An easy enough question. At one time Distance runners were featured on the cover. They have featured Beatty, Shorter, Ryun, Slaney, Salazar, and probably many others. I believe Mills, Lindgren and Benoit but I am not sure.
What would it take for a distance runner to get on the cover today? I believe it is only possible in the mile or that marathon. No 5000, 10000, Steeplechasers need apply. They would have to accomplish something truly great on the world stage, a World Record or an Olympic gold medal. That is probably the only things. Even with such an accomplishment it would depend on what else happened that week. It is possible that an American winning Boston, Chicago, New York might be able to get it in a slow week, if it was a white American (sorry I have to type and believe that, but I do, no Meb, Abdi, or KK).