Running is among the sports that can be considered to be easily accessible. It’s also among the sports that’s often chosen as a means to lose weight. This is part of what makes running a popular sport in the United States.
Consider that in 2015, over 17 million Americans finished a running race, according to Running USA:
And that doesn’t include runners who were just running for health and fitness benefits and didn’t participate in any race at all.
That is a whole lot of runners who might seek out running blogs for advice! Including yours. 😉
There are tons of running blogs out there with bloggers who aren’t in it for the money. They just want a place to chronicle their running journey, maybe be a part of a running community, and possibly to also inspire other runners.
After all, some of the best running blogs that exist aren’t blogging primarily to make money.
But, what if you want to start a blog in hopes of making a little side income, or maybe even turn it into a full-time income? How might you be able to start a running blog and turn that website into your livelihood to further support your active lifestyle?
Covered on this page:
- How many runners are in the US?
- Popular ways for a fitness blog to make money online
- Examples of how running bloggers make money in other ways
- Using a blog as a path to start your fitness career
- Using blogs in the fitness niche for ideas
- In true running fashion: Starting a blog is a marathon, not a sprint!
- How to start a running blog
What are popular ways for beginner bloggers to make money online?
1. Google AdSense program
This ad program is what you would typically think of when you think of ads on a website. The ads are automatically selected based on the content of the page you’re reading, or they are based on past websites you’ve visited. With Google AdSense, you earn money when an ad on your website is clicked or viewed.
2. Amazon affiliate program
With this affiliate program, you find products on Amazon to promote, and if someone clicks on your link and goes on to buy something within 24 hours (or within 90 days if they add the product to their shopping cart), you get a commission on that sale. This chart here will show you how much commission you’ll earn based on what type of products you sell. The terms change now and again, so that chart may not be completely accurate, but it gives you an idea.
If you want to get started as an Amazon affiliate on your running blog, think bigger too. Don’t just think about what you need for running like shoes and clothes.
But think about different factors that go into becoming a better runner:
These topics (and more!) can bring about tons of potential Amazon products that you can promote.
As an example 😉 since those are affiliate links, if you go on to buy anything from Amazon, a commission would be paid out, with no extra cost to you. 😀 But really, go ahead and click on the links for examples of what type of things you would be able to talk about on running blogs! They each point to a specific product.
Side note!
See about the best shoes for hiking in Hawaii and what to wear snorkeling in Hawaii! And for Hawaii vacation ideas, see the best things to do in Waikiki that will give you Hawaii vibes!
Thinking beyond those two popular ways of monetizing your running blog
Both of those programs can be among the best ways for you to get started making money online as a beginner blogger. It can help you start to get a basic understanding for how things work in the online marketing world.
They are both also completely free to join, and they make it easy for beginner bloggers to join their programs. Just be sure that your running blog looks presentable with at least some pages of content and that you follow the policies that they have in place. For example, both Amazon and Google require certain wording to be placed on your website in order to be accepted into their programs.
While both Amazon and Google can be helpful in getting you started making money online with a blog, typically it’s not unless you get tens of thousands of visitors (and maybe even hundreds of thousands of visitors) to your website that you’ll start to make an income you’ll be truly happy with. Of course, there are always exceptions, and of course, it also depends on what type of income will make you happy!
But that’s why you may also want to look towards other ways of making money online through your running blog!
What are other ways running blogs make money?
So let’s take a look at some running blogs, or bloggers who are runners, or runners who are bloggers, to start your brainstorming process for what types of things you can do to have your running blog make money for you!
With these examples, essentially, these runners are using their blogs as a marketing platform to sell their services and products.
And what makes it work is that you don’t arrive on their website thinking that they are trying to sell something to you. These are real people who have built up their blog as a space to provide useful running information in a way that can relate to their readers. And the service or product that the bloggers do sell, they are offering to their audience as a supplement if anyone wants to take their running a step further.
So, what are ways to make money through running blogs?
1. Make a digital book, like an e-book offering solutions to running injuries
Running injuries are a hot topic in the running community because who wants to be injured! Being injured just interferes your ability to reach your running goals in your upcoming race!
Amanda has a running blog at Run to the Finish. And that’s where she promotes this guide to treating an IT band injury. There’s a problem that lots of runners have, and that lots of runners are desperate to fix, and she offers a solution to that problem!
2. Make a tangible product, like a cookbook for runners with dietary restrictions
Food is another hot topic in the running community! Runners are always trying to figure out what the best foods to eat are in order to keep running healthy and strong.
Matt has a running blog at No Meat Athlete. Well, as you can gather from the name of the blog, he narrowed down his running focus further which has turned into a go-to running blog for vegetarian runners and vegan runners, and really, any runners who are interested in learning more about healthy eating when training for a race!
Through his No Meat Athlete blog, Matt shares information on supplementing running with good nutrition using his experience running marathons and ultra-marathons. He also uses it as a place to sell this cookbook that he created. The book is loaded with vegan recipes that will also provide runners with the fuel they need to be strong during their training.
3. Make a digital course, like an e-course that offers solutions to running injuries
Back to that thing about how becoming a better runner isn’t just about the act of running, and back to that thing about offering solutions to running injuries! Or in this case, preventing those running injuries in the first place!
Beth is a runner who is also a yoga instructor with a fitness blog at Sublimely Fit. She combines her two interests of running and yoga to provide value to runners who are looking to use yoga to stay healthy when running through this online course specifically on yoga for runners.
4. Provide running services, like as a running coach
There are tons of runners who are looking to take their training to the next level. And there are tons of runners who like being a part of a running group to help keep them motivated for their next race. Maybe you can even relate!
Laura has a running blog at This Runner’s Recipes. She uses her blog as a place to promote these coaching services for both a one-on-one personalized coaching experience and an online group training experience.
5. Provide non-running services, like as a personal trainer
So once again… back to that thing where becoming a better runner is more than about just running… and back to that thing about how no one wants running injuries… and back to that thing about preventing injuries!
Lea is a runner who is also a personal trainer with a fitness blog at Lea Genders Fitness. She has infographics like this one on Pinterest to give you simple actionable ideas of strength training exercises to do as a runner! And she uses her blog to showcase these services as a personal trainer.
Using a running blog as a path to start a fitness career
If you’re considering starting a running blog, there’s a good chance that you like to help people too.
As it turns out, all of the running bloggers listed above have a background as a running coach, health coach, personal trainer, or nutrition expert. And what’s listed is just one of the many products or services they offer. You can take a look at their websites for more ideas for your own blog!
You may be thinking that you don’t have the expertise to offer to create any sort of book, course, or coaching to runners.
Maybe you’re not qualified in this very moment, but if it’s something that you’re interested in, it could be a goal to work towards. It could be to bring in a little extra income, and it could be to start a second career. Everyone has to start their career somewhere, and that includes starting a fitness career!
Starting a running blog could be a step in that direction. And if you are a beginner runner, there’s no one better who can relate to all the questions a new runner would have! It’s not so far in the distant past that you started running, so you can remember all those beginner questions like it was yesterday compared to more experienced runners!
Listed above are just some of the ways you can make money from your running blog! You don’t have to be an “expert” as defined by the world in order to make it as a running blogger! You really just need to be 2 steps ahead of the next beginner runner so they’ll have something to learn from you… or so they can be inspired by you!
If you’re curious about what goes into becoming a running coach, have a look at How to become a running coach!
Think the long game when you start a running blog!
There is no one-size-fits-all of making money from your blog! As you continue on your blogging journey, you’ll want to keep an open mind so you can figure out what the best path for you and your blog is! What works for one blogger may not work for another blogger! You are the only one who’s thinking about what’s best for you!
All it takes is one blogger to give you an idea that you can work with for your own blog. As a runner, in addition to running blogs, you can get ideas from fitness blogs, food blogs, cooking blogs, yoga blogs, triathlon blogs, and weight loss blogs. Because these topics can all relate to running!
And remember, in true running fashion: Starting a blog, and growing a successful website, is a marathon and not a sprint! Don’t give up after 3 months. See it through for at least a full marathon cycle… or two… or three. 😉
Ready to hit the ground running 😉 and start a running blog?
See next: How to start a blog and grow your traffic! (With tools I used to get to 100,000 monthly views on this website!)
HAPPY BLOGGING!
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There are affiliate links on this page. Among other partners, as an Amazon Associate, I may receive a commission.
🐠 Here are things you must consider packing!
- Swimsuit or swimming shirt aka rash guard
- rash guard: swim set for women and swim shirt for men
- Water shoes
- Waterproof phone case (so you can capture pictures of fishies underwater!)
- cheapo phone case OR waterproof camera
- I also have this "camera" wrist float to attach to my cheapo waterproof phone case so my phone won't sink to the bottom of the ocean in case I somehow let go of it. (Mine does stay afloat - test this for yourself before completely trusting it!)
- Swimming goggles or snorkeling mask set
- Reef-safe(r) sunscreen
- lightweight travel towel:
- walking sandals:
I also don't go snorkeling without a personal swim float buoy. Not only does it help to keep me visible, but it makes for a perfect way to rest out in deeper water! Oh, and it also serves as a dry bag so I can take stuff into the water with me.
Another way I have taken valuables into the water with me is to wear a travel money belt that I don't mind getting wet with salt water (it's not waterproof but I have several so I just use one of them) and then I put things in a ziplock freezer bag, and put that freezer bag in the money belt.
There are also designated waterproof waist pouches that you can store your valuables and take into the water with you.
see more:
- What to wear hiking
- What to wear snorkeling
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