The NYC Marathon is known for the best runners, huge crowds, and now YouTubers?
On November 3, the NYC Marathon saw a rise in the number of creators running from regulars like Casey Neistat to new stars like Haley Kalil.
It’s becoming like the Coachella for creator athletes. Except replace hangovers for shin splints.
But hold on to your Hokas. Not everyone is thrilled. Here’s why:
The Problem
The sport of running has been…running out of gas. Participation in official races dropped 13% since 2016, especially in the US.
YouTubers To The Rescue?
In just the first half of 2024, running videos got over 3 billion views on YouTube.
Creators like Neistat and Kalil make marathons feel accessible and give you someone to root for.
Why “Real” Runners Are Upset
Many runners are upset that creators can bypass the qualification process for many marathons if they:
- Have a large social media following
Just imagine. You spend years training. Early mornings. Ice baths.
Then a creator just gets a spot in the race because they got a brand deal.
It Gets Worse
This year, creator Matthew Choi got permanently banned for…wait for it…having his camera guys follow him on bikes as he ran the NYC Marathon.
He made waves online and raised questions about creator etiquette on race day.
Our Take
More sports needs to involve creators to stay relevant. The question is how.
You can either:
- Restrict them, like F1, which requires creators to remove the brand name from their social media handles.
- Work with them, like the NBA, which allows creators to share game footage and logos on YouTube.
So far, the running world is finding a balance by allowing participants and creators to coexist.
Like anything new, there are growing pains.
Every creator who takes part in these early days has a bigger responsibility.
Listen. The world doesn’t see “one bad apple” like Matthew; they see YouTubers as a monolith (which we’re obviously not).
The trend of YouTubers in marathons has a lot of upside for the sport but only if creators treat it with respect.
