Women's Running

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Cover of Women's Running Magazine, March 2013

Women's Running, formerly Her Sports + Fitness is a magazine geared towards female running enthusiasts. Published 6 times yearly by Outside, it is the only women's-specific running magazine available in the North American market.[1] According to the publisher it was created "to serve a rapidly growing community of female runners".[2]

The magazine's editor-in-chief is Jen Ator, who was previously the fitness director of Women's Health for ten years.[3]

History

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Founding

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Before becoming Women's Running the magazine was first published in 2004 under the name Her Sports + Fitness, founded by former marketing executive and Martha Stewart apprentice Dawna Stone. Stone, also a triathlete, has said she got the idea to start an athletic magazine specifically designed for women after finding out Sports Illustrated for Women, her favorite magazine, was being discontinued.[4]

In 2004, Her Sports won the Florida Magazine Association's Charlie Award for "Best New Magazine."[5]

Rebranding

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In 2008, Her Sports was renamed Women's Running, a change aimed at serving the growing community of female runners—a demographic also noticed by other industry magazines such as Runner's World.[6][7] According to RunningUSA, the rebranding tripled newsstand sales and dramatically increased subscriptions.[8]

Redesign

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The magazine was redesigned in early 2012, unveiled for the first time in the March/April 2012 issue. The redesign included a new cover featuring celebrities and elite athletes, a "reader's corner" that featured issues popular on the magazine's social media websites, and the "parting shot" – dubbed "a sneak peek into the running life of a professional athlete."[9]

Competitor Group Ownership

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On June 1, 2012 Competitor Group announced their acquisition of Women's Running Magazine, WomensRunning.com, and the Women's Half Marathon Series for an undisclosed amount.[10] "This is a watershed moment for our organization as we greatly expand our media and event portfolio with a collection of powerful assets from which we will create the largest participatory platform in the world dedicated to female athletes,” said Scott Dickey, CEO of CGI in a press release.[11]

Current Owner

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On October 12, 2017, Women's Running, along with other titles including VeloNews and Triathlete as well as book publisher VeloPress, were sold to Pocket Outdoor media.[12] Women's Running was purchased by Outside in 2021.[13]

Other

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In 2016 Amelia Gapin became the first openly transgender woman to be featured on the cover of Women's Running.[14]

Circulation

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The magazine has a nationwide circulation of 105,000 (unaudited).[15] The publisher estimates the readership to be 192,000.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Media Bistro. (October 16, 2012) How to Pitch Women's Running Retrieved Mar 9, 2013
  2. ^ a b Competitor Group. Overview – Women's Running Magazine Retrieved March 9, 2013
  3. ^ "Women's Running Welcomes Jen Ator as Editor-in-Chief". Pocket Outdoor Media. April 12, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  4. ^ University of California Haas School of Business. Dawna Stone CalBusiness. (Winter 2011). Retrieved March 9, 2013
  5. ^ IMDb.Biography for Dawna Stone Retrieved March 9, 2013
  6. ^ Traxee.com Women's Running Magazine Launches in 2009 Retrieved March 9, 2013
  7. ^ Tampa Bay Online. Women's Running Slims Focus to Fill Niche
  8. ^ RunningUSA Women's Running Magazine More Than Triples Bookstore Newsstand Orders Retrieved March 9, 2013
  9. ^ Publishing Executive. (February 22, 2012) Women's Running Magazine Debuts Redesign with Christy Turlington Burns Retrieved Mar 9, 2013
  10. ^ St. Petersburg's Women's Running Magazine, related fitness assets, Sold to San Diego company
  11. ^ Competitor Group. (June 1, 2012) Competitor Group to Launch Women's Endurance Sports Global Initiative Retrieved Mar 9, 2013
  12. ^ "WTC sells VeloNews and Triathlete to previous owner Felix Magowan and partners". Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  13. ^ "Santa Fe-based 'Outside' magazine sold to Pocket Outdoor Media of Colorado". Santa Fe New Mexican. February 21, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  14. ^ Barnes, Katie (2016). "Transgender runner featured on Women's Running cover". Espn.go.com. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  15. ^ CisionNavigator. Top 10 Running/Marathon/Triathlon magazines in the US Retrieved March 9, 2013
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