Hearst Launches ‘Former Runner’ Magazine
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The publisher of Runner’s World today unveiled a new magazine aimed at people who have abandoned the sport, a market that the company described as “substantial and lucrative.”
The magazine, titled Former Runner, will publish six times a year, according to a news release from Hearst Corporation; the June/July 2022 debut issue will hit newsstands this week. Free copies are also being sent to the offices of podiatrists, physical therapists, and sports physicians.
The title will exist as a digital brand as well, at FormerRunner.com.
“With the addition of Former Runner to our already robust stable of titles, Hearst once again shows it is on the bleeding edge of audience engagement,” the news release read. “Former Runner is the perfect complement to Runner’s World, speaking to a segment of the population that, as a group, has been largely ignored until now.”
The launch issue hints at the title’s broad scope, with a story headlined “49 Things You Can Do Instead [of Running],” a beginner’s guide to buying a bicycle, and shoe reviews covering footwear for a number of non-running activities.
Early reaction to the announcement was mixed.
“Seems like a weird niche to me,” one current runner wrote on Twitter. “Do we really need a magazine about this?”
“I used to be a runner,” wrote one former runner. “Now I bike a lot.”
Hearst publishes nearly 250 magazine editions globally, including Bicycling, Model Railroader, Good Housekeeping, Juggs, Juggs UK, and Car and Driver.
