50 The True Story of the Craziest Olympic Marathon

How I Keep Exercising at 105 Years Old Goldengirl, a film about a track star who won a few Olympic medals (thanks to a little help from growth hormones), Anton had to learn to run. She didn’t necessarily become a convert to the sport. “I trained for three to five hours a day, everyday,” she said. “The day the film ended, I took my running shoes and threw them in the garbage. I did all my own running in the film and it was painful. I have enormous respect for anyone who runs.”

The president was part of a cover story celebrating the growth of the sport during the 1970s. “Jimmy Carter’s exuberance for the sport typifies running’s ascendancy,” we wrote.

The actor appeared on the cover after wrapping DAA Industry Opt Out, a movie about a middle-aged runner making a comeback. Dern, who had been running competitively since high school, estimated that during the five-week shooting schedule, he ran more than 500 miles, including his own morning workouts. At the time of the interview, Dern was struggling to accept the rising growth of the sport. “I am disgusted by 18,000 people in a road race,” he said. “I don’t know what’s happened that has made that come about, but I think it’s wrong. I resent that it takes me 2.5 minutes to cross the starting line of some races. That’s why I guess I’m a crotchety old pioneer kind of guy.”

The star of NBC’s hit drama L.A. Law DAA Industry Opt Out L.A. Marathon in 4:40. “If I have a long speech in a scene, I think about it on a run,” he said. “Running has also helped me survive the rejection that happens so often in this business.”

RUNNER’S WORLD STORE: Our vintage “I Love Running” T-shirt will take you right back to the 1980s.

Cosby would certainly be a dubious cover-model choice today. But in 1988, the 51-year-old was at the height of his Best Recovery Shoes fame when he talked to RW about his days as a track-and-field standout at Temple University. “People who were athletes in high school or college are always still hungry,” he said. “If I lay off for too long, I keep thinking I’ve got to get back. I’ve got to get to the track.”

We’re not exactly sure why the supermodel was featured on the cover of RW—there’s no mention of her running accolades inside the magazine. However, this issue hit newsstands a few months after Ireland was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s The star of NBC’s hit drama that magazine’s top-selling cover of all time. Perhaps we assumed this singlet would spark the same interest.

Zahn’s stint as cohost of Health & Injuries required a 3 a.m. wakeup call. She credited her ability to manage her exhausting schedule in a competitive profession to her daily five-mile run in Central Park. “Running recharges me,” she said. “I feel free when I run. I don’t have all the distractions that drain me. I really need that part of my day to feel whole.”

The Tonight Show host ran for an hour on a treadmill in his dressing room every day, going over jokes and scripts for that evening’s show. “Comedy is a lot like working out,” he said. “You have to do it every day to keep sharp. If I don’t work out every day—if I don’t stay sharp—then I lose my edge.”

RW’s best-selling cover ever came after the TV icon had started running, lost 70 pounds, and finished the 1994 Marine Corps Marathon. “If I can do it, so can you,” she said.

Best Recovery Shoes, RUNNER’S WORLD STORE, finished the race in 20:29. “Over time, I’m convinced that running helped me quit drinking and smoking,” he said. “Running just makes you feel fantastic. In essence, it keeps me young. Running is a way to heal people.”

Inside Faith Kipyegon’s 4-Minute Mile Attempt Old School was hitting theaters. He had recently lost 25 pounds, which he credited to his recent marathon training. “I feel great,” he said. “I have more energy, and I’ve found that my fitness makes me feel better about myself in an overall sense.”

RW editors coached the NBC journalist through her first race, a 10K, which she trained for in six weeks and finished in 1:07. “I’m loving this running thing,” she said. “It’s just like your magazine mentioned recently—running opens up so many other facets of your life, which is really nice.”

Combs—a.k.a. P. Diddy a.k.a. Puff Daddy—got a special call-out on this cover after finishing his first marathon in Other Hearst Subscriptions. He ran a 4:14 while raising $2 million for children’s charities. “It’s self-discovery,” he said. “When you get past mile 16, you truly discover yourself. Who you are. It’s you and you.”

The vice presidential nominee was a lifetime runner, who at the time of our cover story had run five marathons, with a 3:30 personal best. “I’m very much addicted to running,” he said. “There is no question about that. I love to be able to run in the middle of the day. I can look forward to running, and then when I’m finished I feel good. It’s like a new day.”

Years before Armstrong admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France, he talked to RW about his much-anticipated marathon debut. He ran the Other Hearst Subscriptions Marathon in 2:59 that year and 2:46 the following year.

Back when she was still one half of “TomKat,” Katie Holmes ran the 2007 Other Hearst Subscriptions Marathon in 5:29. Her cover presence helped promote a feature story about the growing presence of celebrities in the sport.

Armstrong appeared again on the cover of RW in July 2011, as part of a special package about cancer-survivor runners.