 THE LONG ROAD
Our veteran running coach looks back
at the modern history of the sport
Running has come a long way since Frank Shorter won the gold medal in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. That was the official beginning of the U.S. running boom, and even though I was not a runner just yet, I do remember what was unfolding at that time.
We had two American running heroes: Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers. Rodgers won the New York City Marathon and the Boston Marathon four times each. They were running icons, each with his own line of running clothing. Nobody knew what a Kenyan was back then.
 I took up running in 1976. I remember my first race when I flashed my Bill Rodgers maroon, nylon pin-stripe shorts and singlet. For the most part, everyone was still wearing cotton shirts and tops. My first pair of running shoes was a pair of Tiger (now Asics)Montreals. They had about a quarter-inch of cushioning and wore out after about 150 miles. Those were the first truly “barefoot” shoes.
The first “extreme” races appeared on the race calendar in the ‘70s. In 1977, the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii became the ultimate test of endurance. Also in ‘77, Al Arnold became the first person to run from Badwater in Death Valley (the lowest elevation in the U.S.) to Mt. Whitney (the highest elevation). This race is now known as Badwater, “The toughest footrace in the world.”
The ‘80s brought fluorescent running shorts and tops, making runners visible for miles. Even now at Memorial Park you might notice some older men and women sporting the fluorescent attire that they have not been able to part with. In 1986, COOLMAX was invented and gave a whole new meaning to “wicking.” Nike revolutionized the running shoe business when it rolled out the first air sole shoe, the Tailwind. I remember paying a whopping $50 for those babies!
Also in the ‘80s, 5Ks and 10Ks were popping up everywhere, as charity organizations discovered a new way to raise money. Also, marathons became the next “weekend warrior” challenge, with almost every major city hosting its own marathon. But weekend warriors soon found out that you actually had to train for a marathon.
On to the 1990s, which brought us another explosion in running popularity as baby boomers got into the act. Marathoners sought new challenges through ultra marathons and trail running. The Western States 100-Mile Trail Run through the California Sierra Nevadas is now deemed the “Boston of Ultras” with a lottery to get a coveted spot.
The ‘90s also became the decade of techno gadgets. We no longer had to guess at what distance we ran or get into our car to clock the miles. We now had our Garmin to do it for us. Heart rate monitors came out during this time as well. Now, we all had to see if we were training in our “target zone.”
With the development of the Internet and computers during the decade, we now could look up all kinds of running info, ranging from training programs and coaches to registering for races online. We also had to see what kind of runner we were. Am I a supinator or pronator? Did we have a high, medium, or low arch?We had to know this because now shoes were built to our foot type.
The turn of the century has brought us more expensive shoes, clothing, and gadgets. Barefoot running is the new trend, and the half marathon has become the race for soccer moms and dads. The 2000s have introduced the need to register months in advance for a race in order to be guaranteed a bib number, as most big city races require lotteries now. The days when you could just walk up and sign up on race day morning are gone.
—Tim Neckar
Contributing editor Tim Neckar is a personal running coach. He has finished most of the toughest footraces in the world. You can find Tim at Runnerone.com. |
