262006 –
Ultrarunner Dean Karnazes runs
50 marathons in 50 states in 50
consecutive days, and Anton
Krupicka introduces himself to
the world. Even though handfuls
of dedicated people had been
running 50- or 100-mile races
for years, in 2006, two stars of
this fringe activity achieved
fame—and ever since, the sport
of ultrarunning has grown at
a furious pace. Karnazes, the
sport’s fi rst crossover star, com-
pleted an audacious seven-week
running stunt around America.
And the bearded,
long-haired,
shirtless, minimal-
ist-shoe-wearing
Anton
Krupicka, 22
years old
at the time,
captured
athletes and
fans’ hearts
and minds
as he came out
of nowhere and
stormed to two
Leadville wins
that year.1997 –
The first Rock ‘n’ Roll
Marathon is held in San
Diego. What began as a revo-
lutionary idea—make running
a race fun—was realized by
having bands and musicians
along a 26.2-mile racecourse.
Rock ‘n’ Roll grew a bit since
then: There are races all over
the world, and its parent com-
pany owns this magazine. More
importantly, the race and Rock
‘n’ Roll events in other cities
ushered in a new era for run-
ning that promoted inclusion,
fun, and a party-style event.Garmin introduces the fi rst GPS watch. It’s hard to remember the
days when running watches only told you how long you’ve been
running. Although watches today can monitor your heart rate, track
your sleep and play music, GPS was a big game-changer that ush-
ered in all of the subsequent technology. GPS told runners how far
they ran, and how fast they were running. It ushered in a boom where
the average runner, for the price of a watch or an app, has access
to more data than the world’s elite runners did even 20 years ago.2005 –
Vibram releases its
FiveFingers shoe.
They took a few years
to catch on, but when
they started catch-
ing fire (particularly
when the book Born
to Run is realeased a
few years later), they
were part of an over-
whelming but fairly
short-lived minimal-
ism trend in running.
Many runners flocked
to them, and lots
reported getting
injured, as the shoes
offered very little sup-
port or cushioning
(which was the whole
appeal). Later, Vibram
settled a lawsuit in
2014 over dubious
health benefits the
company claimed its
shoes provided. Even
now, you’ll still find
them on runners’ feet
at races or around the
park.2003 –
Britain’s Paula Radcliffe sets the current women’s marathon
world record (2:15:25) at the London Marathon. Fourteen years
later, the women’s world marathon record still stands, unbroken.
After retiring in 2015, Radcliffe is considered one of the greatest
female marathoners of all-time, having won both the London and
New York City marathons three times.running stunt around America.
And the bearded,
long-haired,
shirtless, minimal-
ist-shoe-wearingKrupicka, 22
years old
at the time,athletes and
fans’ hearts
and minds
as he came out
of nowhere and
stormed to two
Leadville winsNext Decade
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