That was the actual heading for Mike Tymn’s column On Running, which appeared in the Honolulu Advertiser. That was August 14, 1980. – JDW
Is the running boom about to end?
Frank Shorter’s victory in the 1972 Olympic Marathon is often cited as the spark that set off the running boom. Some observers of the running scene have speculated that the non-Olympics of 1980 will cause the flame to flicker and that we will witness a decline in running participation.
If the word “boom” signifies the period of rapid growth in a movement, then the boom may be ending. But running will not go the way of the Hula Hoop. It is not a fad. It is here to stay and it is entering a new era.
That’s the opinion of Jack Welch, the 33-year-old editor and publisher of Running magazine.
“The skeptics should look for another obituary to write,” Welch said as I spoke with him in his Eugene, Ore. office recently. “I believe we are entering the final stage of development. We’ve moved from infancy – jogging – to adolescence – racing – and we are now entering maturity. That’s running.
“Many of the big races are not adding numbers as they did for several years, but we’ve got more races to choose from now. Once an event gets too big, people start going elsewhere. You can find a half dozen races within easy driving distance just about any weekend. As we mature, we become more selective and we recognize when we’re getting ripped off.
“And many runners, myself included, are no longer obsessed with competing in a marathon. Certainly racing will remain a compelling means of self-evaluation, but the mature runner will find enjoyment and fulfillment in just meandering along a trail or along the beach watching the waves roll in.”
Welch’s magazine is not the best-known publication on running, but you can look for it to take off in the next few months. Nike, Inc., manufacturers of Nike shoes, recently purchased it. With this backing, Welch expects the publication to go from around 4,500 copies for its last issue up to as much as a 100,000 for the upcoming issue, which is due next month. Running will also change from a quarterly to a bi-monthly.
Welch is quick to point out that Running is not going to be a house organ or promotional venture for Nike shoes, and that he will maintain a free hand in editorial policy.
“Nike and I share the same philosophy,” he said, “and that is, if you promote the sport and nurture the runner, the product sells itself.”
Running was launched by Welch and Dr. E.C. Frederick in December 1973. It was labeled “the magazine for thinking runners” because much of its content was scientific and philosophical. And with the era of the mature runner upon us, Welch feels that there will be a much greater demand for this more literary type of magazine.
“We won’t be competing with the magazines that tell you how best to tie your shoelaces or give you a dozen ways to stretch your hamstrings,” he remarked while smiling and holding up a copy of the best-known magazine in the field. “Nor will we be in competition with the magazines that carry race results.”
Part of the expansion includes the hiring of Joe Henderson and Paul Perry, both former editors of Runner’s World, as well as Don Kardong, former Olympian and winner of the 1978 Honolulu Marathon.
“You know, I’m not sure I want the sport to become any bigger than it is now,” Welch mused, stretching out in his chair, looking out of the window and taking note of Jack Fultz, a former Boston Marathon winner, running along a trail next to the Willamette River. “If everybody starts running, then running will be like everything else.
“I’m not one of those who thinks that running is a cure of all our ills. It’s not always marvelous. Most runners hardly ever experience the so-called ‘runner’s high.’ I’m not sure that I’ve experienced it. Running may even be harmful to the nation. One of the articles in our next issue asks how we can have confidence in our president when we see pictures of him bending over and holding his knees while on the verge of collapse halfway through a 10-kilometer race.
“I think most of us would feel much more secure if we had somebody like President (Howard) Taft back in office. He was large and overweight, well over 300 pounds. Someone like that appears secure, like the Rock of Gibraltar, and he generates confidence, just like Santa Claus. Who wants a gaunt president?
“I certainly don’t look at running as a religion,” Welch continued. “But it’s a lot more than a way to lose weight, to fight old age, to forget problems or to race faster.”
