These are the shots that shaped the history of running as we know it

The ecstasy and agony of running lends itself to dramatic photography. From photo finishes and high-fashion outfits to phenomenal feats of heroism, our sport has a rich archive of incredible, iconic imagery. Here’s our selection of the 30 photos that changed running.

Olympic marathon, London, 1908

At the age of 22, Italian chef Dorando Pietri was the first man over the finish line in London’s first-ever marathon. He collapsed several times during the race and was eventually disqualified for receiving assistance, but won the sympathies of the crowds for enduring to the finish. Queen Alexandra was so outraged by his disqualification that she later presented him with a special cup.

Olympic stadium, Amsterdam, 1928

The 1928 Olympics were the first at which women were allowed to compete in track and field events – or five of them, at least: the 100m, the 4 x 100m relay, the high jump, discus and the 800m. Sixteen-year-old American Betty Robinson became a sensation when she won the very first 100m gold, just months after her first ever race. She was celebrated with ticker tape parades back home – but then, every woman in that race was making history.

Olympiastadion, Berlin, 1936

The ’36 Olympics were supposed to be a showcase for the Nazi regime. A massive new stadium was built and the games were the first broadcast on TV around the world.

Yet Hitler’s planned demonstration of the supremacy of the Aryan race was magnificently rewritten by African-American Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals in a one-man demolition of the myth of the ‘master race’.

Olympic finals, London, 1948

Like all new technology, the ‘Magic Eye’ photo finish camera was greeted with some suspicion. Though photo technology was used as early as 1908, the 1948 Olympics were the first to use it to determine placings in the 100m – something that is now indispensable. It took a further 20 years to become standard. Modern finish line cameras can take 3,000 images a second, meaning it’s not uncommon for two athletes to record the exact same time without it being a dead heat. In this photo finish of the 100m final, the USA’s Harrison Dillard (bottom) wins gold from compatriot Barney Ewell (second from top).

Olympic 5000m final, Helsinki, 1952

Regarded by many as the greatest runner of all time, Emil Zátopek was famous not just for his wins – his triple at the 1952 Olympics of 5000m, 10,000m and marathon golds is still unmatched – but also his political leadership, becoming a hero in Czechoslovakia for standing up to the Communist regime, at great personal cost. Yet he was also infamous for his less-than-elegant running style, famously described by one contemporary journalist as being ‘like a man wrestling an octopus on a conveyor belt’. Here he is gurning his way to 5000m victory against great friend and rival Alain Mimoun.

Iffley Road Track, Oxford, 1954

On 6 May, 1954, at Iffley Road track in Oxford, Roger Bannister smashed through a historic barrier. By covering those four (and a tiny bit) laps in 3 mins, 59.4 seconds, he broke through not just for himself, but for many to follow. ‘Apres moi, le deluge’, he said – and he was right. Within weeks, his great rival John Landy ran a mile in 3 mins 57.9. The current world record, unchanged since 1999, is Hitcham el-Guerrouj’s mark of 3 min 43.13.

Alexander Stadium, Birmingham, 1954

Diane Leather never achieved the household name status that Bannister did, but she too demolished barriers. Just 23 days after Bannister’s sub-four mile, at the women’s athletic championships in Birmingham, she became the first woman to run a mile in under five minutes. On being told her time, she said: ‘Oh good, at last!’ She later lowered her time to 4:45, a record that was to stand for a further seven years. However, it was not until 13 years after her run that the IAAF first recognised women’s world records for the mile.

Outside the Colosseum, Rome, 1960

When Abebe Bikila won the Olympic marathon gold medal, images of him running barefooted towards the Colosseum and victory flew around the world. Six decades later, his legacy can be felt in almost every major race, thanks to the East African running explosion. Today Ethiopian runners are a common sight, but Bikila was not only Ethiopia but Africa’s first Olympic gold medallist. Bikila would retain marathon gold at the following Olympics – this time wearing shoes.

Boston Marathon, 1967

When race official Jock Semple tried to hustle Kathrine Switzer – who had entered simply as K. V. Switzer – off the course during the 1967 Boston Marathon, he would have had no idea that the image would beam across the world and become an emblem of the status quo standing against progress. Despite his efforts, Switzer became the first woman to complete the all-male race as an official entrant – and history was changed. The two later became close friends.

Olympic podium, Mexico City, 1968

During their medal ceremony for the 200m at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968, African-American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos each raised a black-gloved fist in a Black Power salute. They left the podium booed by the crowd, and were expelled by officials from the Games – but their gesture is as powerful and resonant now as it was then. Smith later said: ‘If I win, I am American, not a black American. But if I did something bad, then they would say I am a Negro. We are black and we are proud of being black. Black America will understand what we did.’

Olympic 5000m final, Munich, 1972

During his all-too-brief 24 years of life, Steve ‘Pre’ Prefontaine moved from college running sensation to international track star, setting American records at every distance from 2,000 to 10,000m. He even played a key role in the success of a new running company called Nike. His tragically early death in a car crash, in the midst of his preparations for the 1976 Olympics, cemented his iconic status in running. Pre’s front-running style made him incredibly popular – but it could also be his downfall. Here he is leading the 5000m final, ahead of Finland’s Lasse Viren. Pre would eventually fade to fourth, with Viren winning gold.

New York City Marathon start line, 1972

On 1 October 1972, when the gun fired at the start of the New York marathon, six women immediately sat down. They were protesting the absurd rule that stated women could only run the marathon in a separate race. Later named the ‘Six Who Sat’. They held signs that read ‘Hey AAU, This is 1972, WAKE UP!’ and others calling the AAU ‘unfair’ and ‘archaic’. There they sat for a full 10 minutes, until the men’s field was ready to start, at which point they began running with the men. The organisers got the message and dropped the separate start times.

Olympic Marathon, Los Angeles, 1984

It had taken decades of protests and of persuasion but finally, a mere 88 years after the first men’s Olympic marathon, women were allowed to run one too. On home soil, on the scalding streets of Los Angeles, American Joan Benoit took an early lead. ‘Nobody came,’ she said afterwards. ‘And I didn’t complain.’ Benoit ran through to the victory, and a place in history. Arms in the air, white cap in hand, Benoit’s image went around the world and proved, finally, that women were more than capable of running marathons too.

Olympic 1500m final, Los Angeles, 1984

The Los Angeles Olympics were certainly eventful. They also took place at the peak of the Coe-Cram-Ovett rivalry, when athletics was primetime TV, the athletes were household names and no one missed a track showdown. Those years saw many great clashes between Britain’s ‘big three’, but perhaps the ultimate was Coe beating Cram to the line in the 1500m final. Both, of course, continue to shape and contribute to the running world to this day.

Olympic 100m, Seoul, 1988

Flo-Jo was a sprinting great – the first female Olympian to win four medals in a single year. But her influence went far beyond the track – racing in full make up, incredible nails and dazzling outfits, she redefined what it meant to be a woman in sport. Her legacy is somewhat tainted by suspicions of drug use, yet her incredible world records still stand to this day.

Olympic 100m final, Seoul, 1988

Some moments make global headlines for all the wrong reasons. When Ben Johnson’s world record winning time was nullified just two days after the race when a drug test indicated steroid use, it shattered the illusions of many – a shocking reality check of the darker side of sport. Suspicion of wider drug use in the field was rife, as five of the other seven athletes went on to test positive, or be involved in the use of performance-enhancing drugs. These athletes included Carl Lewis and Britain’s own Linford Christie.

Olympic 400m final, Sydney, 2000

Few moments epitomise grace under intense pressure so elegantly as Cathy Freeman, in her sleek bodysuit, surging to 400m Olympic Gold in front of an adoring home crowd. With the full weight and expectation not just of home fans, but carrying the burden of being the first Aboriginal athlete to win a gold medal, it was an extraordinary moment.

London Marathon, 2003

When Paul Radcliffe, head wobbling in her distinctive running style, demolished her own world record by nearly two minutes, it set a mark so monumental that it was to stand for 16 and a half years. Only in the era of super shoes has her 2:15:25 been beaten. While the ‘sub-two’ marathon – as a nice round number – took until 2019 to be beaten by Eliud Kipchoge in an unofficial event, some would argue that Radcliffe’s mark achieved the female equivalent nearly two decades before.

Bushy Park, London, 2003

It had no barcodes, no finish tokens, no marshals and no finish line funnel. There were just 13 runners with the aim of a 5K time trial around the flat trails of Bushy Park on a blustery day. But there, a movement that inspired millions of runs was born. Over three million runners worldwide have now competed a parkrun. Bushy Park, as home of the phenomenon, remains a very popular venue, holding the record for the largest ever parkrun (2,545 runners, Christmas Day 2019.)

Toronto, Canada, 2011

If you ever think you’re getting too old to run, take some inspiration from Fauja Singh. In 2011, the Londoner ran the Toronto Waterfront Marathon at the ripe old age of 100. He finished in 8:25:16. The secret to his longevity? Ginger curry, tea and ‘being happy’. Bravo!

Olympic 10,000m final, London, 2012

The sight of Britain’s most successful athlete doing his victory pose became one of the most iconic images of the 2012 Olympics, copied in playgrounds and sports fields across the land. With his trademark race domination and killer finishing kick, Farah won ten global championship medals – four Olympic and six World titles – making him by some way the most successful British track athlete.

Olympic Stadium, London, 2012

The 2012 Paralympics was a key moment showcasing paralympic sport on a global stage to a truly mass audience for the first time. Among the many highlights was the sight of Britain’s Jonnie Peacock winning gold in men’s 100m T44 – one of 34 golds won by Team GB.

Boston Marathon finish line, 2013

On April 15, 2013, a pair of homemade bombs exploded within seconds of each other on Boylston Street, the iconic finishing straight of the Boston Marathon. Three spectators were killed, and several hundred more injured. Seventeen people lost limbs in the attack. A huge manhunt lasted days before the culprits, two brothers, were tracked down, one arrested and the other killed in a shootout. It was a horrific and tragic attack on what should have been a triumphant moment for so many, and ten years on, many still live with the consequences.

World Championships, Moscow, 2013

The greatest sprinter of all time, Usain Bought bought not just lightning speed to the track but a personality and panache that filled stadiums. Eight Olympic golds, multiple world records – his retirement left a gaping void and it’s hard to imagine anyone filling it. His world records at 100m and 200m still stand and it’s equally hard to imagine them being surpassed any time soon. This shot, taken just after Bolt’s victory in the 100m at the 2013 World Championships, is one of the most iconic in all athletics.

Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, 2018

An extraordinarily powerful image that went viral around the world, Sophie Power is seen feeding and pumping for her three-month-old baby, in the depths of the 106-mile UTMB. ‘Becoming a mother shouldn’t mean giving up on our dreams,’ said Power, who has gone on to found SheRACES, which campaigns for equality and change for female athletes and runners.

Vienna’s Prater, Austria, 2019

For years it felt like an entirely theoretical debate: would anyone ever run a sub-two-hour marathon? Never, said many – until the greatest marathon runner of all time proved them wrong. Admittedly, super shoes, a looped course that was not legal for world records helped and drafting with a team of top runners helped. But, regardless, Eliud Kipchoge certainly rewrote – and continues to rewrite – what the human body is capable of.

Limehouse, London Marathon, 2019

Published: 27 January 2025 running crew has changed running for the better. And it all started with Run Dem Crew, who now camp out at mile 21 of the London Marathon every year to provide the race’s loudest, greatest ‘cheer zone’.

Central London, 2020

When Covid-19 first hit the UK, strict lockdowns were enforced, leaving cities deserted as many of us were told to work from home. Thankfully, running outdoors was still allowed and many runners enjoyed logging miles on previously traffic-filled routes. Lockdown also saw a rise in new runners – one of the few silver linings to come out of a hugely challenging time for people worldwide.

Frozen Head State Park, Tennessee, 2024

Exhausted, Jasmin Paris slumps next to the finishing gate of the Barkley Marathons, the notorious ultramarathon in Tennessee once believed to be ‘impossible for a woman to finish’. Paris proved the doubters wrong, finishing in 59:58:21.

Chicago Marathon, 2024

An elated Ruth Chepngetich celebrates becoming the first woman in history to run a sub-2:10 marathon. The Kenyan did so at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, finishing in a time of 2:09:56.