Decline of Running Times
So much for Running Times being one of the favourite two running magazines (along with Trail Runner). A number of months ago there was a small note in Running Times that let readers know that the running magazine giant, Runners World, had bought them out. I was instantly worried as one of the major reasons I loved Running Times so much was the fact that it was not Runners World. It is not that I do not thing Runners World is a good magazine, I just find that I am not amoung the audience that Runners World targets. In response to my worries, the short blurb told all the readers that things at Running Times were not going to change.
I decided to wait a couple of editions to make my final decision. As already suggested, I will not bother subscribing or purchasing this publication anymore. While Runners World did not turn their new product mainstream (read: for newbie runners) like their flagship publication, I find that they over-focused Running Times. Before the buy-out, Running Times had a great vareity of running related content, which included a fair amount of high school to professional race reports and/or runner profiles. I now find that much more of their content is focused on these high school, college, and elite stories; too much so.
Rather than losing one of my staple magazines being a time of sorrow, it turned out to be an opportunity. Back in good ol' Canada, there are two new Canada-centric running magazines on the scene: iRun and Canadian Running. At the Ottawa Race Weekend expo I grabbed a deput copy of each of the magazines. While more Runners World-like, these magazines have a huge advantage that all the content is Canada focused (gear prices in Cdn dollars, Canadian race schedules, etc.). I think I will enjoy relying on either of these publications. I just hope that one of the two manages to survive.
All that said... Trail Runner is still my favourite runner magazine.
