Bob Cooper (journalist)
Encyclopedia
Bob Cooper is an American
freelance journalist
, a contributing editor for Runner's World
, a former executive editor of Running Times, a competitive long distance runner
, and a longtime San Francisco Bay Area
resident. From 1980 to 1990, he held various editorial positions for Triathlete, Inside Triathlon, and City Sports
magazines.
er, his fifty mile time of 5 hours and 42 minutes ranked seventh in the US in 1977. He also has run seven sub-2:30 marathon
s. As a teenager, he was part of a cross country relay in 1973 that traversed the breadth of the United States
from the Pacific Ocean
to the Atlantic Ocean
. During another such relay along the Pacific Coast
, from Mexico
to Canada
in 1981, he ran a dozen two hour legs in a little over nine days. He is believed to be the only runner to ever participate in relays spanning the length as well as the width of America.
Cooper's top performances include a win at the Silver State Marathon, second place at the Tucson Marathon and the American River 50 Mile Run, third place at the San Francisco Marathon
, and fourth place at the US 50 Mile Championships. Since turning forty, he has won numerous masters titles around Northern California
.
published Cooper's first national magazine article in Runner's World
magazine. Cooper continued to write for Runner's World after the magazine was sold to Rodale Press
in 1984. His feature articles have appeared regularly in magazines including Men's Journal
, Men's Fitness
, National Geographic Adventure
, National Geographic Traveler
, Spa
, and dozens of others. He won two journalism awards in 2005: the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) "Making A Difference" Award for a story on the charity, Room to Read, and an award from the Bay Area Travel Writers for a story on the Ventura (California) ArtWalk. In 2008, he won the ASJA "Outstanding Service Article" Award for a story on America's most popular marathon training programs.
After serving as an executive editor for Running Times between 1990 and 1992, Cooper became a full-time freelance writer while continuing to work as a regular contributor to Runner's World. He published two guidebooks for runners interested in exploring favorite Northern California
running venues, The Valley At Your Feet: 50 Walking, Running and Racing Courses in the Sacramento Valley
and San Francisco Running Guide; the latter features 35 of the most scenic and challenging running routes and ten top races—from 5Ks to marathons—in the San Francisco Bay Area: Marin County
, the East Bay, including Oakland
, Berkeley
, Fremont
, and the South Bay, including Palo Alto
, San Jose, California
, Woodside
, and Cupertino
.
More information about his running and his writing, including article links, can be found at www.bob-cooper.com.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
freelance journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, a contributing editor for Runner's World
Runner's World
Runner's World is a globally circulated monthly magazine for runners of all skills sets, published by Rodale Press in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
, a former executive editor of Running Times, a competitive long distance runner
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
, and a longtime San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
resident. From 1980 to 1990, he held various editorial positions for Triathlete, Inside Triathlon, and City Sports
City Sports
City Sports is an American sporting goods retailer operating mostly on the east coast of the United States. Its chief products include athletic apparel, footwear, and equipment...
magazines.
Running and racing
Cooper started running in 1969, and since then has achieved a great deal of success as a competitor. As an ultramarathonUltramarathon
An ultramarathon is any sporting event involving running longer than the traditional marathon length of .There are two types of ultramarathon events: those that cover a specified distance, and events that take place during specified time...
er, his fifty mile time of 5 hours and 42 minutes ranked seventh in the US in 1977. He also has run seven sub-2:30 marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
s. As a teenager, he was part of a cross country relay in 1973 that traversed the breadth of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
to the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. During another such relay along the Pacific Coast
Pacific Coast
A country's Pacific coast is the part of its coast bordering the Pacific Ocean.-The Americas:Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western border.* Geography of Canada* Geography of Chile* Geography of Colombia...
, from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1981, he ran a dozen two hour legs in a little over nine days. He is believed to be the only runner to ever participate in relays spanning the length as well as the width of America.
Cooper's top performances include a win at the Silver State Marathon, second place at the Tucson Marathon and the American River 50 Mile Run, third place at the San Francisco Marathon
San Francisco Marathon
The San Francisco Marathon is a series of USATF certified road running events held each July or August in San Francisco, California that include a full marathon, two half marathons, and a 5K. Except for in 1988, the marathon has been held annually since 1977. The current marathon course forms a...
, and fourth place at the US 50 Mile Championships. Since turning forty, he has won numerous masters titles around Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
.
Journalism career
In 1973, Bob AndersonBob Anderson (runner)
Bob Anderson is an American runner, photographer, publisher and film producer. He is the founder of Runner's World magazine. A desire to find information about running and racing led him to a career in magazine and book publishing for more than twenty years...
published Cooper's first national magazine article in Runner's World
Runner's World
Runner's World is a globally circulated monthly magazine for runners of all skills sets, published by Rodale Press in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
magazine. Cooper continued to write for Runner's World after the magazine was sold to Rodale Press
Rodale Press
Rodale, Inc., is an American publisher of health and wellness magazines, books, and digital properties. Rodale is headquartered in Emmaus, Pennsylvania and also maintains a satellite office in New York City, on Third Avenue....
in 1984. His feature articles have appeared regularly in magazines including Men's Journal
Men's Journal
Men's Journal is an American men's lifestyle magazine focused on outdoor recreation and comprising editorials on the outdoors, environmental issues, health and fitness, style and fashion, and "gear". It is owned by Jann Wenner of Wenner Media....
, Men's Fitness
Men's Fitness
Men's Fitness is a men's magazine published by American Media, Inc and founded in the United States in 1987. The premier issue featured Michael Pare from the television series The Greatest American Hero....
, National Geographic Adventure
National Geographic Adventure
National Geographic Adventure, formerly known as Adventure One but now commonly known as Nat Geo Adventure, is a subscription TV channel part of National Geographic Channels International and News Corporation...
, National Geographic Traveler
National Geographic Traveler
National Geographic Traveler is a magazine published by the National Geographic Society in the United States. It was launched in 1984. Local-language editions of National Geographic Traveler are published in Armenia, Belgium/the Netherlands, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Latin America,...
, Spa
Spa
The term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...
, and dozens of others. He won two journalism awards in 2005: the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) "Making A Difference" Award for a story on the charity, Room to Read, and an award from the Bay Area Travel Writers for a story on the Ventura (California) ArtWalk. In 2008, he won the ASJA "Outstanding Service Article" Award for a story on America's most popular marathon training programs.
After serving as an executive editor for Running Times between 1990 and 1992, Cooper became a full-time freelance writer while continuing to work as a regular contributor to Runner's World. He published two guidebooks for runners interested in exploring favorite Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
running venues, The Valley At Your Feet: 50 Walking, Running and Racing Courses in the Sacramento Valley
Sacramento Valley
The Sacramento Valley is the portion of the California Central Valley that lies to the north of the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta in the U.S. state of California. It encompasses all or parts of ten counties.-Geography:...
and San Francisco Running Guide; the latter features 35 of the most scenic and challenging running routes and ten top races—from 5Ks to marathons—in the San Francisco Bay Area: Marin County
Marin County, California
Marin County is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2010, the population was 252,409. The county seat is San Rafael and the largest employer is the county government. Marin County is well...
, the East Bay, including Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, Fremont
Fremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
, and the South Bay, including Palo Alto
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
, San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, Woodside
Woodside, California
Woodside is a small incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States, on the San Francisco Peninsula. It uses a council-manager system of government. The U.S. Census estimated the population of the town to be 5,287 in 2010....
, and Cupertino
Cupertino, California
Cupertino is an affluent suburban city in Santa Clara County, California in the U.S., directly west of San Jose on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley with portions extending into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The population was 58,302 at the time of the 2010 census. Forbes...
.
More information about his running and his writing, including article links, can be found at www.bob-cooper.com.
Books
- Cooper, Bob, San Francisco Running Guide (part of the City Running Guide Series), (1998) Human Kinetics Publishers, ISBN 0-88011-703-6
- Cooper, Bob The Valley At Your Feet: 50 Walking, Running and Racing Courses in the Sacramento Valley(1998) ISBN 0-88011-703-6
External links
- FindArticles.com - 'Carpe diemCarpe diemCarpe diem is a phrase from a Latin poem by Horace that has become an aphorism. It is popularly translated as "seize the day"...
, carpe noctem: the best time to eat, sleep, work and work out depends on the birds—that is, whether you're a lark, an owl or something in between', Bob Cooper, Men's FitnessMen's FitnessMen's Fitness is a men's magazine published by American Media, Inc and founded in the United States in 1987. The premier issue featured Michael Pare from the television series The Greatest American Hero....
(September, 2003) - FindArticles.com - 'Form fixes: run more efficiently to maximize your fat-burning and endurance gains', Bob Cooper, Men's Fitness (December, 2002)
- MSM.com - 'Change of Scenery: New route, new distance, new sport—try one or all to become a better runner', Bob Cooper, Runner's WorldRunner's WorldRunner's World is a globally circulated monthly magazine for runners of all skills sets, published by Rodale Press in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
- RunnersWorld.com - 'A team of runners looks to drop the hammer at the world's toughest adventure: Adventure racers must be jacks-of-all-trades--runners, cyclers, paddlers, climbers, navigators, and blister-menders--all while competing on a medical resident's ration of sleep', Bob Cooper, Runner's World (June 1, 2006)
- RunnersWorld.com - 'True Grit: For a workout that'll strengthen your legs and incinerate calories, hit the beachBeachA beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
', Bob Cooper, Runner's World - RunnersWorld.com - 'Tapering for the Marathon: It takes months to train for a marathon, but tapering in the final weeks is also critical. Here's how to do it', Bob Cooper, Runner's World