A Manchester-based student is setting his sights on a new endurance milestone, aiming to complete a 10 kilometre run in under 40 minutes as part of an ongoing personal and creative project.
Ollie Drieu, 21, is in his final year studying film at Manchester Metropolitan University. Alongside his degree, he documents his training through a YouTube channel launched in December 2024, initially attracting only a small audience. Since then, the Ollie Drieu running challenge has gathered momentum, with his videos now followed by more than 2,000 subscribers.
The channel charts a series of self-set challenges, with running becoming a central theme. Ollie explained his motivation for making the process public.
“I started my channel because I wanted to force myself to learn and accomplish new things. It’s often easy to give up on new challenges, but when I publicly say I’m going to learn to juggle, solve a Rubik’s cube, and most notably run a sub-20-minute 5K, I feel obligated to give it my best shot! Plus, as a filmmaking student at MMU, any opportunity to practice making videos is great for me.”
After 332 days of training and 135 uploaded videos, he achieved his target at the South Manchester parkrun in Platts Field Park, recording a time of 19 minutes and 39 seconds. Footage of the run attracted close to 8,500 views, with viewers responding positively across the platform.
Ollie reflected on the unexpected level of engagement.
“When I started, I knew running was a big aspect of a lot of people’s lives, but I didn’t know that anyone would care about my personal training journey. Progress has been gradual, but with every video I post I get more people joining me on the journey.”
Audience data shows that around 40% of subscribers are based in the UK, with most viewers being men in their 20s and 30s, though the content reaches a broad mix of ages and genders.
Originally from Jersey, Ollie is currently living in Fallowfield while completing his studies. During regular training runs, he passes Francis House Children’s Hospice in Didsbury. This prompted the next stage of the Ollie Drieu running challenge, combining athletic goals with fundraising for the hospice.
“Francis House is a local charity to me in Manchester, and I thought being able to have a human connection with a charity – rather than one completely online – would give me a better understanding of exactly what I’m running for.
“When a subscriber suggested supporting a children’s hospice, I looked more into Francis House, and knew it was the one. Training can often be tedious and painful, and it’s not the easiest to motivate yourself. Knowing I’m running for an important cause would not only give me perspective on my problems (having to go on a run in the rain is nothing compared to challenges the children and their families face at the hospice), but with my growing YouTube audience it seemed a waste to not try to do some good with it.”
His next objective requires reducing his personal best by almost two minutes, meaning each kilometre must be completed in four minutes or less. Ollie believes his experience from the previous challenge has laid stronger foundations.
“Hopefully this challenge will not be as hard as the last one. With my sub-20 5K, I didn’t have the foundations that I have now. I didn’t know how to train, eat, recover, race, etc. Fortunately now, after a year of mistakes, I know a bit more on how to run fast. With this foundation, training will be smoother, but certainly not easy! Shaving 2 minutes off a run seems simple, but in practice that’s going to be a lot of discomfort on my end.
“My prediction could be completely off, but I estimate I’ll break 40 minutes by February 2026. I could take a lot longer, but recently I smashed my 5K PB by 42 seconds, so my fitness is good at the moment. My plan is to do it in a race environment, so I’ve booked a 10k race on February 8, 2026, at Heaton Park in Manchester.”
Preparation for the Ollie Drieu running challenge includes running five to six times per week, combining interval sessions, sprints, half marathons, 10k distances and strength training.
Francis House Children’s Hospice supports children and young people with life-limiting conditions and their families across Greater Manchester. Its services include respite care, sibling support, homecare, emotional and bereavement support. The hospice has operated for 34 years and costs £5.8 million annually, with most funding coming from donations.
Patrick Storey, fundraising officer at Francis House, welcomed Ollie’s involvement.
“We’re delighted that Ollie has chosen to support Francis House on his running journey! We really appreciate his commitment, and we’re looking forward to seeing him smash his challenges while raising vital funds that will help provide care for local families.”
