| Runner's World | |
| Editor: | Jeff Dengate |
| Editor Title: | Runner-in-Chief |
| Previous Editor: | David Willey |
| Frequency: | Quarterly |
| Total Circulation: | 616,807 [1] |
| Circulation Year: | June 2020 |
| Category: | Health Running Marathons |
| Publisher: | Hearst |
| Founded: | 1966 |
| Country: | United States |
| Based: | Easton, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Language: | English |
| Issn: | 0897-1706 |
Runner's World is a globally circulated monthly magazine for runners of all skills sets, published by Hearst in Easton, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Before its acquisition by Hearst, it was founded and published by Rodale, Inc. in Emmaus, Pennsylvania.
Runner's World was originally launched in 1966 by Bob Anderson[2] as Distance Running News, and Anderson published the magazine by himself for several years from his home in Manhattan, Kansas. Runner and writer Hal Higdon had been writing for the magazine since the beginning (2nd edition). In 1969, Anderson changed the name of the magazine to Runner's World.[3] He brought on Joe Henderson as chief editor and moved the editorial offices, now named World Publications, to Mountain View, California. Runner's World thrived during the 1970s "running boom", even in the face of competition from the New York–based magazine, The Runner.
In 1986, Rodale bought The Runner,[5] and merged the two magazines,[4] keeping the Runner's World name and some writers, including Amby Burfoot who became the editor (a post he held until 2003).
Runner's World remained strong through the so-called "second running boom" in the late 1990s. In 2004, the magazine had a full redesign. Since then, the magazine has won several awards including being ranked No. 1 on Adweek's Hot List, No. 6 on Advertising Ages "A-List"; been recognized for having the "Creative Team of the Year", and most notably has been nominated three times for National Magazine Awards. Also, since the redesign, the magazine's circulation has increased from 525,000 to 650,000 at a time when most consumer magazines' circulations have declined, and advertising pages and revenue remain at an all time high.
In February 2007, Rodale acquired Running Times magazine with the objective of getting the magazine back on its original mission to serve the front of the pack.
Hearst acquired Rodale in 2018. Runner's World offices were moved from Emmaus, Pennsylvania, to Easton, Pennsylvania.[6]
In 2021, Mitchell S. Jackson was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing for his Runner's World article Twelve Minutes and a Life, "a deeply affecting account of the murder of Ahmaud Arbery that combined vivid writing, thorough reporting and personal experience to shed light on systemic racism in America."[7]
Since the early 1990s, Runner's World has expanded outside the United States, currently with 18 international editions. The first was a United Kingdom edition wholly owned by NatMag Rodale, a joint venture between Rodale, Inc. and The Hearst Corporation in the UK. Editions in Argentina, Australia/New Zealand, Belgium, Brazil, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey are published either as joint ventures or through licensing arrangements with publishers in those countries. Editors in each country have access to editorial content from the U.S. edition, but also publish their own original content with local flavor.