Who is Ben is Running? Colchester runner Ben Felton

As the 26-year-old sat down to chat with me in his running gear ahead of his first training session of the day, it was clear to see his dedication to the sport.

Ben admits he never expected to one day work as a full-time runner and social media influencer, but he doesn’t regret hanging up his apron and quitting his job as a chef in his hometown.

He’s amassed more than 165,000 followers on YouTube and Instagram under the name Ben is Running while winning races and picking up new personal bests.

Local event - Ben often takes part in Maldon Parkrun with his mum (Image: Ben Felton)

A sporting career was never part of the plan for Ben, who grew up in Colchester and studied international development at the University of East Anglia after leaving Philip Morant School.

How did Ben Felton start running?

He first took up running while at university in 2018 to improve his five-a-side football performance and has now run some of the world’s most iconic marathon courses.

“I was doing a lot of gym stuff at the time but when we came to play football matches at the weekend I wasn’t feeling very fit cardiovascular-wise,” he recalled.

“I was going to the gym and lifting weights, doing all the classic teenager stuff; just trying to look good. But in terms of actually being able to perform when it came to the football matches I was pretty knackered by half-time.”

Starting point - Ben at a Parkrun event in Sweden (Image: Ben Felton)

It remained a casual hobby until he graduated and joined a running club after moving to Sweden with his girlfriend, Meg, who often pops up in his YouTube videos.

Ben said: “I went from doing a few Parkruns at uni to then jumping into some more consistent running when I moved to Sweden and then after that I just sort of fell in love with it.”

The couple’s international adventure was sadly cut short after just nine months when the coronavirus pandemic forced them to head back to Essex.

With lockdown restrictions stopping Ben from going to work at his job as a chef, a career he “fell into” while living in Sweden, he used his new-found spare time to focus on his YouTube channel, posting videos about his training and sharing tips to help other runners improve.

“When I originally started making YouTube videos, I never really had the intention of it being a job, it was simply something to do during lockdown,” he said.

“I was furloughed from my job and spent four weeks sitting down doing nothing and I was like ‘I’m running a lot more than I used to so I might as well pick up the camera’.”

“I don’t come from a running background and I’m not a coach. I was simply sharing what I was doing and people were taking value from it which I found really, really cool.

“That’s probably the biggest thing that has come from it – inspiring other people just to get into running.”

First place - Ben won the Skopje Half Marathon last year (Image: Ben Felton)

Ben says longer races like half and full marathons are his favourite distances to race over, with his followers having seen him take on iconic courses in Osaka and Boston, where he finished the world-famous race in two hours and 24 minutes.

So what’s next for the former Colchester Harrier, who now trains with Chelmsford Athletics Club?

After a period of injury, he’s getting ready to run the Copenhagen Marathon in May which will see him “run around 80 to 100 miles a week” around the country lanes of mid Essex, where he now lives.

He hopes to tick off more of the World Marathon Majors and has his sights set on the London Marathon next year.

And, as ever, he’ll be taking his followers on the journey with him.

To watch Ben, visit youtube.com/@BenIsRunning.