A Note From The Owner: Our Situation With Instagram

Hey everyone — this is Diego, founder of The Runner Journal.

If you're reading this, you might have noticed we’ve gone quiet on Instagram. Unfortunately, our verified account @therunnerjournal was wrongfully taken down by Instagram due to what appears to be a false copyright claim. Despite being a Meta Verified subscriber — a service we paid for to ensure platform support and protection — we were given no warning, no explanation, and no clear appeal path.

All of the content we post is either created by us, shared with permission, or transformed under fair use. What’s most frustrating is that we’ve worked hard to build a trusted platform for the running community — not just to share race recaps or athlete interviews, but to celebrate a sport we love.

This account wasn’t just a social media page — it was our home base for interviews, brand collaborations, and connecting with over 20 million monthly visitors.

We’ve submitted multiple appeals and have now sent a formal legal letter to Meta, asking for transparency, accountability, and the reinstatement of our account.

How You Can Help

If The Runner Journal has ever inspired you, made you smile, introduced you to a runner you’d never heard of, or just reminded you why this sport is special — here’s what you can do to help:

• Share this article. Let people know what happened and that we’re still here.

• Tag @instagram and @creators with the hashtag #BringBackTheRunnerJournal

• Follow our newsletter and check out our website at www.therunnerjournal.org

• Reach out — if you know anyone who works at Meta, Instagram, or in digital media law, we’re open to guidance or support.

If This Doesn’t Work Out…

No matter what happens, I just want to say thank you. Truly. The Runner Journal started as a passion project and became something so much bigger because of all of you — the readers, runners, storytellers, and friends who’ve shown up over the years.

If this ends here, it ends knowing that we built something meaningful. And that’s more than I ever expected.

But we’re not done fighting yet.

— Diego TobiasFounder, The Runner Journal