28/11/2024

Running culture has never felt more commercial, or more performative, argues BBH London’s Pip Michell. It’s time for brands to bring it back to basics.

It feels like every twenty to thirty-something is either getting married, or running a half marathon.

Undoubtedly, running has boomed over the past few years. 

But so has running content. Search for #RunTok and you’ll have enough content to consume for days. 

The pandemic was a turning point. In a world locked down, running was what kept so many of us ticking over. Not just physically, but mentally. 

And now, countless influencers proudly talk about the mental health benefits of running. Savannah Sachdev, for example, talks about running as her time to get ‘out of my head and into my body’. 

But despite this progressive sentiment, running culture has never felt more commercial, or more performative. 

Fresh-faced influencers sell themselves to be ‘just like us!’. All while flashing box-fresh, #gifted clobber worth hundreds of pounds - hoping that you or I will be influenced enough to fill up our baskets through their affiliate links.

In a tornado of brand deals and ‘Get ready with me’ videos, the simplicity of running has been lost. 

Stripping it back to basics, running is one of the most accessible sports you can do. 

All you need is a pair of trainers. 

But when all we see online is go-faster glasses, running vests and granular tracking technology - it’s not surprising that so many people feel like running isn’t ‘for them’. 

And it isn’t just the fancy gear, either. It’s the times and distances that running influencers have normalised. 

These influencers aren’t so open about the fact that their job is - well, running. Without the pressure of real life, they can hit PBs that ‘normal’ people could only dream of. 

This problem doesn’t just live online, either. 

It’s making real-life events less accessible. 

Influencers are gifted free entry to the very same marathons that are becoming increasingly difficult for the average runner to win a spot at. 

Even trying for tickets in local races is starting to reflect the Glastonbury experience.

Take London’s Hackney Half. Just a few years ago, you could enter it a month before. This year, it sold out in record time - making securing a place feels about as feasible as finding Willy Wonka’s golden ticket. 

When you see an influencer posting an instagram reel about their #gifted experience at a big race (that we all tried and failed to get into), showing off their PB that was only possible thanks to the #gifted training app discount, or rating their favourite #gifted running shoes - it’s impossible to deny the growing divide within the running community. 

A community that has always prided itself on inclusivity. 

So brands, it’s time to cut through the noise and take it back to basics. 

As Savannah Sachdev puts it, running is for getting out of your head and into your body. 

No fancy gear required.