The Running YouTube Channels I Actually Trust
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
The Running YouTube Channels I Actually Trust
Adding a new pair of shoes to the rotation. Trying a new brand. Figuring out nutrition. Managing an injury. Or just looking for inspiration for the next slightly-questionable running adventure I’ve signed myself up for.
For all of it, there’s one place I’ve turned to consistently over the last few years: YouTube.
What follows are a couple of the YouTube running channels I regularly watch, what they cover, and, more importantly, why I keep going back.
Run4Adventure
Let's start with the channel I probably spend more hours with than I do talking to my wife (in my defence, she doesn’t do in-depth breakdowns of midsole foam compounds).
Run4Adventure is run by runner and former running shoe retail… let’s say professional
(I call him a retail tycoon, but Loyd may dispute that), Loyd Purvis. He genuinely knows his uppers from his midsoles. His channel partner is his wife, Liga, an accomplished ultra runner in her own right, having completed races including Ultra X Jordan and UTMB CCC.
The channel focuses primarily on trail shoes, unsurprising given they live in Cornwall, with some of the UK’s most stunning (and leg-destroying) trails right on their doorstep. It’s also home to one of the toughest races on the UTMB calendar: the Arc of Attrition.
Beyond shoes, the channel covers apparel, vests, accessories, race coverage, the Birmingham National Running Show, and the annual pilgrimage to Chamonix in their now-famous Adventure Bus.
Why I Follow
It’s authentic.
Loyd is passionate about running and about the running community, and that comes through in every video. His reviews aren’t clickbait. They’re not over-produced. There aren’t 47 camera angles in 12 seconds giving you motion sickness.
He explains the shoe. Breaks down the construction. Takes it out for a proper run (and brings us along). Then comes back for an honest recap.
Simple. Clear. Trustworthy.
I recently spoke with Loyd and know he turns down brands he doesn’t believe in. That matters. Especially in a world where everyone seems to be selling something.
If he says it’s good, I’m inclined to believe him.
RunLab
Relatively new to YouTube (less than a year old), but already one of my favourites.
RunLab was founded by ultra runner and Team Salomon athlete Vlad Shatrov. Co-host Chris Beavon is a filmmaker and co-founder of RunLab Media, and the production quality reflects that.
They’re based in Australia, which is both inspiring and mildly infuriating to watch from the UK. While I’m sliding through sideways rain and ankle-deep mud, they’re gliding across dry, dusty trails under perfect blue skies.
Character building, apparently.
What Makes It Different
The channel focuses on performance, but not just for elites.
Vlad brings elite-level experience. Chris plays the “normal runner” role brilliantly, asking the questions the rest of us are thinking. It keeps the content grounded, relatable, and digestible.
Two videos in particular have earned permanent spots in my playlist.
1. Run Stronger on Hills (8 Exercises to Build Hill Running Strength)
If you follow me on social, you’ll know I love a hill. I’ve run the Tour du Mont Blanc twice, and living near the South West Coast Path means hills aren’t optional, they’re unavoidable.
Improving efficiency uphill became important to me. Not just getting up them, but getting up them well.
This video focuses on introducing plyometrics into strength training, explosive movements specifically targeting hill performance.
I started incorporating these exercises several months ago and have genuinely noticed improvements:
Better climbing pace
More power maintained over longer efforts
Less post-hill leg fatigue
Reduced strain through hips, knees and ankles
Anything that lets me suffer more efficiently is a win.
2. How to Run DOWNHILL Like the Elites
We obsess over uphill strength, but there’s serious time (and quad destruction) tied up in poor downhill running.
This video breaks down downhill technique across different gradients and terrain types. Vlad demonstrates how to move efficiently, maintain control, and reduce braking forces, all the things most of us get wrong when gravity takes over.
I started applying these techniques during hill rep sessions in the Runna coaching app and noticed immediate improvements. The descents were:
Faster
More controlled
Less energy-draining
When I ran the Arc of Attrition in Cornwall this year, I felt significantly stronger on the downhills. And on that course, that makes a difference.
That’s probably enough YouTube rabbit holes for one blog post.
I’ll share a few more channels I regularly watch in the next one.
In the meantime, what are you watching? Any hidden gems I should know about?
Drop them in the comments.
(Just don’t blame me if your watch time triples.) 🏃♂️
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