Bob Anderson (runner)

Bob Anderson (born December 28, 1947, in Manhattan, Kansas) is an American runner, photographer, publisher and film producer. He has been running for 53 years. In 2012 he ran 50 races (350.8 miles) to celebrate 50 years of running. He averaged 6:59/mile. A movie called A Long Run covers the event. He is the founder of Runner's World magazine. A desire to find information about running and racing led him to a career in magazine and book publishing for more than twenty years. After selling Runner's World to Rodale Press in 1984, he founded Ujena Swimwear, and Around Town Productions. He has been the subject of media coverage for more than forty years. In 2012 he founded a new sport called Double Racing - a two-stage running race with a halftime recovery break between the legs.

In 1966, as a high school senior in Overland Park, Kansas, Bob Anderson was interested in running. He was a 4:41-miler with a passion for the sport and wanted to learn how to train for a marathon. He searched for information about training and racing and discovered there was little information available so, at age 17, he started his own publication.

Anderson started a black and white magazine titled Distance Running News and began selling subscriptions. The publication came out twice per year and by its second year the magazine had 850 subscribers. The circulation grew to 3000 and the publication developed into a magazine published six times per year. Anderson published the magazine by himself for several years.

In 1970, Anderson brought on runner and writer Joe Henderson as chief editor. Henderson was a young newspaper reporter and former Iowa State cross-country champion who had worked for Track and Field News. In that same year, Anderson moved the operations from Kansas to Mountain View, California, and the name of the magazine changed to Runners World. Runner and cardiologist George Sheehan came on board as the magazine's featured columnist and medical editor.

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