Since the 1960s, running has quite literally become a movement which attracts the support of millions.
50 years ago, running was a solitary and bizarre activity, reserved only for dedicated and serious athletes. Normal people did not just ‘go for a run’. In fact, doing so was cause for serious suspicion and concern. Take the case of recreational runner Dick Cordier, for example, who was arrested in the late 1960s for ‘illegal use of the highway.’ Since then, running has undergone a profound transformation and now counts itself among the most popular sports worldwide: today, 621 million people are runners, and over 1,100 marathons are held annually in the US alone.
How did this revolution take place?
In the United States, the catalyst for this ‘running boom’ was running coach and future co-founder of Nike, Bill Bowerman. His influence is demonstrated through the success of his 1976 book, Jogging, which sold over 1 million copies. In this best-seller, Bowerman not only endorsed running as an activity with considerable physical and mental benefits, but crucially, he emphasized that this was a sport in which anyone could participate, regardless of age, gender, or fitness level. Consequently, Bowerman was able to bring running to the masses through breaking the stereotype of the runner as an elite individual, thus playing a fundamental role in creating its now central position in society.
However, if Bowerman was the spark for the explosion of running, then it was Arthur Lydiard, a New Zealand Olympic coach, who lit the match. Lydiard’s efforts to promote running among non-athletes, and his advocation of its cardio-vascular benefits, were crucial in popularizing the sport among the general public. Undoubtedly, his prestige as one of the most celebrated Olympic coaches only served to amplify these views. Indeed, it was Bowerman’s visit to New Zealand, and his subsequent introduction to Lydiard, that inspired him to bring the movement back to the United States.
Parkrun, a free, timed 5K held every Saturday throughout the world, perfectly embodies the phenomenal popularity of running today. The first ever Parkrun took place exactly 2 decades ago, and counted just 13 participants, armed with only a stopwatch and piece of paper. Since then, Parkrun has become a cornerstone of the running community, boasting over 9 million members, complete with barcode system and online database. Indeed, in highlighting the event’s inclusivity, and emphasizing the importance of participation over competition, we see the ideas of Bowerman and Lydiard reflected through Parkrun.
More recently, the popularity of running has been secured through social media, which has created a vast online community of runners. From documenting their journey, to sharing tips with viewers, runners have a considerable influence online: the hashtag ‘runtok’ has an audience of almost 1 billion people on TikTok alone. Meanwhile, others have used social media to document some of the extreme running challenges they take on. For example, TikTok sensation Jonny Davies documented his endeavor to run the 570km London Underground in just 11 days, whilst the £23,053 is a testament to the sheer popularity of this kind of ‘influencer’. Clearly, social media provides an extensive platform for promoting and encouraging others to run.