10 Black Runners Who Changed History
Runstreet founder Marnie got to meet Allyson Felix at an Athleta and Saysh event in NYC.
There are many black runners who have made great contributions to the sport of running as well as helped advance human rights and progress around the world. February is Black History month, a time for “both a celebration and a powerful reminder that Black History is American History,” which has been an annual observation in the US since 1926. While the true reality is that every day should be a celebration of Black excellence and achievement, what better way to contribute to Black History Month than highlighting incredible Black runners who changed history? These runners defied the odds to make incredible achievements in the world of running and often combatted racism in the process.
Black Runners Who Changed History
Wilma Glodean Rudolph
An absolute Black female icon, Wilma Rudolph is an inspiration for girls and boys the world over. Wilma faced great adversity in her early career when she was diagnosed with poliomyelitis (polio), a disabling and often life-threatening disease. Yet, Wilma continued to race in track and field events, racking up an impressive three gold medals for America in the 1960 summer Olympics, held in Rome, Italy. She was regarded as the “fastest woman in the world,” in the 1960s and became the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympics. She retired in 1962 to become an educator, coach, civil rights, and women’s rights activist pioneer. Her legacy is honored with a US postage stamp, many documentaries, and more.
Raymond Gray Lewis
Appropriately nicknamed “Rapid Ray,” Raymond Lewis was a Canadian runner who made history by becoming the first Canadian-born Black athlete to win a medal at the 1932 Olympic Summer Games in Los Angeles. Rapid Ray earned a bronze medal for his contribution to the 4 X 400-meter relay. He later went on to win a silver medal at the British Empire Games in 1934 again for the 4 X 400-meter event. He was honored by the notable “Order of Canada,” award which honors people who make “extraordinary contributions to Canada,” in 2000, before his death in 2003. Raymond was one of the early Black runners in Olympic history who paved the way for many great Black athletes who came after him.
Jesse Owens
Regarded as “perhaps the greatest and most famous athlete in track and field history,” Jesse Owens was one of the early black runners who made history when he set three world records and tied another in less than 60 minutes at the 1935 Big Ten Track meet in Michigan, now known as the “greatest 45 minutes ever in the sport.” He went on to blow everyone out of the water in the 1936 Olympics in Germany by taking home four gold medals for America in the 100-meter race, long jump, 200 meters, and 4 X 100-meter relay. These Olympic Games were set up by Hitler's repressive regime who planned to showcase “Aryan superiority,” which Jesse Owens quickly disproved. His legacy continues in the way of the USA Track and Field highest accolade, named after him, which is reserved for the top track and field athlete.
Donovan Bailey
Donovan Bailey, a Jamaican Canadian man, broke records in 1996 where he was recorded as the fastest human with an incredible 12.10 miles/second. Donovan Bailey is to thank for Canada’s first-ever gold medal in the same games, in the men’s 100-meter race and another gold as part of the men’s 4 X 100-meter relay. In 2004, he was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and then into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.
Usain Bolt
With a name like that, Usain Bolt fulfilled his life’s destiny! One of the most prolific Black runners and world record sprinter of all time was born in Jamaican and made a true mark in the running world by winning a medal in a sprinting race at age 14, while still in high school. While he has now retired, he holds an unbelievable 19 world records, has won eight Olympic golds, is a world record holder in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and four-person 100-meter relay, and is an 11-time world champion.
Allyson Felix
In her life, Allyson Felix has earned not 1, not 2, but 11 Olympic Medals! Her focus is track and field with her forte being the 200-meter sprint and the 400-meter sprint. Felix has also taken part in both the 4x100 meter and 4x 400-meter relays. Off the running track, Felix is an advocate for female athletes and has started an incredible fund that supports pro-athlete mothers.
Ted Corbitt
Ted Corbitt was a Black American long distance runner who was the first African-American to run the marathon at the Summer Olympics in 1952. He was also the founding president of the New York Road Runners (host of the NYC Marathon), and is nicknamed “the father of long distance running.” Corbitt helped popularize long distance running in the 1960s and 1970s in the U.S. and was also instrumental as an ultra runner. He was one of the first five runners to be inducted into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame. Ted Corbitt has a New York Road Runners race dedicated to him and remains a prominent fixture in the NYC running world.
Related Post: 20 Races in NYC You Don’t Want to Miss
Sha’Carri Richardson
Sha’Carri Richardson is a world champion runner, who competes in 100 and 200 meters and surprised everyone by breaking records in 2019 after running 10.75 seconds to smash the 100-meter records, making her one of the 10 fastest women in history – at just 19 years old. Richardson went on to smash her record in 2021, by hitting 10.72 – making her the sixth fastest woman in the world and the fourth-fastest American woman in history! Richardson also won gold in the 100 meters at the 2023 World Championships and won godl as part of Team USA in the women’s 4x100-meter relay final with a championship record of 41.03 seconds.
Dalilah Muhammad
New York native Dalilah Muhammed is a running rockstar. She specializes in not just running but goes the extra length by dominating in the 400-meter hurdles. Muhammad brought America home two silver medals, one in the 2016 Rio Olympics and again at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games. Dalilah Muhammed’s win in the 2020 games earned her the title of the second-fastest woman of all time in the event.
George Coleman Poage
An iconic athlete in American history, Missouri-born George Coleman Poage was the first-ever African-American athlete to win a medal in the Olympic games by winning two bronze medals at the 1904 games held in St. Louis. George Coleman Poage was a standout athlete from a young age — he was a top athlete and student at school and was the class salutatorian in 1899, making him the first African American graduate.
Black Runners and Athletes Making History
The aforementioned Black runners are just 10 of the incredible athletes who took their running to new levels to make history and contribute to their countries’ success on the world stage. Outside of the running world, there are plenty of incredible Black athletes, including Muhammad Ali, Laila Ali, Bo Jackson, Maya Moore, Jim Brown, Arthur Ashe, Moses Malone, Shani Davis, Hank Aaron, and many more who made sports - and human - history. If you aren’t familiar, take the time to research these impactful Black runners this month. Which Black athlete has inspired you the most?
Marissa Del Mistro is a writer, editor, and always on the hunt for the perfect workout. Marissa absolutely loves trail running, dancing, and cycling. When she’s not writing, Marissa loves cooking, podcasts, traveling and exploring her home in the beautiful unceded Coast Salish Territory of the Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ nations.