it inherently bad.
Am I an influencer? Am I media? Yes to both. Some of the most influential people over history have been journalists, whether in print or broadcast media, so there’s nothing to shy away from there. No reason to draw a distinction. In my little corner of the world, I’m happy to be labeled as an influencer, if that’s required.
But I don’t film myself running like the new cohort of IG- and TikTok-based influencers does. That’s how they disseminate their messages, after all. For the vast majority of my time running there isn’t even anyone with me to snap a photo for socials. What is an issue is the increasing science pointing to how overstimulating watching short-form video is, and how the repeated, addicting dopamine hits are so damaging for our long-term attention spans without imparting any information deeper than a headline.
As I outlined in last Thursday’s article, however, influencers also bring many positives to the table. Sure, they can raise more money for charity than most, and using their platform to highlight issues close to their hearts is something that they’re able to do, whether they choose to or not. An influencer’s followings can inspire movements. Is that enough to balance out the brain rot? It’s not nothing.
“An overwhelming proportion of this new cohort of runners since 2020 are women, and running isn’t always the most approachable sport… Influencers like Emily Shane and Celina Stephenson, who I wrote about in 2023, have been massive trailblazers in getting young women to believe that they even can.
“Seeing these people running marathons that they either never thought they could, or running them in a way that looks genuinely fun is why the London Marathon had over a million entries for the 2026 edition.
“The stories that influencers tell can change the idea of running a marathon from being aspirational to being something that’s possible. As a lifelong runner, all I want is for more people to experience how cool running is.”
I found it interesting that almost 1% of my readers hit the unsubscribe button after last Thursday’s piece. Whether that was because I was highlighting the atrocities of ICE or whether I was sympathetic to influencers is unclear, so here I am doubling down. Good riddance, either way.
On the other end of the media length scale, I sat down to watch a video podcast the other day. It was a really interesting topic with two really interesting hosts, but I turned it off after five minutes. It was taking too long. I wanted to consume the information from that 50-minute video in 10 minutes.
I fully understand that idle chitter chatter is exactly what a lot of people want from their podcasts – that’s why they’re so popular – but I’m all about efficiency. I want to vacuum up as many tidbits of information as possible in as short a time. That’s why I prefer newsletters and other magazine-style articles. I get that deeper research, delivered quickly.
If both those ideas of influencers still turn you off, consider your own position as an influencer. Yes, you. Every time you go for a run, you’re influencing someone. Running is a radical act, so goes the opening line of my book, and when you run, you make other people feel something.
Other runners, driving past in their car, might crane their necks to see if they know you, or to see what shoes you’re wearing. Others may get annoyed and mutter, “What are you running from?” Or they’ll lean out of their car yelling, “Who’s going to carry the boats?” But just know that you’re making them feel something.
In this world of self-medicating numbness via doomscroll, that’s an important act. It’s a service to society that’s rooted in intention and self-care. It’s that notion of turning up for yourself that might even inspire someone to pull their running shoes on later that day. Yeah, you’re an inspiration every time you go for a run.
That is the power of Influence. Lean into it.
A look inside This is Running
A photo from last year’s Altadena to Palisades 50k ultra relay is on page 33 of This is Running. Taken by Connor Simpson, it’s a shot of the historic Cinerama Dome on Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, and I love it. Here are a couple of photos that Connor took of the book.
That race raised well over $50,000 for wildfire relief-related charities last year, and this year’s edition includes options for relay teams, solo runners, and cyclists. I’ll be helping out at the first aid station in Eagle Rock. Sign up if you’re in Los Angeles on Feb 7, or click to donate.
Rebuilding L.A. is an ultramarathon, not a sprint.
Something to read
I was emailing with Mario Fraioli last week, after he quoted Hunter S. Thompson in his excellent newsletter, and he sent me this link to Thompson’s essay on runners.
This essay was included in Hey, Rube, the final book Thompson published before his death in February 2005. I re-read this collection of 80+ essays not long ago, and his distrust of government and police feels even more prescient than ever. I wonder what the notoriously vocal anti-fascist would say about the goings on in 2026. Probably that he told us so.
If you’re an HST fan, I’d love to know your thoughts on this New York Times article from the weekend, titled: ‘Did Hunter S. Thompson Really Kill Himself?’ It doesn’t matter, of course. He’s been dead for over 20 years now, and his legacy remains as unimpeachable as the president.
Running Sucks Haiku of the Week
Almost pain-free now
I’ll write about my tendons
After my first run
It’s been a longer than expected road to recovery from this bout of achilles tendinitis, but I think it’s almost over. I went on a little quarter-mile jog with my eldest son the other day, and have been searching for a violent reaction, but nothing so far.
The older I’ve got, the longer these soft tissue injuries have taken to heal, but I’ve been patient. I’m excited to go run again – I’ve missed it deeply – but I’ll continue being patient. I think I’ll follow a Couch to 5K program to get back into the swing of things.
Thanks for reading,
Raz x