Outpacing the pack: Why running brands are trailing creators in the YouTube marathon
Opinion
Creators and brands have taken different approaches to content on YouTube and one is clearly beating the other. Here are some steps brands can take to get a PB on the platform.
Runners are everywhere you look. Solo or in packs with the local run club, all fuelled by ambition for improved health and wellbeing — as well as a nice PB to shout about on Strava!
It’s not only short jogs around the park — people are in it for the long haul. More than 840,000 people applied to run the London Marathon this year, breaking the record set in 2024 of 578,304.
On YouTube, the surge in popularity tracks, where searches for “marathon”, “marathon running” and “best running shoes” have hit a five-year high.
Searches for carbon-plated “super shoes” also peaked this year, with New Balance’s FuelCell, Nike’s Alphafly and Adidas Adios Pro all competing. This demonstrates people’s willingness to spend big to help propel them towards their goals.
With the London Marathon around the corner, Little Dot Sport took a closer look at the YouTube channels of 10 key running brands and 30 prominent creator and athletes, analysing over 3,500 pieces of content posted since the beginning of 2024 to see who’s leading the pack.
Brand content runs short
A staggering 90.8% of creator videos exceed eight minutes, compared with only 22% of brand videos. Most brand uploads are under two minutes — far from ideal for YouTube’s algorithm or audience expectations.
Four out of the 10 brands (Asics, Lululemon, Nike and Saucony) had 80% or more of their videos under two mins. An important point, considering that TV viewing now makes up 34% of viewing — more than mobile viewing — in the US.
According to Nielsen’s latest The Media Distributor Gauge report, YouTube hit a record 11.6% of all TV viewing in February — putting it ahead of giants such as Netflix, Disney and Amazon.
Our data proves YouTube’s dynamic shift to TV. Across Little Dot Sport’s channels, 50% of all watch time now comes from TV, up from just 15% in 2022.
Across Little Dot Studios’ owned-and-operated digital media network of 135-plus channels, we’ve seen that videos up to three hours long are proving popular, driving the most average views per video.
Selling vs storytelling
A substantial 41% of brand video content is overtly advertorial, with most showcasing the latest product in short, highly produced films.
Asics and Saucony had the highest amount of advertorial content, at 86% and 78% respectively. Nike trailed slightly behind with 68%. Meanwhile, Brooks, Hoka and Under Armour all ranked above 80% for editorially led content, with New Balance following the pack with 67%.
Of course, product storytelling has its place. However, there are so many more ways to tell that story than simply publishing the 30-second ad.
Clocking up consistent miles
Creators on the platform post over double that of brands: 1.5 videos per week compared with brands, which post an average of 0.7 per week.
Thirteen of the 30 creator channels post at least weekly, with The Running Channel and Aubrey Running averaging around three uploads per week.
While brands achieve more overall views (179.3m versus 68.4m), creator content sees 25 times higher engagement per video (median of 1.2k versus 48). The Running Channel leads creator engagement with over 35k comments, while and elite athletes like Phily Bowden have an engaged community achieving an impressive median of 3.1k engagements per video.
Brand engagement is much lower; Nike has the most comments (8.9k), but the median for brands is just two comments per video, compared with creators’ 82.
Creators are pros at building engaged audiences. They put in the miles with a consistent stream of content and reap the rewards.
Creators tap into audiences’ core passions
Among creator accounts, 53% of viewers fall within the 18-34 demographic. On branded channels, this demographic makes up 49% of the audience.
This age group, heavily represented in the London Marathon’s applicant pool (with a 105% increase in applications from 20- to 29-year-olds), is highly engaged on YouTube.
Yet it’s the creators delivering content the audience is connecting with.
Our analysis shows that 39% of creator video titles directly reference races, with 345 videos focusing on the allure and challenge of long-distance events. This race-centric approach resonates with viewers actively preparing for or dreaming of their next personal best.
Brands, however, often appear to be on a different track, failing to fully capitalise on the buzz and dedication surrounding events like the London Marathon on their YouTube channels. With many running brands directly associating with major races, this is a missed opportunity.
A winning strategy for brands
For brands to effectively navigate the YouTube landscape and maximise the platform’s full potential, a significant strategic pivot is essential.
• Embrace the long run: Shift towards longer-form content that weaves compelling narratives and provides genuine value beyond product spec.
• Prioritise editorial over advertorial: Audiences get served plenty of ads — before they watch a YouTube video! Seize the opportunity to tell more interesting, entertaining stories.
• Think TV first, not mobile: Create content for where it will be consumed the most. More are watching on TV than ever. So think: would an audience watch this on TV? If not, change the creative.
• Create a destination for your audience: Give audiences a reason to return to your channel. Focus on evergreen content that has the potential to connect with audiences further down the road, recognising YouTube as a platform for building loyal brand advocates.
YouTube is more than a marketing channel. It’s a broadcast channel. So, rather than posting the latest ad, switch up your training plans and embrace a more engaging, long-term strategy to take that step forward towards winning the YouTube race.
You can find out more in Little Dot Sport’s report.
Liam Delahunty is social and content strategy lead at Little Dot Studios