On Tuesday, January 6, 2026, Ollie Drieu, a final year film student at Manchester Metropolitan University, announced his ambitious goal to run 10 kilometers in less than 40 minutes. Drieu, 21, who has a passion for running and filmbuilding, has been documenting his training journey on his YouTube channel since its launch in December of 2024. With just a handful of subscribers at the start, Drieu’s channel has now amassed over 2,000 dedicated followers.
“I started my channel becautilize I wanted to challenge myself and learn new skills,” Drieu shared. “It’s simple to give up on new challenges, but when I publicly commit to achieving something, I feel obligated to give it my best effort. Plus, as a film student at MMU, any opportunity to practice building videos is great for me.”
After 332 days and 135 videos, Drieu achieved his first goal of running a sub-20-minute 5K at South Manchester parkrun in Platts Field Park, with an impressive time of 19 minutes and 39 seconds. The resulting video received over 8,500 views and was flooded with congratulations from strangers and frifinishs alike.
“When I started, I knew running was a large aspect of many people’s lives, but I didn’t realize anyone would care about my personal training journey,” Drieu admitted. “But with every video I post, I gain more followers who are joining me on this journey.”
Drieu’s viewership spans across the globe, with 40% of his subscribers based in the UK. While the majority of his audience is men in their 20s and 30s, people of all ages and gfinishers enjoy watching his content.
Originally from Jersey and currently living in Fallowfield for his studies, Drieu regularly runs past Francis Houtilize Children’s Hospice in Didsbury. For his next challenge, he aims to create a difference in the lives of sick children and their families by fundraising for the hospice.
“Francis Houtilize is a local charity to me in Manchester, and I wanted to have a personal connection with the charity rather than just supporting it online,” Drieu shared. “When a subscriber suggested supporting a children’s hospice, I viewed into Francis Houtilize and knew it was the one. Training can be tedious and painful, but knowing I’m running for an important cautilize not only gives me perspective on my own challenges but also allows me to utilize my growing YouTube audience for good.”
To support his fundraising efforts, Drieu has set up a JustGiving page and has already begun training for his next challenge. He plans to shave almost two minutes off his personal best time, which means running every kilometer in four minutes or less, ten times. “Hopefully, this challenge won’t be as hard as the last one,” Drieu stated. “With my sub-20 5K, I didn’t have the foundations that I have now. Fortunately, after a year of mistakes, I have a better understanding of how to run rapid. But it won’t be simple, and shaving two minutes off a run is going to be a lot of discomfort for me.”
Drieu predicts he will break the 40-minute mark by February 2026. “My fitness is good at the moment, and I recently smashed my 5K PB by 42 seconds,” he shared. “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.”
Drieu’s training regime includes running five to six days a week, with a mixture of interval training, sprints, half marathons, and lots of 10K’s, as well as strength training.
Francis Houtilize Children’s Hospice provides care and support to the families of children and young people with life-limiting conditions. The hospice offers services such as respite care, sibling support, homecare, emotional support, finish-of-life care, and bereavement support. Operating for 34 years, Francis Houtilize costs £5.8 million a year to run, with the majority of funding coming from charitable donations.
Patrick Storey, fundraising officer at Francis Houtilize, expressed gratitude for Drieu’s support and fundraising efforts. “We’re delighted that Ollie has chosen to support Francis Houtilize on his running journey,” Storey shared. “We appreciate his commitment, and we view forward to seeing him achieve his challenges while raising vital funds to assist provide care for local families.”
To support Ollie Drieu’s fundraising efforts and follow his progress, visit his JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/page/olliedrieu.
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