The New Running Magazine

You may be joking, but the Nov/Dec '05 issue of PRP apparently did include an article by Karno titled, "what Midnight Looks Like in My Life."

No mag is perfect, I guess.

Having been an editor for several nationally published glossy magazines, I can tell you that most people have no idea what is required to publish an economically viable magazine.

My favorite complain from readers and would-be publishers is that there are "too many ads" in the pages.

If you're not running close to a 50/50 mix of ad to edit pages you're generally losing money with every issue.

There's no way on God's green earth that an audiance of 2:30-ish marathoners could keep a magazine in business.

Websites are much cheaper.

Me too.

Us typical letsrun idiots don't have time to actually read magazines. We usually post out of our arse, only occasionally spending 2 mins to search yahoo for a kernel of a fact.

But of course we are all expert editors of other people's work.

[quote]Noz4nuz wrote:

Subscribe to Peak Running Performance and you'll be told "you're joining thousands of serious runners and coaches currently receiving the #1 Running Publication in the Nation."

For being No. 1, I had never heard of it until mention was made of the pub on another Letsrun string.

quote]

Noz4nuz wrote:

You may be joking, but the Nov/Dec '05 issue of PRP apparently did include an article by Karno titled, "what Midnight Looks Like in My Life."

No mag is perfect, I guess.

I was joking.

heee hee

Eons ago the caveman had Running, The Runner, Running Times and Runners World - all drawn out in pictures on his cave wall. Now we have Runners World - man has regressed.

JimG wrote:

Hmm, far as I know RT hasn't published any "How to Lose 5 Pounds and Run a 4 Hour Marathon on 30 Miles a Week" articles lately.

I mean, how serious do you want? We define our target audience as people who are serious about their running and want to improve, whether that's from 3:30 to 3:15 or 2:45 to 2:40 (much faster and you probably have/need a coach, or at least some in depth books).

We also define that audience as people who see running as defining themselves - they run because they want to, and enjoy the way they feel while running, not because they'll look better/lose weight/pick up more guys/chicks.

If that's not serious enough, please let us know how we can do better.

JimG, as a member of your target audience, my opinion is that RT's problem these days is not the conception, but the execution. The mag is boring.

Track and Field News, The Bible of the Sport.

That's all you need to know.

Plus, elite runners are the cheapest people on the planet. The circulation of this magazine would be one. That same magazine would be second-handed 2000 times. You stink.

you should have thought about this before you posted. it's very obvious.

you should have thought about this before you posted. it's very obvious.

faithful reader wrote:

JimG, as a member of your target audience, my opinion is that RT's problem these days is not the conception, but the execution. The mag is boring.

In what way, specifically? Any particular sections, or aspect of the way it's written/presented? You can email me if you prefer; I'd really be interested in hearing your opinion.

When the next issue arrives I'll give you a page-by-page account. Overall, the writing and editing aren't engaging--the quality is more that of a regional or even club publication. It's good you finally got rid of the race calendar, but there's still a lot of worthless stuff on a regular basis--race reports, apparel reviews, runner rankings. Shoe Guy has gone on way too long; how many ways can he get 800 words out of, "You should buy your shoes from me." The back page essays are for the most part lifeless.

I find Peak performance to be exactly what I'm looking for. Thank to those of you who suggested it.

Well I'm the editor of a regional monthly running (but also biking, paddling, camping, xc skiing, snowshoeing, inline skating) mag that is only 30 percent advertising. Somehow we've managed to to survive for 20-odd years. But aside from the cover, we're not a glossy -- and proud of it. RW or Outside we ain't.

Profitable you aren't either.

The only problem is you'll have to pick it up personally. By the time it arrives to you in the mail it will be shredded to tiny bits. Track and Field News has never figured out how to deliver their rag to their customers in one piece even though every other magazine in the country has figured it out. But they'll gladly take your money. They stole from me for years.

Tommy B wrote:

Track and Field News, The Bible of the Sport.

That's all you need to know.

funny i get it in time. and they send out results pdf's every other weekend or so (depending on how many competitions are going on) so if you have a subscription you get a wealth of stats and results in a timely fashion.

Magazines, like newspapers, are dying.

Don't tell that to Ben Crawford!