Question:
I think the lower volume mags tend to use models that look more like real runners. Not sure about volume (both RW and TR have equal shelf space in grocery), but the running mags that have cover photos that *I* get (TrailRunner, Ultrarunning) have *real* runners on the cover (sometimes elites), *not* models, and they are always in motion on a trail
"Low volume" was a reference to anything besides RW. Depressingly, where I am, most places carry RW but few carry RT, TR or UR. Cheers, — Donovan Rebbechi http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/
Response:
I think the lower volume mags tend to use models that look more like real runners.
Not sure about volume (both RW and TR have equal shelf space in grocery), but the running mags that have cover photos that *I* get (TrailRunner, Ultrarunning) have *real* runners on the cover (sometimes elites), *not* models, and they are always in motion on a trail (exception is gear issue with gear, not runner, on cover). I know at least some of the RW covers in the past were people who run (might be triathlete) – sometimes undoctored (a photographer is on ultra list) – but I don’t know what they use now. I have no idea what demographic they are appealing to, but I know I’m not in it 
As I’ve said before, while one might stereotype certain types of runners (as I mentioned small frames for elite road runners), I think there’s enough variation to make it an exercise in futility, esp. since many runners do other activities / sports (tri, mt biking, climbing, snowshoeing, etc). However, I think a person who runs long distances, unsupported (think carrying 10-20 lb pack up and down multiple 1000s of feet) in the mountains (a TrailRunner cover candidate) is likely to appear more muscular than an elite that runs road marathons with aid stations, but I could be wrong. I don’t think all TR covers are elites, but they may be – I just don’t follow races that much to know that many names, other than a few ultra runners and maybe some mtn and snowshoe runners. Dot — "Success is different things to different people" -Bernd Heinrich in Racing the Antelope
Response:
The people on the RW covers look more like fitness models than runners — they’re a little heavier than the typical competitive runner, and much leaner than the typical roadrace midpacker.
But the question is, do they still turn you on? (theoretical, we already know they do)
Response:
If you look at the top percentile of male and female runners, you will see that they are all thin, low body fat types. What’s interesting is to compare the image of a "runner" generated by RW (I’ve only seen a couple recent covers that have been discussed here),
The people on the RW covers look more like fitness models than runners — they’re a little heavier than the typical competitive runner, and much leaner than the typical roadrace midpacker. in sponsors clothes, are usually very "fit" (strong?) looking (not the small frame of elite road runners), and are usually in aggressive running positions (not standing models like RW);
This is more-or-less the look of the typical competitive road runner — most of these guys are not 5′6" and 130lb, they just don’t have the genetics to permit such a small size. But most of them are pretty lean. I think the lower volume mags tend to use models that look more like real runners. Cheers, — Donovan Rebbechi http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/
Response:
What kind of question is that? Runners are of 2 types: #1. New Year Resolution Runners: Pot bellied, round, and fat…This is a seasonal phenomenon… You’ll have to wait another year to observe this pattern! #2. Lean, mean, street machines! Move out of my way! These roads were paved for the both of us! This phenomenon can be observed at almost any time of the year. However, there are peak activity times when members of this elite club gather for the collective experience. Remember, share the road; you may be on it yourself one day!
Response:
If you are over 40, you might look "weathered" from all those years of being exposed to the outside elements. The person may be picking up on your breathing. A runner would probably breathe smoothly and effortlessly in most daily activities like walking through a store. Next time you are in a WalMart, notice how many people appear to be breathing hard or even wheezy while walking, especially those with extra pounds. Or take extra breaths while talking.
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How does a runner look? I ask this because I saw a lady the other day who I knew right away was a recreational runner. It wasn’t her size because she wasn’t all that slim. But it was obvious. We spoke later and my guess was confirmed. Now, having nothing to do some of the time, I’ve been trying to figure out how I knew. Could have been just coincidence. But I like to think that "runners" look and act different from the general population. I think it was the way she walked. Kinda on the balls of her feet usually. Maybe it was her posture. Any other ideas? …thehick we are just generally all-around excellent people. interesting, fun to be with, cool personalities, full of energy, kind to animals, we value the elderly, save children from burning buildings, wear capes with pizazz as we travel faster than speeding bullets, have great teeth, wonderful minty-fresh breath, biceps of steel, are extremely handy around the house, can repair cars without difficulty, win contests frequently, garner the admiration of world leaders, raise healthy houseplants, create beautiful intelligent children, are environmentally aware and friendly, and can whip up a souffle without using a recipe. …and humble. Phil M.
oh yes, i absolutely should have mentioned that one. Cam
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Dot i have to agree RW = beautifull(?) people i wasthink on getting a sub. buit not now plodzilla In common with most magazines, they are full of fluff and little substance. The first two or three copies you buy are quite interesting but you soon realise that its the same stuff regurgitated. And the front covers always have the emotive subjects like: "eat more, lose weight" "the only workout you really need"
And the notorious concept of numbering. 10 ways to lose fat off you nose in a crowd, or 17 ways to iron your sports bra in the shower. Drives me nuts. I had a talk with George Hirch(sp) many years back and why they did that. It seems the majority of runners are anally(my word) comfortable, demanding that things be numbered. Actually most magazines use the same philosophy. -DougF
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Dot i have to agree RW = beautifull(?) people i wasthink on getting a sub. buit not now plodzilla In common with most magazines, they are full of fluff and little substance. The first two or three copies you buy are quite interesting but you soon realise that its the same stuff regurgitated. And the front covers always have the emotive subjects like: "eat more, lose weight" "the only workout you really need" And the notorious concept of numbering. 10 ways to lose fat off you nose in a crowd, or 17 ways to iron your sports bra in the shower. Drives me nuts. I had a talk with George Hirch(sp) many years back and why they did that. It seems the majority of runners are anally(my word) comfortable, demanding that things be numbered. Actually most magazines use the same philosophy.
They certainly do, I stopped buying Mens Health after 3 issues when I realised their super duper 5 ways to lose your belly in 3 months didnt give me a six-pack. I wouldnt mind if the tips were any good, but most consist of two sentences with statements like "stop eating so much, the weight will fall off".
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raise healthy houseplants, create beautiful intelligent children, are environmentally aware and friendly, and can whip up a souffle without using a recipe. that’s all i can think of at the moment :) Took the words right out of my mouth.
I was thinking more along the lines of: "They smell worse than the rest of the crowd in the bagel shop on Saturday morning."
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But I like to think that "runners" look and act different from the general population. Why would you expect a runner to look different than, say, a xc skiier or a mt biker or a thru-hiker, esp. since some runners do all those activities competively or for cross-training? Or did you mean to say that endurance athletes look different from the general population?
not exactly. when i said "look", i meant more than appearance. how runners walk, how they hold their bodies, how they stand, stuff like that. more-or-less just for something to do, i’m trying to figure out how to identify a runner on sight. not just any endurance athlete. onemarathon gave a good effort, but i’m finding it difficult to use some of the attributes he/she described. someone said that the men tend to be thin and the women to be chunky. i think what that indicates is simply that less serious men don’t enter races while a lot of women do things like this just for fun or charity. i.e.: not really runners. just people doing something together that happens to look like running. i’m looking for more concrete things. …thehick
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On the inside cover typically will identify whoever is on the cover and mostly they are runners. As far as putting an average runner (whatever that is) on the cover I don’t think you’ll ever see that, you are going to see at least someone who looks like a good runner. And this is typical of any sport magazine. On a body building mag will be a photo of Gunter, not the typical wannabe that you see in the gym. And do you want a photo of a skier snowplowing down a hill on a ski magazine? Car and Driver will not have a ‘96 Civic on the cover. On a side note when I get my Road Runner Sports catalog now they have all these body building guys modeling the running clothes. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What’s interesting is to compare the image of a "runner" generated by RW (I’ve only seen a couple recent covers that have been discussed here), TrailRunner, and Ultrarunning – by covers or inside photos. RW can be mistaken for Cosmopolitan (or whatever); TrailRunner has them decked out in sponsors clothes, are usually very "fit" (strong?) looking (not the small frame of elite road runners), and are usually in aggressive running positions (not standing models like RW); and Ultrarunning inside photos look like the average person on the street – like race photos that might appear here with people of all shapes and sizes. Dot
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How does a runner look? I ask this because I saw a lady the other day who I knew right away was a recreational runner. It wasn’t her size because she wasn’t all that slim. But it was obvious. We spoke later and my guess was confirmed. Now, having nothing to do some of the time, I’ve been trying to figure out how I knew. Could have been just coincidence. But I like to think that "runners" look and act different from the general population. I think it was the way she walked. Kinda on the balls of her feet usually. Maybe it was her posture. Any other ideas? …thehick we are just generally all-around excellent people. interesting, fun to be with, cool personalities, full of energy, kind to animals, we value the elderly, save children from burning buildings, wear capes with pizazz as we travel faster than speeding bullets, have great teeth, wonderful minty-fresh breath, biceps of steel, are extremely handy around the house, can repair cars without difficulty, win contests frequently, garner the admiration of world leaders, raise healthy houseplants, create beautiful intelligent children, are environmentally aware and friendly, and can whip up a souffle without using a recipe. that’s all i can think of at the moment :)
Took the words right out of my mouth. -DougF
Response:
Dot i have to agree RW = beautifull(?) people i wasthink on getting a sub. buit not now plodzilla
In common with most magazines, they are full of fluff and little substance. The first two or three copies you buy are quite interesting but you soon realise that its the same stuff regurgitated. And the front covers always have the emotive subjects like: "eat more, lose weight" "the only workout you really need"
Response:
have you ever been on a photo shoot?? it is a hoot. I was climbing in about 95 degree and there was the whole camera crew with a beautiful person shooting his feet for some shoe add. all he did was complain between shots how hot it was and how he needed to get back to his a.c. home… what a farce. then there was the time about 6 females were at the climb ,,, that good looking,,, had to be a photo shoot and another story plodzilla – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Dot i have to agree RW = beautifull(?) people i wasthink on getting a sub. buit not now plodzilla In common with most magazines, they are full of fluff and little substance. The first two or three copies you buy are quite interesting but you soon realise that its the same stuff regurgitated. And the front covers always have the emotive subjects like: "eat more, lose weight" "the only workout you really need"
Response:
Joggers DO look and act different than the general population. What, did you think the pointing, laughing, hostility, and merciless ridicule was just coincidence?
Response:
How does a runner look?
Half look very much like an adult in a Spiderman costume, the other half look like ballerinas in tutu’s.
Response:
If you look at the top percentile of male and female runners, you will see that they are all thin, low body fat types.
What’s interesting is to compare the image of a "runner" generated by RW (I’ve only seen a couple recent covers that have been discussed here), TrailRunner, and Ultrarunning – by covers or inside photos. RW can be mistaken for Cosmopolitan (or whatever); TrailRunner has them decked out in sponsors clothes, are usually very "fit" (strong?) looking (not the small frame of elite road runners), and are usually in aggressive running positions (not standing models like RW); and Ultrarunning inside photos look like the average person on the street – like race photos that might appear here with people of all shapes and sizes. Dot — "Success is different things to different people" -Bernd Heinrich in Racing the Antelope
Response:
Dot i have to agree RW = beautifull(?) people i wasthink on getting a sub. buit not now plodzilla – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If you look at the top percentile of male and female runners, you will see that they are all thin, low body fat types. What’s interesting is to compare the image of a "runner" generated by RW (I’ve only seen a couple recent covers that have been discussed here), TrailRunner, and Ultrarunning – by covers or inside photos. RW can be mistaken for Cosmopolitan (or whatever); TrailRunner has them decked out in sponsors clothes, are usually very "fit" (strong?) looking (not the small frame of elite road runners), and are usually in aggressive running positions (not standing models like RW); and Ultrarunning inside photos look like the average person on the street – like race photos that might appear here with people of all shapes and sizes. Dot — "Success is different things to different people" -Bernd Heinrich in Racing the Antelope
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How does a runner look? I ask this because I saw a lady the other day who I knew right away was a recreational runner. It wasn’t her size because she wasn’t all that slim. But it was obvious. We spoke later and my guess was confirmed. Now, having nothing to do some of the time, I’ve been trying to figure out how I knew. Could have been just coincidence. But I like to think that "runners" look and act different from the general population. I think it was the way she walked. Kinda on the balls of her feet usually. Maybe it was her posture. Any other ideas? …thehick we are just generally all-around excellent people. interesting, fun to be with, cool personalities, full of energy, kind to animals, we value the elderly, save children from burning buildings, wear capes with pizazz as we travel faster than speeding bullets, have great teeth, wonderful minty-fresh breath, biceps of steel, are extremely handy around the house, can repair cars without difficulty, win contests frequently, garner the admiration of world leaders, raise healthy houseplants, create beautiful intelligent children, are environmentally aware and friendly, and can whip up a souffle without using a recipe.
…and humble. Phil M. — "I gotta go. You’re killin’ me."
Response:
How does a runner look? I ask this because I saw a lady the other day who I knew right away was a recreational runner. It wasn’t her size because she wasn’t all that slim. But it was obvious. We spoke later and my guess was confirmed. Now, having nothing to do some of the time, I’ve been trying to figure out how I knew. Could have been just coincidence. But I like to think that "runners" look and act different from the general population. I think it was the way she walked. Kinda on the balls of her feet usually. Maybe it was her posture. Any other ideas? …thehick
Response:
<< How does a runner look? based on my very limited experience — regarding thinking about such issues — i have noticed that serious adult runners differ by gender, meaning, male runners tend to look lean, while female runners can look chunky. i am referring to adults, not adolescents; as well as non-marathon runners (eg, serious, steady long-distance running). are my tentative observations accurate, on average, or am i incorrect? i welcome differing opinions on this issue! \ - – // oooO ( ) ( ) ) / ( (_
Response:
<< How does a runner look? based on my very limited experience — regarding thinking about such issues — i have noticed that serious adult runners differ by gender, meaning, male runners tend to look lean, while female runners can look chunky. i am referring to adults, not adolescents; as well as non-marathon runners (eg, serious, steady long-distance running). are my tentative observations accurate, on average, or am i incorrect? i welcome differing opinions on this issue!
Maybe that is your observation of the average runner that you see at your local races. I think the reason that the women can look chunky is that there are more women of this body type that are willing to enter a race. If you look at the top percentile of male and female runners, you will see that they are all thin, low body fat types. Phil M. — "I gotta go. You’re killin’ me."
Response:
But I like to think that "runners" look and act different from the general population.
Why would you expect a runner to look different than, say, a xc skiier or a mt biker or a thru-hiker, esp. since some runners do all those activities competively or for cross-training? Or did you mean to say that endurance athletes look different from the general population? At races, I’ve bumped into several people from work (not my immediate location, but people I’ve worked with on projects) who are runners, and I never would’ve thought they were runners. And one guy that I thought might be a runner was actually a xc skiier (or at least that’s how he entered that particular race where you can choose your weapon from running, skiing, biking). Then again, maybe I just don’t know what a runner looks like. Wouldn’t be the first time I was clueless about something dealing with running. Dot — "Success is different things to different people" -Bernd Heinrich in Racing the Antelope
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How does a runner look? I ask this because I saw a lady the other day who I knew right away was a recreational runner. It wasn’t her size because she wasn’t all that slim. But it was obvious. We spoke later and my guess was confirmed. Now, having nothing to do some of the time, I’ve been trying to figure out how I knew. Could have been just coincidence. But I like to think that "runners" look and act different from the general population. I think it was the way she walked. Kinda on the balls of her feet usually. Maybe it was her posture. Any other ideas? …thehick
we are just generally all-around excellent people. interesting, fun to be with, cool personalities, full of energy, kind to animals, we value the elderly, save children from burning buildings, wear capes with pizazz as we travel faster than speeding bullets, have great teeth, wonderful minty-fresh breath, biceps of steel, are extremely handy around the house, can repair cars without difficulty, win contests frequently, garner the admiration of world leaders, raise healthy houseplants, create beautiful intelligent children, are environmentally aware and friendly, and can whip up a souffle without using a recipe. that’s all i can think of at the moment :) Cam