{"id":5529,"date":"2019-07-08T17:15:14","date_gmt":"2019-07-08T22:15:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.runproject.org\/?p=5529"},"modified":"2019-07-08T17:20:57","modified_gmt":"2019-07-08T22:20:57","slug":"top-5-runners-on-youtube","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.runproject.org\/blog\/top-5-runners-on-youtube","title":{"rendered":"Top 5 Runners on YouTube"},"content":{"rendered":"

Five \u2018extremely online\u2019 runners to follow when you can\u2019t talk blisters-and-bling with friends\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By Brenteny Hamilton<\/b><\/p>\n

Runners can be solitary creatures, but it\u2019s virtually impossible to misidentify a gaggle of them in the wild.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You might recognize them by the overdeveloped calves or tiny shorts. But, an even more obvious indicator is the fact that they are talking about running. Obsessively, even. Topics include foam rollers and elevation profiles. Urine color has been known to become friendly competition among friends.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But, what do runners do when they are forced to slip incognito among normal society? To whom can they turn during holidays when well-intentioned family members caution of ruined knees and exercise-induced anemia? How might they cope while rehabbing an actual injury \u2013 <\/span>not my knee, Uncle Mitch \u2013 <\/span><\/i>watching from the bench as friends get faster by the minute?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, they seek their people in other formats. Here are YouTube and social media accounts that make great company when runners cannot be among their own.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These gems aren\u2019t training tips from pros, coaches, or brands. They\u2019re more slice-of-life musings and adventures by (mostly) regular folks. Among them, you\u2019ll find inspiration, humor, and raw humanity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Eddie Izzard<\/b><\/h4>\n

We said \u201cmostly\u201d regular folks because gender-fluid polyglot Eddie Izzard first gained international fame and cult fandom in the 1990s as a wry standup comedian. While you might recognize his name \u2013 or one of his iconic jokes, \u201cCake or death?!\u201d \u2013\u00a0 perhaps you didn\u2019t know that Izzard is also an avid runner who has used his combined gifts to raise millions of pounds for charity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He undertook his first running challenge in 2009, when he completed 43 marathons in 51 days, crossing the U.K. to raise money and awareness for Sport Relief. In 2016, he set out to complete 27 marathons in 27 days across South Africa to honor the number of years Nelson Mandela spent imprisoned on Robben Island.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The BBC produced an official documentary, which you can also find on <\/span>Izzard\u2019s YouTube account<\/span><\/a>, but first start with the daily vlogs he recorded while crossing South Africa. Each video is a mere 3 to 10 minutes, but even in such short packages, viewers see incredible countryside; learn about Mandela\u2019s struggle; and, watch the drama unfold as Izzard battles heatstroke, severe sunburn and self-doubt.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL6bwLfD0DjN_BwIfRhoEzUOyZAWO2ly9G<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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The Ginger Runner<\/b><\/h4>\n

Ethan Newberry\u2019s success as a \u201cfull-time content creator\u201d is nothing short of a Cinderella story. He started out as an actor\/comedian and corporate Art Director before launching his own running-focused website, gingerrunner.com, in 2011.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Newberry\u2019s earliest videos mostly consisted of shoe and gear reviews, but he was soon recording race reports with his trusty GoPro. Along with his wife and accomplished ultra-runner in her own right, Kimberly Teshima Newberry (a\/k\/a Mile Long Legs), Newberry transformed his crimson-haired alter ego\u2019s hobby into an empire. Today, he\u2019s a musician who produces his own soundtracks, a race director who founded the mountainous Tiger Claw in 2019, and a talk show host who regularly interviews running community celebs during his weekly Ginger Runner Live program.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are a lot of reasons to praise The Ginger Runner, but perhaps the most important reason is that Ethan Newberry seems like, well, a real dude. He shares the flaws, the fears, and all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While he does still vlog and make videos about his and Kim\u2019s experiences, Newberry has also honed his skills as a professional independent filmmaker, producing remarkable documentaries about the pro trail running community. It\u2019s hard to go wrong with anything on Newberry\u2019s YouTube account or gingerrunner.com, but we especially recommend these personal favorites:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n