The Boston Marathon has always been a test of endurance, but runners will argue it is also a form of expression. In recent years, more and more athletes have started to share their journeys online. On social media, the race isn’t just about pace and placement anymore—it’s about documenting the process: the struggle, the strategy, and the story.
For runners like Brett Chody, a former University of Southern California track athlete turned influencer, the marathon becomes more than a finish-line fixation—it’s a way to show what pushing your limits looks and feels like. And with the right fuel (or bites), gear, and music, even our infamous Heartbreak Hill starts to feel within reach.
If the name doesn’t sound familiar, her voice might. A clip from Therapuss—a podcast hosted by her roommate-slash-best-friend and content creator Jake Shane—went viral on TikTok, featuring Chody as a guest.
“Not to sound, like, really stupid, but is the Boston Marathon longer than the L.A. Marathon?” asked Shane.
“No, all marathons are the same length,” Chody said. “That’s common sense, I fear.”
While many sports influencers focus solely on physical performance, Chody blends running with food, lifestyle, beauty, and pop culture. In doing so, the 24-year-old Illinois native has found her niche, her ever-growing fanbase its living proof. Best known for her online profiles named “Brett’s Bites,” Chody has amassed more than 80,000 followers on Instagram by sharing her life in motion (and in meals).
Chody started running in the seventh grade, ran varsity cross country and track all four years of high school, and went on to compete at the Division I level at USC. But just months into her freshman year, a series of injuries forced her to temporarily step away from the sport.
“At that point, I was incredibly burnt out by the sport,” Chody said.
After graduating college, though, she found her way back to running—this time on her own terms. She joined a local run club in Los Angeles, where she still lives today, and within six months, completed her first half marathon. A full marathon followed shortly after. But don’t be fooled, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, even for a lifelong runner like Chody.
“When I take a break and am getting back into shape, it is always a humbling experience, even for someone who’s a seasoned runner,” said Chody. “You have to take it step by step instead of trying to run, like, five miles.”
Around that time, her posts became more consistent, and Chody truly committed to the “Brett’s Bites” account.
“I kept sharing, leading up to the race, and it ended up going better than I had ever expected it to,” said Chody. “And so, after that, it just became a part of my content, but also not a focus point.”
That’s where the “bites” come into play. Alongside running, Chody is known for her food content, where she shares parts of her diet in a healthy and balanced way—something that’s become increasingly rare in an online world dominated by extreme diets and restrictive trends.
Over the past year, Chody’s dessert bowls have become a staple of her content on Instagram and TikTok—almost always starting with Garrett Popcorn. The Chicago-based business, owned by her family, is where Chody also works on the social media team.
The influencer started her Instagram account in 2017, while she was still in high school, where she mostly shared smoothie recipes and snacks. “Brett’s Bites” was dormant for a couple of years but was brought back during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That [2020] summer, I revamped it, and it became more lifestyle, showing a lot of my workouts, and that is when I started getting more followers, and I’ve been posting consistently since,” Chody said.
That mix of performance and personality is exactly what made her Boston Marathon content stand out. When Chody ran the race last year, she did more than run—she framed the experience, offering a curated, but honest, view into the journey.
“Boston as a whole, I adored,” Chody said. “I loved the entire marathon weekend experience, but the actual race did not go very well for me.”
She explained that race day was unusually warm with temperatures reaching the 70s, something she had accounted for in training. That kind of heat can seriously impact performance, and it is a common concern among runners.
Some athletes even layer up during training, wearing hoodies or extra clothing in warmer climates to prepare for races held in hot conditions. But in Boston, even with its unpredictable spring weather, runners typically expect cool temperatures, making the sudden heat all the more difficult to handle.
That being said, the experience and the Boston crowd energy are unlike any other.
“While the race didn’t go as planned for me, it was just really cool to run such a historic marathon,” said Chody. “The energy when I ran through BC was awesome. There were so many girls there that were cheering. It was so sweet.”
As for the course itself, Chody reports how, for the first 10 miles, it is a net downhill. Her advice to runners? Don’t start out too fast—really hold back, especially in those first 5 or 6 miles. Your legs will thank you later.
“It was something I was even telling myself during the race,” said Chody. “I was like, ‘hold back, hold back,’ and I thought I was holding back enough, but I wasn’t. I still was going out way too fast.”
The Boston Marathon is known by runners for its infamous hills. The crowd—especially us, here at Boston College—tends to focus on Heartbreak Hill, but the influencer emphasizes how there are actually four hills. The Newton Hills, as they are known, are especially tricky as they are located within a 6-mile stretch toward the end of the course, presenting a late-race challenge.
And while she can’t run the miles for you, she can help you get in the zone. For those of you runners who aren’t yet “loyal biters”—as Chody often refers to her fans—here’s some advice: Set aside some time before your next training session and look up “Brett Chody” on Spotify. You’ll find all kinds of playlists to put on as the soundtrack of your next course.
When asked about her training schedule and music, Chody said that she carefully crafts the designated marathon playlist but does not listen to it until the day of the race.
“I don’t use it until race day because I’m kind of superstitious like that,” Chody said, “It has a lot of the same songs that I train with, but it’s a specific curation, if you will.”
When it comes to fuel, marathoners have their preferences. Some swear by gels, others go for cubes. Chody’s favorite, however, is Honey Stinger Energy Chews. She eats every 30 minutes, an interval that might seem frequent to some, but, as she points out, the marathon standard is 30 grams of carbs every 30 minutes. And if you’re not a multitasker, don’t worry—just like Chody, you’ll get used to chewing and running at the same time.
Fuel aside, Chody also puts thought into how she moves between runs. Her cross-training routine varies, but often includes one lift session, one or two [solidcore] classes, and an occasional hot yoga class at CorePower.
But there’s more to her routine than what happens on the mat or the road. That blend of content and athleticism raises a bigger question for many followers: Does sharing your training online change your relationship with the sport? For Chody, the answer is yes—in the best way.
She recalls watching the LA Marathon recently with a friend. As they stood cheering from the sidelines, some runners spotted her mid-race and shouted, “You’re the reason I’m running this!”
“The fact that I could inspire even one person to run and do something different, to challenge themselves and feel better about themselves, or to find an outlet that helps them mentally and emotionally, just means the world to me,” said Chody.
Looking ahead, Chody has her sights set on more travel and more run clubs, expanding them to be hosted across the country. But in the meantime, fans can expect marathon content to ramp back up in June as she starts training for the Chicago Marathon in October.
And who knows, maybe a Boston run club will be on the calendar for 2026—with Mile 21 as the meeting point.
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