Welcome to the 2021 Fresh Brew Awards, where I give my favorite (and least favorite) things in the running universe in 2021. It’s been an eventful year, so why not hand out some illustrious awards to close out another year around the sun? Below is my video, but the full awards show is written out below. Enjoy!
Running YouTuber of the Year
The 2021 Fresh Brew YouTuber of the year is Stephen Gnoza and his “Serious Runner” series. Part of the reason I started making videos was because I was frustrated with the deadpan self-importance of much of the running video content I found. Stephen’s satirical videos take some of that overly serious content to task, with classics such as “A Serious Runner Does an Easy Run” and “A Serious Runner Posts on Instagram” among others.
Running Podcast of the Year
The 2021 Fresh Brew Podcast of the year award goes to the Six Minute Mile Podcast. Mostly known as an informative and entertaining email newsletter, the podcast version also strikes that balance. With interesting and fun conversations, this pod was my favorite in 2021.
Worst Intersection of the Year
If you’ve followed my content, you know I am in constant disdain over the lack of pedestrian-friendly infrastructure in the Metro Detroit area. This city was built for cars, and cyclists, walkers, and runners are clearly an afterthought. So this award goes to the worst of the worst intersection. Congratulations to 6th and Main Steet in Royal Oak for taking the award this year. Main Street is a busy thoroughfare and this intersection is quite challenging t cross. Instead of a traditional pedestrian crossing, stop sign or stop light, there’s a tiny “yield to pedestrians” sign in the middle of the road that approximately every car ignores. It’s dangerous, hard to cross, and the winner for the worst intersection of the year.
Most Runner-Friendly City
This year’s runner-friendly city (based on my own personal observations) is Ferndale, MI. As I mentioned earlier, Metro Detroit isn’t the friendliest area for runners, but at least Ferndale is trying. From dedicated bike lanes, to real pedestrian crossings, to drivers who actually pay attention to us peons running in the streets, Ferndale is putting in more effort than most cities. Of course there’s work to be done (like making it less of a dangerous journey to cross Woodward), but congrats to Ferndale.
Running Route of the Year
The Fresh Brew Running Route of the Year goes to the Riverwalk in Detroit. I made a video about this, which you should watch, but a few highlights are the fact that you don’t have to deal with cars, the scenery of the city and the river, and the accessible bathrooms. Congratulations, Riverwalk.
Running Tech of the Year
The winner for Running Tech of the Year goes to the Whoop Strap. This wearable fitness tracker measures strain, recovery and sleep, and a myriad of data points in between. For runners specifically, I most like the fact that it will help you gauge whether you are fatigued or just unmotivated about getting out of bed and running in 33-degree weather. It can also help you track different things that impact your workouts and recovery. For example, if I don’t wear blue-light-blocking glasses at night, my sleep is much worse. If you’re serious about your training, I highly recommend this product.
Second Place Finish of the Year
The winner for the Fresh Brew Second Place Finish of the year goes to me, for my second-place finish at the Volkslaufe 10K in July this past year. It’s my awards show after all, right? Congrats to me. Check out my vlog here.
Coffee Shop of the Year
This is the Fresh BREW Run Club after all, so the award for the 2021 Coffee Shop of the Year goes to Desert Oasis in Royal Oak, MI. The winner of this category not only has to have great coffee (they do), but also excellent vibes inside the shop (they also do). It’s a great place to grab a fresh brew, sit down by the window and do your thing on a laptop or read a book. Congrats, Desert Oasis.
Brew of the Year (Coffee)
The 2021 Fresh Brew Coffee Brew of the year goes to Nespresso’s Intenso coffee. I am a big fan of Nespresso, and in my opinion, this is their best work. It’s bold, pairs well with a little splash of creamer and will give you that caffeine boost needed to power through a long run. Congratulations, Intenso.
Brew of the Year (Beer)
For after your run, the 2021 Beer Brew of the Year goes to the Mr. Blue Sky Raspberry from Griffin Claw. This Wheat Ale is a spin on their popular original Mr. Blue Sky, but this time with a raspberry twist. Perfect for a hot summer day in the backyard, or on a patio somewhere. Buy it here.
Runner of the Year
The Fresh Brew Run Club Runner of the Year award for 2021 goes to Craig Engles. The FBRC is all about having fun, good vibes, and cracking some jokes, and Craig embodies this mentality. Funny, honest and quite fast, it was great seeing Craig get some national exposure to people outside of the running world (such as his appearance on Pardon My Take). The kind of runner you want to crack a fresh brew with.
Shoe of the Year
If I learned anything from making videos this year, it’s that people care the most about my shoe reviews. So that’s why I saved this category for last in The 2021 Fresh Brew Awards. The 2021 Fresh Brew Run Club Shoe of the Year goes to the Nike ZoomX Invincible. I’ve made a bunch of videos about this shoe, so check those out for my full thoughts, but overall, I loved running in this shoe. From the massive foam cushioning, to the rocking motion when you run to the durability, this shoe has been with me for a majority of my runs this season. I dare say it has surpassed the Nike Pegasus Turbo as my all-time favorite shoe. Here’s to you, Invincible!
Thanks for reading the 2021 Fresh Brew Awards! If you haven’t subscribed to my YouTube channel, be sure to do that for more running-related content. Happy trails!