Running History

I recently checked out a couple of books on running from the Hershey Public library. After reading them I was impressed as to how unimpressive the history of running has been.

In today's media age where most every sport is attempting to maximize the fan experience through competitive enhancements, dedicated access channels, and marketing of supporting products, the sport of running appears to have no one at the helm.

Another difficulty is nearly every famous runner's experience I read about is marred by a constant struggle between above average performances and great performances. And the career span of good runners appears to only be a couple of years. I can't recall any runner being the king of the hill for a period of 10 years or more. Great runners appear to be a transient lot.

What is needed to resurrect running from the dead is to have professional team running within large markets in the United States. Allow people to bet on individual races as well as teams. If the level of competition needs to be adjusted to level the playing field have runners add weight to their sneakers or shorts, similar to how horses are handicapped by adding weight before a race.

Borrowing a page from Nascar, have the likes of Powerade, Gatorade, Nike and other running affiliated corporations sponsor teams and outfit the runners with collectible colorful jerseys.

Listed below are the two primary running governing bodies.

IAAF.org is the online home of the International Association of Athletics Federations, the world governing body of track and field. The site is home to international professional news, results, rankings, a race calendar, and much more. For elite running enthusiasts, this site's daily news will keep you up to date on the latest track-burning action.


USA Track and Field (USATF) is the official organization representing track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. The site has athlete bios, a schedule of events, statistics, news headlines, and more.