The unexpected brands running creators want to work with

There’s nothing better than an ice cream cone or an ice-cold beer after a long run. But at the finish line, many runners are rewarded with snacks of the healthier variety: granola bars, fruit, and water bottles.

Given the physical demands of distance running, healthy snacks may make sense—but sometimes, runners just want a little treat. And they want the brands to know it.

“Food and running comes hand in hand, but a lot of people think you need to be very specific in what types of things you eat and how much you eat,” Justine Huang, a content creator and marathon runner known for her food-centric videos, told Marketing Brew. “Make it fun. After a run, I always want ice cream.”

Brian Kim, a content creator and marathoner who emphasizes good eats in his posts, has worked with fitness-oriented brands like Brooks, Skechers, and Therabody, but if you ask him about his dream sponsorship, he’ll say it’s a chocolate-chip-cookie brand. Huang, meanwhile, said she wants to see more alcohol sponsors at races.

There’s growing demand for accessible, fun, and lifestyle-agnostic running communities online and in real life, and not all of their members are looking to perfectly optimize their nutrition. That suggests there may be some white space in the fitness sponsorship landscape that less-than-endemic brands could tap into—but not every brand is ready to take the leap.

Sweet treat

While some runners favor gels to get them through long distances, others would rather avoid choking down the pouches of goo typically associated with endurance athletes. Some brands are already occupying the space in between gel and candy.

Mondelēz International–owned Clif Bar has deep roots in running, and is currently in the midst of a three-year sponsorship with the Boston Marathon. The brand has been working with running influencers for years, according to Nikki Balcerak, senior manager of Clif marketing partnerships, leveraging creator content to extend its association with running beyond race days.

Influencers are “a staple part of our marketing activation from now on,” she said. “They’re a big part of our storytelling…and I think a lot of their running communities are looking to them to be inspired.”

That inspiration extends to what to eat before, during, and after a run, Balcerak added. Selling Clif products is part of the influencer effort, but it’s largely an awareness play used to humanize the brand, she said. So far, the brand—which experienced a significant increase in consumer trust in the past year—is pleased with the results.

“We’re still aggregating our results from this year’s Boston Marathon, but we’re seeing really great impression numbers, and we’ve already exceeded some of our KPIs as far as engagements,” Balcerak said. “The content is resonating.”

The rest of the Mondelēz portfolio, which includes snacks like Chips Ahoy, Oreo, and Sour Patch Kids, isn’t exactly at the starting line just yet. Clif owns the running space, and while the snack brands play in the world of sports marketing, running influencer partnerships don’t necessarily feel authentic for them yet, Cristina Rinaldi, social media manager for the Mondelēz portfolio, told us.

Her team is, however, aware of runners’ desires for a sweet treat, having picked up their content via social listening. They’re “thrilled” to see the enthusiasm for Mondelēz products, but don’t have any plans for partnerships, Rinaldi said.

“We love that they’re having fun and being playful with our brands,” she said.

You earned it

Even though Kim may not see a Chips Ahoy deal any time soon, Rinaldi said she recognizes the power of influencers to build trust for a brand within various niche communities.

Running influencers have particular sway over their followers; since the sport is both popular and easily accessible, their communities tend to be made up of other runners looking for realistic recommendations, as opposed to just spectators of the sport.

Preethi Rajaguru, a runner who’s completed multiple marathons and has about 87,000 Instagram followers, said the opportunity “never really clicked to me until the Brooklyn Half Marathon” last year.

“I remember being on course, and so many people came up to me, from the corrals to actually during the race, and were like, ‘I literally signed up for this race because of you,’” she told us.

Given that relationship, Rajaguru said she never endorses products she doesn’t actually use. Huang also told us she strives for authenticity with her community, emphasizing the fun and mental health benefits of running. Often, she does that through snacking, she said, posting pictures and videos of her eating mouthwatering treats like baked goods, bagels, oysters, cotton candy, marshmallows, bacon, and pancakes while racing. She also drinks plenty of Fireball, including mid-race.

Huang has already worked with Salt & Straw, her favorite ice cream shop, and said she’d like to expand to deals with a bigger retailer like Costco, which has plenty of snack options on its shelves. She’s also collabed with Kim for a video highlighting 10 food spots in Flushing, Queens, during a 10-mile run. Kim said it “blew up” on TikTok and Instagram, and noted that he’s seeing a food-motivated running community take shape offline.

“Food doesn’t have to always be so negative,” he said. “You can run for it and exercise at the same time, have fun…I think now people gather their friends and then go run for food. It’s cool seeing it happen in real life.”