The covers of running magazines are powerful ideological tools, and the individuals featured on covers shape broader public perception of who belongs in running. To examine representation, this study analyzed 285 images of athletes on the covers of three popular North American running magazines over an 11-year period (2009–2019). Through a visual content analysis of cover photos and the use of intersectional feminist theory as a framework, we found disparity in the representation of racialized athletes in comparison to non-racialized athletes, as well as an overrepresentation of female athletes in comparison to their male counterparts. We argue that in order to challenge dominant understandings of who can rightfully and safely participate in running, it is essential to increase the images of racialized people on magazine covers.

跑步杂志的封面是强大的意识形态工具，封面上的人物塑造了更广泛的公众对跑步者的认识。为了检验代表性，本研究在11年期间（2009-2019年）分析了三本北美流行跑步杂志封面上的285张运动员图像。通过对封面照片的视觉内容分析以及使用交叉女性主义理论作为框架，我们发现与非种族化运动员相比，种族化运动员的代表存在差异，与男性运动员相比，女性运动员的代表过多。我们认为，为了挑战对谁能正确安全地参加跑步运动的主流理解，必须在杂志的封面上增加种族主义者的形象。