Georgia man runs absurd 5K every day in pursuit of fame
The rise of a comedic running genius
C/O Jacob Cohen
For the past 20 days, Atlanta’s Jacob Cohen has been running daily 5Ks in odd locations. No, not like around his neighbour’s backyard–we’re talking in the shower, in a portable toilet, in an elevator, and, most recently, in a coffee shop. His ultimate goal? Grow his Instagram following, and make people laugh.
Cohen, who has been running for two years, wants to become a full-time running influencer, creating comedic content that tells a story and inspires others. He started the challenge with 3,500 Instagram followers, and in less than two weeks, he’s reached nearly 17,000 followers. “Even non-runners are into it,” he told Canadian Running.
He’ll continue his daily challenges until he hits 100,000 followers.
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Cohen has been uploading the runs to Strava, along with documenting them on Instagram. His most viral run, which entailed tackling 5K on his bed, earned more than 850,000 views and nearly 42,000 likes.
His other runs include:
- 5K around a coffee table
- 5K around a city bike
- 5K around a pumpkin
- 5K around a statue of a bear
- 5K while crawling
- 5K in a cemetery
- 5K in a trash can in his garage
- 5K around a statue on Veterans Day
- 5K around a food delivery robot
- 5K in a box
- 5K on his couch
- 5K in his kitchen
- 5K around a pole
- 5K around a rock
- 5K around a tree
- 5K at Buc-ee’s convenience store
- 5K on his kitchen counter
- 5K in an art studio
Cohen’s favourite edition of the challenge so far was running 5K in a bathtub. “My friend let me use his tub,” he said. “And we couldn’t stop laughing.”
The Strava uploads, mapping out these runs, are hilarious.
But he’s not taking on these runs in normal running clothes. He often spices it up with a costume or some accessories: dressing as a fish or a beaver, or sporting multiple medals, a plunger on his head, a Speedo or a bike helmet, to name a few.
The difficulty of running in small spaces is evident in his Strava uploads. For example, Cohen tackled his Veterans Day 5K around a large statue in 35 minutes, averaging 6:29/km. But when he ran 5K on his bed, it took him 53 minutes to complete the distance (9:50/km). On top of his daily 5Ks, his training regimen still includes more “conventional” workouts. He trains with run clubs and friends, with weekly mileage totalling around 64 km; he also does weightlifting and HIIT workouts four to six times a week.
