When Was Running Invented – Evolution, Olympics and Myths

Running is one of the most fundamental human activities, yet the question “when was running invented?” has generated surprising confusion in the age of internet memes and viral misinformation. While millions search for a specific date or inventor, the reality is that running was never actually invented in any conventional sense. Instead, it evolved as a core survival mechanism for early human ancestors and later developed into organized sport and recreational activity.

Was Running Ever ‘Invented’?

The premise behind the question assumes running was a deliberate human creation, like a tool or technique developed at a particular moment. However, this framing misses a fundamental biological reality. Running is a natural locomotive behavior that emerged through millions of years of evolutionary adaptation, not an invention born from a single spark of human ingenuity. The search for an “inventor” or specific invention date fundamentally misunderstands how running came to exist as part of human physiology and movement repertoire.

Key Insights

• Running evolved approximately 2.6 million years ago as a survival mechanism for human ancestors engaged in persistence hunting
• The first recorded competitive running event occurred at Olympia in 776 BC during the ancient Greek Olympics
• The “Thomas Running 1748” claim is a viral internet hoax, not historical fact
• No evidence exists for any invention date of 1938 in relation to running
• Running became organized sport during the 19th century with the development of modern track events
• The meme persists largely because Google’s featured snippets previously amplified the false 1748 date
• Running remains one of the most natural and evolutionarily ingrained forms of human locomotion

Snapshot Facts

Aspect	Date/Era	Details
Evolution	2-3 million years ago	Homo erectus and ancestors developed endurance running capability
First Organized Sport	776 BC	First Olympic Stadion race held at Olympia, Greece
Meme Origin	Internet/1748 hoax	“Thomas Running” fictional invention story goes viral
Modern Track Events	19th century	Standardized running events and competitions develop
Google Correction	~2019	Search results updated to reflect evolutionary origins
Persistence Hunting	Prehistoric era	Running enabled hunters to chase prey to exhaustion

The Thomas Running Meme and Other Myths

Perhaps no piece of misinformation about running’s history has spread as widely or persisted as stubbornly as the “Thomas Running 1748” hoax. This fictional narrative claims that a man named Thomas Running “invented” running in 1748 when he allegedly “tried to walk twice at the same time.” Despite having absolutely no basis in historical record, the claim has circulated extensively across social media platforms and even appeared as a prominent Google search result for years. According to research sources tracking the meme’s spread, the story originated from a 2017 Twitter post and subsequently evolved through multiple iterations, including dates of 1612, 1748, and 1837.

How the Misinformation Spread

The persistence of the Thomas Running myth demonstrates how easily false information can replicate across the internet when presented with enough confidence. A Quora answer adapted the original tweet to include the year 1748, which then exploited Google’s featured snippets to appear as the top result for searches about running’s origins. The Quora post even included a mnemonic device: “eat some bread, eat some rice, Thomas Running tried to walk twice,” making the false information easier to remember and share.

Reddit posts amplified the spread further. A January 2018 screenshot posted to r/me_irl received 3,500 upvotes, while a March 2018 comment on r/FakeFacts using 1837 as the date accumulated additional engagement. Creative users developed parodies, including a particularly popular post on r/dankmemes from July 2018 claiming “Lying was invented in 1912 by John Lie who tried to sit twice at the same time,” which garnered over 8,800 upvotes and highlighted the absurdity of the original claim through obvious satire.

Other Claimed Invention Dates

Searches for running’s invention date have produced various other spurious claims. Some internet sources have suggested 1938, though no credible evidence connects this year to any development in running or its history. Similarly, variations mentioning 1747 have circulated without any documented basis. These claims generally share common characteristics: they present unverified dates, lack citations to credible sources, and often emerge from online forums or user-generated content rather than historical scholarship.

Evolutionary Origins of Human Running

Long before the Thomas Running hoax emerged, running served as a critical survival adaptation for human ancestors. According to scientific understanding documented by researchers studying human evolution, Homo erectus and earlier hominin species developed the capacity for endurance running approximately 2.6 million years ago. This physiological development occurred specifically to support persistence hunting, a strategy where human hunters would chase prey animals over long distances until the targeted animal collapsed from exhaustion.

The evolution of running capability involved significant anatomical changes. Early humans developed longer legs, specialized tendons in the feet and lower legs, larger gluteal muscles, and enhanced sweating mechanisms. These adaptations allowed sustained moderate-speed running that smaller, faster animals could not maintain. The ability to run for extended periods represented a profound shift in hunting efficiency and fundamentally shaped early human survival strategies.

What the Evidence Shows

Paleoanthropological research has documented specific skeletal features in fossil remains that indicate running capability in human ancestors. The nuchal ligament, which helps stabilize the head during running, shows development patterns consistent with endurance locomotion. Foot structure in Homo erectus specimens demonstrates arch development that facilitated efficient running mechanics. These anatomical markers suggest that running was not merely a byproduct of general primate locomotion but evolved as a specialized adaptation with significant survival value.

When Did Running Become a Sport?

While humans ran for survival across millennia, organized competitive running developed much later in human history. The earliest recorded running competitions emerged from ancient Greek religious festivals, with the most significant being the Olympic Games held at Olympia beginning in 776 BC. The Stadion race, a footrace covering approximately 192 meters, represented the inaugural event of what would become a quadrennial celebration of athletic excellence and religious observance.

From Ancient Olympics to Modern Competitions

The ancient Olympics featured running events that gradually expanded to include diaulos (two-stadion race) and dolichos (long-distance race). These competitions held deep cultural significance in Greek society, honoring the gods and demonstrating excellence that was valued alongside intellectual and artistic achievement. The Stadion race winner in 776 BC, a cook named Koroibos of Elis, remains the first recorded Olympic champion in history.

Modern competitive running took shape during the 19th century as organized athletics returned to prominence. The first modern Olympic Games in 1896 included running events that mirrored ancient traditions while incorporating standardized rules and measurements. Track and field associations established rules for distances, timing, and competition formats that remain largely familiar today. Marathon races, derived from the legendary run of Pheidippides from Marathon to Athens in 490 BC, joined the Olympic program in 1896 and have since become among the most popular running events worldwide.

The Timeline of Running: From Evolution to Sport

Tracing running’s history reveals distinct phases from biological adaptation to cultural institution. The following timeline presents key moments in this development, distinguishing between evolutionary changes and human-organized activities:

1. Approximately 2.6 million years ago — Human ancestors develop running capability for persistence hunting; anatomical adaptations emerge supporting endurance locomotion
2. 776 BC — First recorded Olympic Stadion race held at Olympia, Greece; Koroibos of Elis becomes first documented Olympic champion
3. 490 BC — Pheidippides reportedly runs from Marathon to Athens bearing news of Greek victory over Persian forces; the legendary run inspires the modern marathon distance
4. 1896 — First modern Olympic Games include running events in Athens; marathon event added following popular interest
5. 1908 — London Olympics standardize the marathon distance at 26 miles 385 yards to accommodate royal viewing points
6. 19th-20th century — Organized track meets, cross-country competitions, and recreational running clubs proliferate globally
7. 2017 — Thomas Running meme emerges on Twitter, eventually spreading false “invention” claims across internet platforms
8. ~2019 — Google updates featured snippets to reflect evolutionary origins rather than fictional claims

Separating Fact from Fiction

Examining claims about running’s origins requires distinguishing between established scientific understanding and internet-generated mythology. This clarity matters not merely as trivia correction but because the confusion reflects broader challenges in how historical and scientific information spreads online.

Established Facts	Information Requiring Clarification
Running capability evolved approximately 2.6 million years ago	No evidence supports claimed invention dates of 1938 or 1747
First Olympic running event: 776 BC at Olympia	The Thomas Running narrative is entirely fictional with no historical basis
Running developed for persistence hunting survival strategy	The “inventor” framing mischaracterizes running as a cultural invention rather than evolved behavior
Modern track athletics formalized during 19th century	Various fictional dates circulate without documentation; 1612, 1748, 1837, 1938 all lack credible origins

Why This Question Matters

The popularity of searches asking when running was invented reflects a collision between genuine curiosity and internet culture’s tendency to create memorable fictional narratives. Most people encountering the Thomas Running meme do so through social media feeds where the joke spreads without context. The humor relies on presenting an absurd claim with apparent specificity—names, dates, a plausible-sounding explanation—that makes casual readers uncertain about actual history.

This dynamic reveals something important about how historical knowledge spreads and distorts in digital environments. Memes that generate engagement often overwhelm carefully documented facts, particularly when those facts are less immediately entertaining. The persistence hunting theory and ancient Olympic origins, while genuinely fascinating, lack the narrative simplicity and comedic punch of “Thomas Running tried to walk twice at the same time.”

Understanding the genuine history of running offers appreciation for one of humanity’s most fundamental capabilities. The ability to run endurance distances reflects millions of years of biological adaptation that remains present in modern human physiology. Meanwhile, the formalization of running as sport transformed a survival behavior into a cultural practice that billions now engage in recreationally and competitively.

What Experts and Sources Say

The scientific consensus on running’s origins comes from multiple disciplines including paleoanthropology, exercise physiology, and historical analysis of athletic development. Researchers studying human evolution note that running capability emerged as a distinct adaptation separate from the climbing abilities of earlier primates. Sports historians document the progression from ancient competitive running to modern organized athletics.

The evolutionary story of human running is one of the most remarkable adaptations in our lineage’s history. When our ancestors began running rather than walking to hunt, they fundamentally altered their survival prospects and set the stage for the athletic capabilities we possess today.

Major reference sources including academic publications, athletic organizations, and authoritative encyclopedias consistently present evolutionary origins for running capability. Wikipedia’s entry on running documents the scientific understanding of endurance running’s evolution alongside the history of competitive running. Runner’s World and similar publications regularly address reader questions about running’s history, clarifying that no single invention date exists. Marathon Handbook’s comprehensive timeline presents verified historical milestones from prehistoric adaptations through modern competitive formats.

Summary

Running was never invented in any meaningful sense—it evolved as a fundamental human capability approximately 2.6 million years ago, when ancestors like Homo erectus developed the physiological adaptations necessary for persistence hunting. Competitive running as organized sport began with the ancient Greek Olympics in 776 BC and formalized during the 19th century with modern track athletics. The numerous claims for specific invention dates, including 1748, 1938, and various other years, lack any basis in documented history. The most prominent fictional narrative—the Thomas Running 1748 hoax—originated as a Twitter joke in 2017 and spread widely enough to briefly appear as a Google featured snippet before correction. Understanding this distinction between evolutionary biology and internet mythology provides accurate context for one of humanity’s most natural and enduring activities. For broader perspective on how physical activities developed historically, explore our guide to newspaper origins, types, formats and history and the evolution of media forms.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was walking invented?

Walking, like running, evolved as a locomotive capability rather than being invented at a specific point. Bipedal walking emerged in early hominins approximately 4-6 million years ago as a distinct adaptation. The question of walking’s “invention” faces the same conceptual issues as running—the premise assumes deliberate creation rather than evolutionary development.

When was running invented according to Reddit?

Reddit discussions about running’s invention typically surface the Thomas Running meme with varying dates. The r/me_irl subreddit shared the meme in January 2018, while r/FakeFacts posted variations in March 2018. However, Reddit users generally recognize these posts as jokes rather than serious historical claims.

Is the Thomas Running story on Quora accurate?

No. The Thomas Running story on Quora is not historically accurate. A Quora answer claiming 1748 as running’s invention date was part of the hoax that exploited Google’s featured snippets. Quora itself contains both satirical versions of the joke and genuine questions where users seek clarification about whether the claim is real.

Did Thomas Running really invent running?

Thomas Running is a fictional character from an internet joke, not a historical person. No documentation exists for any individual named Thomas Running inventing running in 1748 or any other year. The character was created specifically as humor and should not be considered a source of historical information.

Where did running originate geographically?

Running capability evolved in Africa with early human ancestors, while competitive running as organized sport originated in ancient Greece. The fossil evidence for running adaptations comes from African sites where hominin fossils have been discovered. The earliest recorded competitive running events occurred in Greek sanctuaries, particularly Olympia.