24Nike releases the Air Max 1. This running
shoe with the visible Air Sole became one
of the Swoosh’s signature shoes. While its
giant heel-toe drop eventually got passed
by running design, the shoe is arguably
the biggest crossover running shoe of all
time; 30 years later it’s as popular as ever,
as Nike releases new colorways and limited
editions of the Air Max 1 every season.Look at a few photos from 1987, and you’ll realize how far running has come in 30
years. But what led to all those changes? In celebration of Competitor magazine’s 30th
anniversary this month, we take a look at the biggest moments in the sport and the
industry of running, and their impacts on the sport we love.By The ediTorS1988 –
Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson tests positive for
steroids in the Seoul Olympics. Many athletes in the
olympics, dating back to at least the 1970s, were sus-
pected of using performance-enhancing drugs. But Ben
Johnson’s bust, several days after a convincing gold-medal
win over Carl Lewis, was the biggest bust ever. other
big busts have followed, but doping has been closely
associated with running ever since.1987 –
Jackie Joyner-Kersee becomes the first female runner to grace the cover of Sports
Illustrated. The three-time olympic gold medalist in the heptathlon and long jump was
voted the greatest female athlete of all-time, becoming an icon in women’s running history.
The cover line next to her photo read “Super Woman.”Team in Training is founded when runner
Bruce Cleland gathered a team to run the
New York City Marathon to raise money for
the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in the
name of his daughter, a leukemia survivor.
Today, participants can train for several major
marathons and receive coaching advice if they pledge to raise a certain
amount of money. it launched a whole movement of charity training, which
serves as a gateway for thousands of people into the sport of running.ThaT have Changed Running
30 MoMents
in 30 Years
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