The running boom of the 1970s occurred in high- and middle-income countries. It was particularly pronounced in the United States and occurred in other countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and in Europe. The boom was primarily a ‘jogging’ movement in which running was generally limited to personal physical activity and often pursued alone for recreation and fitness. It was also associated with a growth in public participation in competitive

road running Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road. This differs from track and field on a regular track and cross country running over natural terrain. These events are usually classified as long-distance ...

during the decade, particularly in the United States, which spread to other countries in the following decade, including the United Kingdom. It is estimated that 25 million Americans took up some aspect of running in the 1970s and 1980s, including President

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...

. Many running events, shoe and apparel manufacturers grew and formed to accommodate the demand. The boom attracted women and individuals in minority communities, but studies from the time showed that participants in running races were most commonly university-educated men in white-collar occupations.

Background

Growth in

jogging Jogging is a form of trotting or running at a slow or leisurely pace. The main intention is to increase physical fitness with less stress on the body than from faster running but more than walking, or to maintain a steady speed for longer periods ...

began in the late 1960s, building on a post-World War II trend towards non-organized, individualistic, health-oriented physical and recreational activities.Fit Bodies. Fitness Culture and Gym
Sassatelli, Roberta. 2006. In New Zealand,

Arthur Lydiard Arthur Leslie Lydiard (6 July 1917 – 11 December 2004) was a New Zealand runner and athletics coach. He has been lauded as one of the outstanding athletics coaches of all time and is credited with popularising the sport of running and making ...

presided over the country's golden era in world

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

during the 1960s. Lydiard published ''Run to the Top'' in 1962 and in the same year introduced

Bill Bowerman William Jay Bowerman (February 19, 1911 – December 24, 1999) was an American track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc. Over his career, he trained 31 Olympic athletes, 51 All-Americans, 12 American record-holders, 22 NCAA champi ...

to the concept of

running Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is ...

as a fitness routine, including for people of an advanced age. Bowerman took running back to the United States; he began a public jogging program at

Hayward Field Hayward Field is a track and field stadium in the northwest United States, located on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. It has been the home of the university's track and field teams since 1921, and was the on-campus ho ...

in 1963 and published ''Jogging'' in 1966 which helped to popularize the concept in the U.S.

Jim Ryun James Ronald Ryun (born April 29, 1947) is an American former Republican politician and Olympic track and field athlete, who at his peak was widely considered the world's top middle-distance runner. He won a silver medal in the 1500 m at the ...

grew from a top high school runner to an American sports hero and a popular rivalry with

Marty Liquori Martin William Liquori (born September 11, 1949) is a retired American middle distance athlete. Liquori rose to fame when he became the third American high schooler to break the four-minute mile by running a 3:59.8 in 1967, three years after J ...

. American athletes such as

Steve Prefontaine Steve Roland "Pre" Prefontaine (January 25, 1951 – May 30, 1975) was an American long-distance runner who from 1973 to 1975 set American records at every distance from 2,000 to 10,000 meters. He competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics, a ...

raised the profile of the sport.

1972 Olympic marathon

Frank Shorter Frank Charles Shorter (born October 31, 1947) is an American former long-distance runner who won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1972 Summer Olympics and the silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics. His Olympic success, along with the ac ...

's victory in the men's marathon is credited with inspiring the running boom in the United States. He was the third American to win the Olympic marathon, but the first since 1908. The victory was covered by

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

, including dramatic coverage of the finish, when a German imposter ran into the stadium ahead of Shorter. Serving as guest color commentator was writer

Erich Segal Erich Wolf Segal (June 16, 1937January 17, 2010) was an American author, screenwriter, educator, and classicist who wrote the bestselling novel ''Love Story'' (1970) and its hit film adaptation. Early life and education Born and raised in a J ...

, who called out over the airwaves (but obviously inaudible to Shorter) "It's a fraud, Frank." In 2000, the ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...

'' included the phrase among the ten most memorable American sports calls. The television story changed the way Americans viewed the sport of long-distance running. According to Joe Muldowney, at the time "most Americans had no idea what the marathon was, let alone its weird 26.2-mile distance. Some folks may have heard of the Boston Marathon, an event that had been held since 1897, but few Americans had the desire to tackle the race itself."

Growth in participation

The boom was primarily a ‘jogging’ movement in which running was generally limited to personal physical activity and often pursued alone for recreation and fitness. Elite athletes and events contributed to the growing popularity and recognition of the sport. Finnish athlete Lasse Viren recaptured the image of the "

Flying Finns "The Flying Finn" ( fi, Lentävä suomalainen, sv, Flygande finländaren) is a nickname given to several Finnish athletes who were noted for their speed. Originally, it was given to several Finnish middle and long-distance runners. The term was ...

". American runners like Bill Rodgers and

Craig Virgin Craig Steven Virgin (born August 2, 1955) is an American distance runner. He was born in Belleville, Illinois and grew up near Lebanon, Illinois. While in high school, Virgin won 5 state championships (two in cross country and three in track) ...

inspired the public. New elite teams formed, notably

Athletics West Athletics West (frequently abbreviated in results as AW) was an American running team formed in 1977 by Bill Bowerman, Phil Knight and Geoff Hollister. Overview During the 1970s, a definitive running program for young athletes to continue competi ...

in the United States. The British trio Sebastian Coe, Steve Cram and Steve Ovett, dominated

middle distance running Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle-distance event. The 1 ...

in the late 1970s and 1980s. Many new road racing events evolved in the United States offering public participation. As technology improved, television coverage of major races eventually included: * Bay to Breakers * Boston Marathon *

Chicago Marathon The Chicago Marathon is a marathon (long-distance foot race) held every October in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the six World Marathon Majors. Thus, it is also a World Athletics Label Road Race. The Chicago Marathon is the fourth-largest r ...

Los Angeles Marathon The Los Angeles Marathon (formerly known as the City of Los Angeles Marathon) is an annual running event typically held each spring in Los Angeles, California, since 1986. The marathon was inspired by the success of the 1984 Summer Olympic Ga ...

New York Marathon The New York City Marathon (currently branded TCS New York City Marathon after its headline sponsor) is an annual marathon () that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest marathon in the world, with 53,627 finishe ...

The growth in road racing events spread to other countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and to Europe in the following decade. In the UK, public interest and participation in running grew after Olympians

Chris Brasher Christopher William Brasher CBE (21 August 1928 – 28 February 2003) was a British track and field athlete, sports journalist and co-founder of the London Marathon. Early life and education Born in Georgetown, British Guiana, Brasher went t ...

and

John Disley John Ivor Disley Order of the British Empire, CBE (20 November 1928 – 8 February 2016) was a Welsh athlete. He competed mainly in the 3000 metres steeplechase before co-founding the London Marathon and becoming active in sports promotion and ad ...

founded the

London Marathon The London Marathon is an annual marathon held in London, United Kingdom, and is the 2nd largest annual road race in the UK, after the Great North Run in Newcastle. Founded by athletes Chris Brasher and John Disley in 1981, it is typically he ...

and Brendan Foster started the

Great North Run The Great North Run (branded the Simplyhealth Great North Run for sponsorship purposes) is the largest half marathon in the world, taking place annually in North East England each September. Participants run between Newcastle upon Tyne and South ...

both in 1981. Several British runners who began running in the 1970s achieved "Big City" marathon wins in the 1980s, including Steve Jones (Chicago, New York and London),

Charlie Spedding Charles Spedding (born 19 May 1952 in Bishop Auckland, County Durham) is an English former long-distance runner. Athletics career Spedding was fourth in the 10,000 metres representing England, at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Queensl ...

(London),

Mike Gratton Michael ("Mike") Colin Gratton (born 28 November 1954) is a male former elite long distance runner from Canterbury, Kent, England. Athletics career A member of the Kent athletics club Invicta AC, Gratton is a past winner of the London Marathon. ...

(London), Paul Davies-Hale (Chicago), Geoff Smith (Boston), Hugh Jones (London), Priscilla Welch (New York), Veronique Marot (London) and

Joyce Smith Joyce Esther Smith (née Byatt, born 26 October 1937) is a British former long-distance runner. She broke the world record in the 3000 metres in 1971 and is a three-time medallist at the International/World Cross Country Championships, inclu ...

(London). Women were just beginning to become accepted as athletes. Road running and marathoning became a place they could excel. Female pioneers in the United States including

Kathrine Switzer Kathrine Virginia Switzer (born January 5, 1947) is an American marathon runner, author, and television commentator. In 1967, she became the first woman to run the Boston Marathon as an officially registered competitor. During her run, race man ...

, Jacqueline Hansen and

Miki Gorman Michiko "Miki" Suwa Gorman (August 9, 1935 – September 19, 2015) was an American marathon runner of Japanese ancestry. Gorman did not begin running competitively until she was in her mid-30s, but rapidly emerged as one of the elite marathoning ...

led other women to believe they could run seriously. Mary Decker, Francie Larrieu and

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

Grete Waitz Grete Waitz (, 1 October 195319 April 2011) was a Norwegian marathon runner and former world record holder. In 1979, at the New York City Marathon, she became the first woman in history to run the marathon in under two and a half hours. Waitz wo ...

were all part of a phenomenon that culminated in

Joan Benoit Joan Benoit Samuelson (born May 16, 1957) is an American marathon runner who was the first women's Olympic Games marathon champion, winning the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She held the fastest time for an American woma ...

's 1984 Olympic Marathon victory, which itself inspired more women to run. In the United States,

Title IX Title IX is the most commonly used name for the federal civil rights law in the United States that was enacted as part (Title IX) of the Education Amendments of 1972. It prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other educat ...

, mandating gender equality, was passed in the United States in 1972, opening up scholastic athletic opportunities for women. Many academic institutions used running sports like cross country and

for women to help numerically offset the number of players on their economically lucrative football teams. It is estimated that 25 million Americans took up some aspect of running in the 1970s and 1980s, including President

. Many running events, shoe and apparel manufacturers grew and formed to accommodate the demand. While the boom attracted women and individuals in minority communities, studies from the time showed that participants in running races were most commonly university-educated men in white-collar occupations.

Media in the United States

Many factors combined to build momentum for the boom in the United States. Media coverage was responsive and supportive of the boom. Notable publications included: * ''

Runner's World ''Runner's World'' is a globally circulated monthly magazine for runners of all skills sets, published by Hearst in Easton, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Before its acquisition by Hearst, it was founded and published by Rodale, Inc. in Em ...

'' magazine, launched in 1966 and became a monthly in 1973. Competitors included ''Running'', ''The Runner'' and ''Running Times'', which eventually merged in various forms. *

Jim Fixx James Fuller Fixx (April 23, 1932 – July 20, 1984) was an American who wrote the 1977 best-selling book '' The Complete Book of Running''. He is credited with helping start America's fitness revolution by popularizing the sport of running ...

published ''

The Complete Book of Running ''The Complete Book of Running'' is a 1977 non-fiction book written by Jim Fixx. Overview The book discusses not only the physical benefits of running, but its psychological benefits as well: increasing self-esteem, acquiring a "high" from runn ...

'' in 1977, which became a best seller. * George Sheehan wrote ''Running and Being'' in 1978, a philosophical approach which also became a best seller. Other running authors and writers: * Bob Anderson *

John Bingham John Armor Bingham (January 21, 1815 – March 19, 1900) was an American politician who served as a Republican Party (United States), Republican representative from Ohio and as the United States ambassador to Japan. In his time as a congress ...

Amby Burfoot Ambrose Joel "Amby" Burfoot (born August 19, 1946) is a former American marathoner whose peak competitive years came in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was the winner of the 1968 Boston Marathon. After retiring from competition, he became a ru ...

Kenneth H. Cooper Kenneth H. Cooper (born March 4, 1931, Oklahoma City) is a doctor of medicine and former Air Force lieutenant colonel from Oklahoma, who pioneered the benefits of doing aerobic exercise for maintaining and improving health. In 1966 he coined the ...

Bob Glover Bob Glover is an American author of instructional running books and a running coach in the New York City area. Glover is author of the book ''The Runner's Handbook: The Bestselling Classic Fitness Guide for Beginning and Intermediate Runners'', wh ...

* Joe Henderson *

Hal Higdon Hal Higdon (born June 17, 1931) is an American writer and runner known for his training plans. He is the author of 34 books, including the best-selling ''Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide''. He has worked as a freelance writer since 1959, and ...

Don Kardong Donald Franklin Kardong (born December 22, 1948) is a noted runner and author from the United States. He finished fourth in the 1976 Olympic marathon in Montreal. Biography Kardong graduated from prestigious college-prep school, Seattle Prep i ...

Kenny Moore Kenneth Clark Moore (December 1, 1943 – May 4, 2022) was an American Olympic road running athlete and journalist. He ran the marathon at the 1968 and 1972 Summer Olympics, finishing fourth at the latter. Early life Moore was born in Portland ...

Browning Ross Harris Browning 'Brownie' Ross (April 26, 1924 – April 27, 1998) is often referred to as the father of long-distance running in the United States.Road Runners Club of Woodbury: George Benjamin, Jr. & H. Browning Ross Memorial 5K Run & Walk'' 2 ...

Legacy

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a second running boom occurred in Europe and North America marked by a more notable increase in participation in organized races. The number of finishers of road races of all distances in the United States increased by 300% between 1990 and 2013; followed by a decline in 2014-15. Studies have shown a continuous trend of 'democratization' among participants of running events since 1969 with broader socio-demographic representation among participants, including more female finishers, although some evidence is mixed and participation still varies by country and event.

References