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How to Find Running Influencers in Singapore (A Method for Brands)

By Zhanna Kapranova, Co-founder, ContentGenZ · ITF tennis coach and tennis content creator · 2026-11-07

The best way to find running influencers in Singapore isn't a ranked list sorted by followers. It's to look where Singapore runners already gather: run clubs, race weekends, Strava and local hashtags, then check each candidate against a short scorecard before you pay anyone. This guide gives you the five places to look, a 10-point vetting scorecard you can copy, and a timeline that lines your search up with the race calendar. It's written for marketing leads and founders at running, sports nutrition, apparel and wearables brands in Singapore.

I'm Zhanna, co-founder of ContentGenZ, an ITF tennis coach and a tennis content creator. We built Cosmez by ContentGenZ to help sports brands find the creators who sell, and running is one of the sports we see most demand for.

Why finding running influencers in Singapore is different

Running is one of the biggest activities in Singapore. In Sport Singapore's National Sports Participation Survey for 2022, jogging and running (40%) and walking (29%) were the two most common activities among residents who exercised weekly (Yahoo News Singapore, June 2023).

But a big sport doesn't mean a big pool of good creators. Three things make running specific:

  • Credibility is measurable. Runners can check a creator's pace, races and mileage. A creator who claims a shoe "made me faster" with no training behind it gets called out in the comments.
  • The community is offline first. Singapore has a big run-club scene, with clubs meeting most nights of the week. Influence often sits with a pacer or club organiser with 3,000 followers, not a lifestyle account with 100,000.
  • The calendar drives buying. Shoes, gels and kit sell in the weeks before big races. Find your creators too late and they're already booked or tapering.

Ranked directory pages are a useful starting list, but they mostly sort by follower count, with no view on whether a creator really trains, where their audience lives, or whether they've sold anything.

5 places to find running creators in Singapore

1. Run clubs

The official site of the BYD Singapore International Marathon lists 27 Singapore run clubs with their weekly run days, from adidas Runners Singapore and Running Department to Urban Milers, Happy Pace Club and The Social Running Club (Singapore International Marathon run clubs). Each club has organisers, pacers and regulars who post every session.

How to use it: follow the clubs' accounts for two weeks. Note who gets tagged most, who films the runs and whose comments are full of questions. Those are your shortlist.

2. Race weekends

Race photos and recap videos surface creators fast. The marathon, now the BYD Singapore International Marathon presented by adidas, runs from 4 to 6 December 2026, with a cap of 52,000 runners after 55,000 took part in 2025 (Mothership, March 2026). Search the race hashtags and tagged locations in the week after: who posted a race-day vlog people watched to the end?

3. Strava

Strava clubs and segments show who actually runs, how often and how far. A creator who posts about marathon training should have the mileage to match. Ask shortlisted creators to share their public profile or a training screenshot. It's a normal request in running.

4. Local hashtags and places

Search Instagram and TikTok for Singapore running tags such as #sgrunners, #runsg and #sgrunning, and for places runners post from: East Coast Park, MacRitchie, Marina Bay and the park connectors. NParks is building a 150 km Round Island Route around Singapore, with the first 75 km open since January 2022 (NParks), and long-run vlogs along it are common.

5. Platform tools

  • TikTok One (TikTok's creator marketplace) lets brands search and contact creators; creators must be 18 or over with at least 1,000 followers to join (TikTok Ads Help). Check that creator search is open to your ad account's region before you plan around it.
  • TikTok Shop's affiliate programme has run in Singapore since TikTok Shop launched here in November 2022 (TikTok Newsroom), so creators who already sell running products on commission are visible in Seller Center.
  • Instagram's creator marketplace wasn't listed for Singapore in Meta's 2024 expansion announcement, so for now, search Instagram by hand.

Our guide to sports influencer marketing in Singapore covers what to do once you have a shortlist: tracking, budget and boosting.

Fast runners or relatable runners?

Before you search, decide which kind of runner your product needs:

Product Best fit Why
Racing shoes, carbon plates, performance watches Competitive runners with race results Speed claims only land if the creator's times back them up
Daily trainers, apparel, socks Club regulars and relatable runners Followers run at similar paces and trust "I've done 300 km in these"
Gels, hydration, recovery Marathon and ultra trainees Long-run vlogs show the product used when it matters
Beginner gear, women's running kit New runners documenting a first 5 km or 10 km Their audience is people about to buy their first pair

A mismatch is the most common mistake: a performance shoe on a runner who isn't fast reads as an ad, not a recommendation.

A 10-point vetting scorecard for running creators

Score each shortlisted creator 0, 1 or 2 on each line. This is our own working checklist, not an industry standard. Anyone scoring 14 or more out of 20 is worth an offer.

# Check How to check it
1 Runs consistently 3 months of real training posts, not just sponsored ones
2 Credible for your product Race results or mileage that match the claim you'll make
3 Singapore audience Ask for an audience-location screenshot
4 Engagement on unpaid posts Likes and comments against followers, on normal posts
5 Comments ask about gear "Which shoes?" "How's the sizing?" means people buy from them
6 Sponsored posts hold up Paid posts get close to their normal engagement
7 Already discloses Past paid or gifted posts are clearly labelled
8 Fits your sizes and stock Shoe size and fit match what you can send and sell
9 Free before your key race Not tapering, injured or booked by a competitor that month
10 Will share results Happy to use their own code and link, and send post stats

Line 9 is the one brands forget. Runners training for the December marathon are a good example: their October and November feeds are full of training, and their availability for new partners shrinks.

Work backwards from the race your product is for. Here's an example for the December marathon weekend; shift the dates for other races such as the Great Eastern Women's Run or the Income Eco Run.

When What to do
12 weeks before Brief written; shortlist 10–15 creators from the five places above
10 weeks before Score with the checklist; send offers to the top 4–6
8 weeks before Product delivered; codes and links set up; usage rights agreed
8 to 2 weeks before Training-log content: long runs, gear tests, "after 100 km" reviews
Race week Kit flat lays, race-day vlogs, recovery posts
1 week after Rank creators by cost per order; boost the best post

If you're reading this in November, you're late for December. Use it for a smaller test now and plan the next race properly.

Disclosure: gifted shoes count

The Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore's guidelines on interactive marketing and social media apply to brands as well as creators, and treat free product as a commercial connection that must be clearly disclosed (ASAS). Put the disclosure requirement in your offer, and check every post before you boost it. Our influencer contract guide covers the clauses to include.

Do it faster with Cosmez

The search above works, but it takes a few weeks per race. In Cosmez you write the brief, see running creators with their reach, engagement and expected cost, or invite the ones you already work with by link. You send offers with terms and usage rights, and Shopify and TikTok Shop sales are tied to each creator so you know who to book for the next race. Book a demo of Cosmez.

Running creator yourself? See how to get paid as a sports content creator in Singapore, or create your Cosmez creator profile.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Should a running brand work with fast runners or casual runners?

Match the runner to the product. A carbon-plated racing shoe needs someone whose times make the claim believable; an everyday trainer, apparel or hydration sells well through relatable runners whose followers run at similar paces.

How many running creators should a first campaign use?

Four to six is enough to compare sales without losing track. Give each one their own discount code and link so you can see who drove orders.

Can I work with a Singapore run club instead of one influencer?

Yes. Many Singapore clubs run weekly group sessions, and some already work with brands on product trials. Agree in writing what the club posts, who appears on camera and how the partnership is disclosed.

Do running influencers in Singapore have to disclose gifted shoes?

Yes. Singapore's advertising guidelines treat free product as a commercial connection, so gifted gear needs the same clear label as a paid post.