Dear Runners World: Please never put a shirtless guy on the cover...ever again

I had a similar reaction. I'm a subscriber. I think even when they do multiple covers, my real name (which is not Wow There) is a tipoff that I don't want to see this guy.

the majority of the guys are not even runners. they are "fit" models

I'm guessing more women buy Runners World than guys. Nobody was complaining when a shirtless Rod Dixon was on the November 1982 cover of Running Times!!!

firefly wrote:

the majority of the guys are not even runners. they are "fit" models

This months guy runs around 20mpw according to RW, so you're right. Not a serious runner.

I liked last month better:

But I think she's a fitness model, too.

RW defended their "runner" cover model on Twitter:

runnersworld tweeted:

Being a runner is independent of mileage RT @thepalestgirl new @runnersworld cover guy only runs 20 mi/wk? is this a running mag or not?

3:52 PM Jan 27th via HootSuite

So I guess the meatheads I see at gyms who do their 1-1.5 mile combined warmups and cooldowns also qualify as distance runners? I mean, they're "running" a total of at least 10 miles/week, right?

I think it's ok to have a model every now and then on the cover (i.e., like maybe 1 or 2 issues/year), but the covers should pertain to their big story in the issue, not some douche who runs to look good for a cover shot.

times have changed wrote:

Nobody was complaining when a shirtless Rod Dixon was on the November 1982 cover of Running Times!!!

Nerd alert!

you wanna know how i know you are (a closeted) gay?

firerunner wrote:

i buy your worthless magazine, the least you (joggers world) could do is put a woman (Kara Goucher, Anna Willard, etc.) on the cover. come on get a grip

Your tiny super-ego says thank you.

Kara's been on the cover 3 times. They apparently think you're gay because the subscribers got a female on the cover.

http://www.twincitytc.org/Resources/RunnersWorldCovers/tabid/119/Default.aspx

I remember when the RW cover was David Bedford leading a 10,000 meter track race. No complaints there.

You seem very homo-phobic. Why? You have nothing to fear, "if" you are a tried-and-true hetro-boi. If you are afraid them you need to rethink your position.

big deal... what's wrong with a shirtless dude on a magazine? It's not like you don't ever see runners without shirts or something.

Wait... that was a guy?

They should have just kept Brie Felnagle on the cover. She's good for at least a few months, right?

I think everyone here probably realizes that Runner's World is about as much of a runner's magazine as "Shape" or "O". Sure it has some pro running news but that's just an afterthought. It's not made for people who have aspirations to get to that level, are at that level, or have ever been at that level. It's made for people who run as a hobby. You tell runner's world to get a grip but they already have one. They have a strong grip on their demographic. If you are the type of person who calls the magazine joggers world then you are in the very small minority of readers that the magazine is not made for. Go to your next local 5k and look at all the overweight undertrained people paying $20 to jog around and get a t-shirt. That is the demographic they're aiming at. That is the group that enjoys fitness models on the cover and running tips and recipes on the inside. So what has changed from the days when runner's world was a pretty good magazine aimed at serious runners? The internet happened. It's entirely useless and unprofitable for runner's world to dedicate their magazine to professional running because so much more information can be found on the internet in so little time. In short, you should either stop buying the magazine or stop bitching.

Well...sort of, except that I don't think the Internet is the reason most roadrace entrants now are slow and don't have any aspirations to really excel. Charitable and social elements, and even the very genuine "staycation" phenomenon, are other reasons.