When was running invented? A timeline

So you’ve probably seen it floating around the internet — the claim that a man called Thomas Running invented running in 1784 when he “tried to walk twice at the same time.” It’s a meme. A very good meme, I’ll give it that. But it’s completely made up, and I think that’s hilarious considering the actual history of running goes back literally millions of years.

I’m a runner myself — I’ve been running for over ten years — and when I first came across the Thomas Running joke I genuinely cackled. And then I thought: wait, when was running actually invented? Like, properly. So I did a deep dive, and it turns out the real answer is so much more interesting than any meme.

Let’s get into it.

Table of Contents

• Did Thomas Running invent running?
• When was running actually invented?
• A timeline of the history of running
• 7 million years ago — the first steps (and sprints)
• 2 million years ago — running for survival
• 3100 BCE — running as ceremony in Ancient Egypt
• 1829 BCE — the Tailteann Games, Ireland
• 776 BCE — the Ancient Greek Olympics
• 490 BCE — the original marathon runner
• 1896 — the first modern marathon
• 1897 — the Boston Marathon
• 1960s and 70s — the running boom
• Today — Parkrun, road races, and running for everyone
• The evolution of running shoes
• Key takeaways

No. Absolutely not. Thomas Running is not a real person. He was invented by the internet, which is ironic given the subject matter.

The joke goes that before 1784, humans could only walk. Then one day Thomas Running tried to “walk twice at the same time” and accidentally created running. Which means, presumably, that for the entirety of human history before that point — through ice ages, predator chases, ancient Olympics, the entire Roman Empire — everyone was just walking really fast and hoping for the best.

If Thomas Running invented running, then I guess someone invented every other activity too. Allow me to introduce you to Jim Gymming (invented the gym in 1823), Sarah Swimming (discovered water in 1791), and Gary Gardening, who in 1802 looked at some dirt and thought: what if I put a plant in there?

Ridiculous, right? Exactly.

Running was not invented. It evolved. And here’s the real story.

When was running actually invented? The real history

Running wasn’t invented by anyone. It developed over millions of years as part of human evolution, and the fossil record tells us that our ancestors were running long before language, tools, or civilization existed. Running is, quite literally, built into us.

Here’s a proper timeline of how running went from survival instinct to Saturday morning 5Ks.

A timeline of the history of running

7 million years ago — the first steps (and sprints)

Bipedalism — the ability to walk and run on two feet — emerged around 7 million years ago. This was one of the most important adaptations in human evolutionary history. Standing upright freed up our hands and allowed early humans to cover ground in ways that quadrupeds couldn’t match over long distances.

2 million years ago — running for survival

According to fossil evidence highlighted by National Geographic, humans began jogging around two million years ago. At this point, running wasn’t a hobby or a sport — it was a survival tool. Early humans used something called persistence hunting, which is exactly what it sounds like: chasing prey across open terrain for hours on end until the animal was too exhausted to keep going.

Humans are uniquely good at this. We sweat to regulate our body temperature rather than panting like most animals, which means we can keep running in heat that would stop a deer or antelope in its tracks. Running long distances wasn’t just something early humans could do — it was one of their biggest competitive advantages on the planet.

3100 BCE — running as ceremony in Ancient Egypt

One of the earliest recorded uses of running as something beyond pure survival comes from Ancient Egypt. The Sed Festival — also called Heb Sed — was a major celebration honoring the pharaoh’s continued rule, typically held 30 years into a reign.

Part of the festival involved the pharaoh himself running a course designed to represent the lands of Egypt. He ran four laps: the first two in the regalia of Upper Egypt, the final two representing Lower Egypt. Some historians believe that if the pharaoh couldn’t complete the course, he was considered unfit to rule and replaced. Talk about race day pressure.

1829 BCE — the Tailteann Games, Ireland

The earliest recorded competitive running event is believed to be the Tailteann Games in Ireland, dating back to around 1829 BCE. These games were held as part of a festival commemorating the Irish goddess and queen Tailtiu, and they included various athletic events alongside running — think boxing, archery, sword fighting, and chariot racing.

It’s not entirely clear what form the running events took, but this is widely considered the beginning of competitive running as a concept.

776 BCE — the Ancient Greek Olympics

This is the big one most people know about. The first Olympic Games were held in Olympia, Greece in 776 BCE — and in the early years, the only event contested was a foot race.

That race was called the stadion — named after the building it took place in, which was roughly 200 yards long. It wasn’t until 724 BCE that other sports were added to the program. Running literally was the Olympics before anything else existed.

Later events included the diaulos (a double-length sprint, roughly 400 yards) and the dolichos, a longer endurance race. The ancient Greeks took running seriously, and winners were treated as heroes.

490 BCE — the original marathon runner

You can’t talk about the history of running without mentioning Pheidippides, the Greek messenger who is said to have run from Marathon to Athens — a distance of roughly 25 miles — to deliver the news that the Greeks had defeated the Persian army.

Whether the full story is historically accurate is debated by scholars, but Pheidippides is considered the inspiration for the modern marathon. Running wasn’t just sport or survival at this point — it was communication. Professional runners called heralds, or hemerodromoi, were essentially the postal service of the ancient world.

1896 — the first modern marathon

Fast forward a couple of thousand years to Athens, Greece, and the first modern Olympic Games. The marathon was contested for the first time at these games, covering roughly 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) from Marathon to Athens in honor of Pheidippides’ legendary run.

The marathon distance wasn’t standardized at 26.2 miles until the 1908 Olympic Games in London — and that distance came about for a very specific reason. Queen Alexandra requested the race start on the lawn of Windsor Castle so the royal children could watch from the nursery window, and finish in front of the Royal Box at the Olympic Stadium. The distance between those two points happened to be exactly 26 miles and 385 yards. And that’s the marathon distance we still run today. Royalty really did change running forever.

1897 — the Boston Marathon

One year after the first modern Olympic marathon, the Boston Marathon was born. It’s the longest-running annual marathon in the world and the first major marathon race outside of the Olympics. The Boston Marathon is still one of the most prestigious races on the planet today, and qualifying for it remains a bucket list goal for serious distance runners everywhere.

It’s worth noting that women weren’t officially allowed to enter the Boston Marathon until 1972 — and the first women’s Olympic marathon didn’t take place until 1984. That’s a piece of running history that doesn’t get talked about enough.

1960s and 70s — the running boom

Running for exercise — the kind of running most of us do today, just lacing up and heading out the door for the good of our physical and mental health — didn’t really become mainstream until the 1960s and 70s.

Before that, recreational running was largely considered the domain of competitive athletes and track stars. Everyday adults just didn’t really do it.

That started to change thanks in large part to Bill Bowerman, the legendary cross-country coach at the University of Oregon. After a trip to New Zealand where he encountered long-distance running and coaching methods he’d never seen before, Bowerman came home and wrote a bestselling book called Jogging that introduced the concept of running for fitness to a mainstream American audience.

Bowerman also co-founded a small company called Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964, which you might know better by its current name: Nike. He famously developed the first waffle-soled running shoes by pouring rubber into his kitchen waffle iron. He also coached Steve Prefontaine, one of the most iconic American distance runners of all time.

The running boom of the 1970s transformed running from a niche activity into something millions of ordinary people did every day — not to win medals or chase prey across the savannah, but because it made them feel good.

Today — Parkrun, road races, and running for everyone

Running has never been more accessible than it is right now. Parkrun — the free, weekly 5K event held in parks around the world every Saturday morning — has made running genuinely open to everyone, regardless of pace or experience level. There are now millions of Parkrun participants globally.

Road races of every distance from 5K to ultramarathons draw huge fields of recreational runners every weekend. Running apps, GPS watches, and online communities have made it easier than ever to track your progress and find your people.

Running has come a long way from persistence hunting on the African savannah. But in some ways, not much has changed. We still run because it does something for us — physically, mentally, emotionally. That part has always been true.

The evolution of running shoes

No history of running would be complete without a quick nod to the shoes. Early humans ran barefoot, adapting to all kinds of terrain through the natural structure of the foot. Ancient Greek and Roman runners often competed barefoot too, though leather sandals and boots were common for longer journeys.

Modern running shoes as we know them started to emerge in the 20th century, but it was really the 1970s running boom that kicked shoe technology into high gear. Cushioning, motion control, arch support, lightweight materials — all of it evolved rapidly as more people started running and the industry grew to meet demand.

Today the conversation has come full circle in many ways, with barefoot running and minimalist shoes enjoying a revival, as researchers and coaches debate how much shoe we actually need. But that’s a whole other post.

Key takeaways: when was running invented?

Running wasn’t invented by anyone — least of all Thomas Running, who is entirely fictional.

Here’s the short version:

• Running evolved around 7 million years ago with the development of bipedalism
• Humans were jogging for survival around 2 million years ago
• Competitive running dates back to at least 1829 BCE
• The first Olympic foot race was held in 776 BCE
• The modern marathon was born in 1896
• Running for fitness became mainstream in the 1960s and 70s, largely thanks to Bill Bowerman and the early days of Nike

Running is one of the most fundamental things humans do. It’s older than language, older than civilisation, older than pretty much everything. So the next time someone tells you Thomas Running invented it in 1784 — you can set the record straight.

Written by Katie McDonald, Updated 12 June 2026

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