Michael Adeniran: the life of a running influencer

In this episode of the Runners World Podcast, hosts Rick Pearson and Ben Hobson welcome Michael Adeniran, known for documenting his running journey. Michael recounts his introduction to running, starting in 2015 at the encouragement of a neighbor, which turned into a passion for obstacle course racing (OCR) and eventually long-distance running. He reflects on how his wife's initial blogging inspired him to document his own experiences, leading to his current focus on marathons and ultras.

Michael discusses the evolution of his running style and how he built a community around it through Adidas runners, shifting his focus from OCR to pure running. He shares his early misconceptions about running, especially the challenge of completing longer distances without proper training. The conversation explores Michael's various races, including his first half marathon, the significance of technology in his training, and how he manages his running schedule with family life.

As the discussion progresses, Michael highlights the welcoming nature of the running community and how it has invigorated a running boom, partly due to the influence of social media. He provides insight into his humorous and unfiltered content style, emphasizing that running can be fun rather than overly serious. The episode wraps up with Michael sharing his training approach for upcoming events, including ultras and triathlons, and offers advice to new runners about persistence and documentation.