Running boom of the 1970s

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At the 1972 Summer Olympics, American long distance runner Frank Shorter won the 1972 Olympic Marathon. He was the third American to win the Olympic marathon, but the first event 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.^[1] 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." That phrase is considered one of the top ten sports calls of all time.^[2]

The television story changed the way Americans viewed the sport of long-distance running. At that point in 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 1896, but few Americans had the desire to tackle the race itself."^[3]

The event is credited with inspiring the running boom.^[4][5][6] It is estimated that 25 million Americans took up some aspect of running over the course of the next two decades,^[7] including President Jimmy Carter.^[8] With the popularity, many other people around the world did the same thing. Many running events, shoe and apparel manufacturers grew and formed to accommodate the demand.

Many factors combined to build momentum for the boom. Other athletes and events before Shorter's victory caused a growth in popularity and recognition. Jim Ryun grew from a top high school runner to an American sports hero and a popular rivalry with Marty Liquori. Bill Rodgers, Steve Prefontaine and his coach Bill Bowerman, even non-american athletes like Lasse Viren were inspirational. Women were just beginning to become accepted as athletes. Road running and marathoning became a place they could excel. Female pioneers including Katherine Switzer, Jacqueline Hansen and Miki Gorman led other women to believe they could run seriously. Little 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. 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.

Responsive and supportive to the boom was media coverage.

• Jim Fixx wrote The Complete Book of Running, which became a best seller.^[9]
• George Sheehan wrote Running and Being a philosophical approach which also became a best seller.^[10]
• Runner's World magazine, launched in 1966 and became a monthly in 1973. Competitors included Running, The Runner and Running Times, which eventually merged in various forms.

Other running authors and writers:

• Bob Anderson
• John Bingham
• Amby Burfoot
• Kenneth H. Cooper
• Bob Glover
• Joe Henderson
• Hal Higdon
• Don Kardong
• Kenny Moore
• Browning Ross

Many new racing events evolved. As technology improved, television coverage of major races eventually included:

• Bay to Breakers
• Boston Marathon
• Chicago Marathon
• Los Angeles Marathon
• New York Marathon