This section is an attempt to acknowledge a number of key individuals who have had significant impacts on the running world, either through coaching or directly through running. The list is by no means exhaustive.

Abebe Bikila : If there was just one person who has influenced the distance running world the most, it would have to be the great Ethiopian, Abebe Bikila. Bikila was the catalyst who showed the whole of Africa that it was possible to be a world beating runner. For a detailed look at Abebe Bikila read a Runner's Tribe feature article 'Abebe Bikila Remembered: The First African Great'

Kathrine Switzer : Kathrine Switzer will always be best known as the woman who challenged the all-male tradition of the Boston Marathon and became the first woman to officially enter and run the event. Her entry created an uproar and worldwide notoriety when a race official tried to forcibly remove her from the competition. Kathrine's actions have also led to the inclusion of the women's marathon as an official event in the Olympic Games, changing forever the face of sports, health and opportunities for women around the world.. For a detailed look at Kathrine Switzer read a Runner's Tribe interview with her 'Kathrine Switzer: The Face of Women's Marathon Running'

Emil Zatopek: Zatopek was born in 1922 into a modest family and spent his youth working in a shoe factory in Zlin, Czechoslovakia. Zatopek is famous for bringing interval training to the attention of the world athletic community, as well as for his unorthodox running style. On the track, Zatopek was one of the greatest runners of the 20th century, winning gold at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics in the 5000m, 10000m and marathon. Zatopek made a name for himself through regularly completing sessions such as forty 400m reps.

Roger Bannister: Bannister is best known as being the first man to break the four minute mile barrier, on May 6, 1954. Once this huge psychological barrier was broken it led to runner after runner breaking the once mystical barrier. Today, there are countless runners who can break 4 minutes for a mile, although the mark still stands as being a significant milestone along the journey of any elite miler's career.

Arthur Lydiard: Lydiard, a New Zealander, was the first coach to advocate the use of marathon training for all runners, going against the accepted European methods of 1950's, which involved massive amounts of interval training. Lydiard had his runners cover up to 250km per week during winter months, and followed this with a period of hill training, followed by a period of speed work before racing. Lydiard is perhaps best known for coaching Peter Snell (previous world record holder for 800m, 1500m and mile), as well as Murray Halberg. Lydiard's methods, until this day, have shaped the majority of the worlds training philosophies.

Percy Cerutty: Cerutty was an eccentric Australian coach who is best known as the mastermind behind Herb Elliott who is still considered by some to be the greatest miler to ever live. Cerutty also went against the European method of interval training and was really the first coach who thoroughly addressed strength work, technique and diet. Cerutty's training methods involved lots of long runs and surge or fartlek training. Cerutty is also famous for making his runners train up and down sand hills until exhausted.

John Velzian: Velzian is best known for his role in the rise of Kenyan athletics. In 1958 Velzian accepted a job as an English teacher and athletics coach at Kagumo teacher training college, Nyeri, Kenya. His job was simply to find and utilize the running talent that was in hiding amongst the many talented school children throughout Kenya. Velzian's role in the progression of Kenya to world distance running dominance is overwhelming. In the years following 1958 he coached numerous top runners, including the great 'Kipchoge Keino'. Velzian was then head coach of the Kenyan team until he fell out with Kenyan authorities. Velzian is widely credited as triggering the emergence of the Kenyans onto the world athletic stage from 1960 onwards.

Bill Bowerman: Bowerman is famous for bringing the philosophies of Lydiard to the American Collegiate running scene. Bowerman, the founder of Nike, coached great runners such as Steve Prefontaine and Dyrol Burleson.

Steve Prefontaine: Prefontaine (Pre) was America's best distance runner during a five year period during the early 1970's. However Pre's fame has perhaps been amplified by the 1998 WARNER BROS screen depiction of his life 'Without Limits'. In reality Pre was a brilliant distance runner, but perhaps his main influence came through inspiring whole generations of American distance runners, with his ego-driven personality, to give running a serious go. Pre died in 1975 in a motor vehicle accident, aged just 24 years.

Pat Clohessy: Clohessy is arguably Australia's most successful distance coach. He is best known for coaching or advising athletes such as Robert De Castella (world champion marathon runner), Billy Mills (Olympic champion 10,000m runner), Simon Doyle (Australian record holder for the 1500m) and Shaun Creighton (Australian record holder for the 3000m steeplechase). Clohessy himself is an All-American 3-Miler and represented Australia at Commonwealth Games level; Pat was also head coach at the Australian institute of sport for over a decade. Clohessy's training methods are highly influenced by Lydiard, as they were close friends. His training is based around a gradual adaptation to more and more aerobic conditioning and his main sessions revolve around a weekly hill, track and fartlek session, as well as regular long runs.

Herb Elliott: Elliott's stellar career was brief, yet astonishing. Elliott was undefeated over the 1500m and mile, in over forty professional races. Elliott, coached by Percy Cerrutty, is best known for his victory at the 1960 Rome Olympics where he took off with 800m to go in the 1500m final to win by 20 metres in a world record time of 3min 35.6 seconds. The great Sebastian Coe classes Elliott as the greatest miler to ever live.

Sebastian and Peter Coe: Sebastian Coe and his Father Peter Coe have had a great influence on the world of distance running, particularly middle distance. Seb is still the second fastest man ever over 800m (1:41.74), and at one stage held the world 1500m record, as well as the 800m world record. Seb's training was somewhat more complex than many other systems, utilising a yearly program that was periodised and broken up into many different segments. Seb's training covered all aspects of training, from long runs and hills to speed work, it is all outlined in a very popular running book 'Better Training for Distance Runners'. However it is hard to ignore the massive amounts of speed work that Seb performed all year around. Many an athlete has broken down with injury and ruined their careers by trying to replicate his level of intensity. Thus although the average athlete most likely cannot handle the amount of intense speed work that Seb Coe could, the influence of the Coe's on the running world has been substantial.

 Joe Vigil: Vigil is best known for his scientific approach to training, more specifically his scientifically based training programs which have had vast impact on distance running throughout America.

Haile Gebrselassie: Gebrselassie is arguably the greatest distance runner to ever live. From distances from 5000m to the marathon, there are few men who would have rivaled Gebrselassie when he was at his best. His credentials include two Olympic 10,000m gold medals, eight world championships titles indoors and outdoors, and seventeen world records over four different distances. He is also the current world record holder for the marathon. Gebrselassie is also well known and respected for the constructive work he has done for his poverty stricken homeland of Ethiopia. Furthermore, Gebrselassie's famous smile and likeable personality has helped increase the popularity of distance running throughout the world. Read a Runner's Tribe interview with Gebrselassie 'Flash chat with the Great Haile Gebrselassie'