Running boom of the 1970s

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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 and other European countries, Australia and New Zealand. [1] [2]

Contents

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 during the decade, particularly in the United States, which spread to other countries in the following decade, including the United Kingdom. [3] It is estimated that 25 million Americans took up some aspect of running in the 1970s and 1980s, [4] including President Jimmy Carter. [5] With more 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. [1] [6]

Background

Growth in jogging began in the late 1960s, [1] building on a post-World War II trend towards non-organized, individualistic, health-oriented physical and recreational activities. [7] [8]

In New Zealand, Arthur Lydiard presided over the country's golden era in world track and field during the 1960s. Lydiard published Run to the Top in 1962 and in the same year introduced Bill Bowerman to the concept of running 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 in 1963 and published Jogging in 1966 which helped to popularize the concept in the U.S. [9] [10] Jim Ryun grew from a top high school runner into an American sports hero and had a popular rivalry with Marty Liquori. [11] [12] [13] [14] American athletes such as Steve Prefontaine raised the profile of the sport. [15] [16]

1972 Olympic marathon

Frank Shorter's victory in the men's marathon at the 1972 Summer Olympics is credited with inspiring the running boom in the United States. [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] He was the third American to win the Olympic marathon, but the first since 1908. The victory was covered by ABC, including dramatic coverage of the finish, when a German imposter ran into the stadium ahead of Shorter. [22] Serving as guest color commentator was writer Erich Segal, who called out over the airwaves (but obviously inaudible to Shorter) "It's a fraud, Frank." [23] In 2000, the Washington Post included the phrase among the ten most memorable American sports calls. [23]

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." [24] [25]

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. [1] [26]

Elite athletes and events contributed to the growing popularity and recognition of the sport. Finnish athlete Lasse Virén recaptured the image of the "Flying Finns". American runners including Bill Rodgers and Craig Virgin inspired the public. New elite teams formed, notably Athletics West in the United States. The British trio Sebastian Coe, Steve Cram and Steve Ovett, dominated middle distance running in the late 1970s and 1980s. [27] [28] [29] [30]

Many new road racing events evolved in the United States offering public participation. As technology improved, television coverage of major races eventually included:

The growth in road racing events spread to other countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and to Europe in the following decade. [1] [2] In the UK, public interest and participation in running grew after Olympians Chris Brasher and John Disley founded the London Marathon and Brendan Foster started the Great North Run both in 1981. [3] 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 (London), Mike Gratton (London), Paul Davies-Hale (Chicago), Geoff Smith (Boston), Hugh Jones (London), Priscilla Welch (New York), Veronique Marot (London) and Joyce Smith (London). [31]

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, Jacqueline Hansen and Miki Gorman led other women to believe they could run seriously. Mary Decker, Francie Larrieu and Norway's Grete Waitz were all part of a phenomenon that culminated in Joan Benoit's 1984 Olympic Marathon victory, which itself inspired more women to run. [32]

In the United States, Title IX, 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 track and field for women to help numerically offset the number of players on their economically lucrative football teams. [33] [34]

It is estimated that 25 million Americans took up some aspect of running in the 1970s and 1980s, [4] including President Jimmy Carter. [5] Many running events, shoe and apparel manufacturers grew and formed to accommodate the demand. [35] 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. [1] [6]

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:

Other running authors and writers:

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; [1] [38] followed by a decline in 2014-15. [1] [39]

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. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jogging</span> Slow running performed as a form of exercise

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 of time. Performed over long distances, it is a form of aerobic endurance training.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Cram</span> British retired track and field athlete

Stephen Cram, is a British retired track and field athlete. Along with fellow Britons Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett, he was one of the world's dominant middle distance runners during the 1980s. Nicknamed "The Jarrow Arrow", after his home town, Cram set world records in the 1,500 m, 2,000 m, and the mile during a 19-day period in the summer of 1985. He was the first man to run 1,500 m under 3 minutes and 30 seconds. He won the 1,500 m gold medal at the 1983 World Championships and the 1,500 m silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sebastian Coe</span> British athlete and politician (born 1956)

Sebastian Newbold Coe, Baron Coe,, often referred to as Seb Coe, is a British sports administrator, former politician and retired track and field athlete. As a middle-distance runner, Coe won four Olympic medals, including 1500 metres gold medals at the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984. He set nine outdoor and three indoor world records in middle-distance track events – including, in 1979, setting three world records in the space of 41 days – and the world record he set in the 800 metres in 1981 remained unbroken until 1997. Coe's rivalries with fellow Britons Steve Ovett and Steve Cram dominated middle-distance racing for much of the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Ovett</span> British former middle distance runner

Stephen Michael James Ovett, is a retired British track athlete. A middle-distance runner, he was the gold medalist in the 800 metres at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. Ovett set five world records for 1500 metres and the mile run, and a world record at two miles. He won 45 consecutive 1500 and mile races from 1977 to 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Scott (runner)</span> American track athlete

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Shorter</span> American long-distance runner (born 1947)

Frank Charles Shorter 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 achievements of other American runners, is credited with igniting the running boom in the United States during the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Lydiard</span> New Zealand runner and athletics coach

Arthur Leslie Lydiard 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 it commonplace across the sporting world. His training methods are based on a strong endurance base and periodisation.

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