Where to Run in Texas: Runner’s World has roughly 1,200 lifetime subscribers, many of whom responded to an offer in the 1970s or ’80s to have the magazine delivered for the rest of their days in return for $75. That’s a lot more than most people are willing to plunk down for any media nowadays, but from what we can tell, those readers consider it money well spent. One lifetimer—Bob Bruce, from Lake Bluff, Illinois—actually sent us a $100 check in 2004, explaining that his subscription, dating to 1986, “has been rewarding for me, but a bad deal for RW.

“I can no longer run,” he wrote, “but I’m at 89,000 miles, and RW is still an inspiration.” No, we didn’t cash his check. I keep it as a reminder of how dedicated, good-hearted, and optimistic our readers (and most runners) are.

Has he kept all the issues? “I had so many boxes, I had to recycle them,” he says. These days he donates them to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, but first they spend time under his bed, “so when I settle in, I can just reach down and pull one out.”

Starting next month, we’ll feature a lifer on the RW50 page in the Warmup section of the magazine. But I’m happy to introduce the first one here:

Ron Simpson, 63, an insurance agent in Russell, Kentucky, got his lifetime sub in 1977 when he was running 20-plus races a year. “I didn’t have the internet, so Runner’s World was the only source to find out about races around the country. The calendar was the first thing I’d look at.”

Ron still runs six to seven miles, six days a week, and still relies on RW, particularly for abdominal exercises. “I want to run just as long as God lets me,” he says. “I need to make sure I can do it by having a strong core.”

What’s changed since the good old days? “When I was running my best times in the ’80s,” Ron says, “I got nothing for it. These days, times of 17, 18, 19 minutes win 5Ks. When I raced, if you weren’t running under 17 minutes, you didn’t have a prayer.”

“At races, especially on cold mornings, it wasn’t unheard of to wrap newspapers around your body under your clothes. I used an old pair of socks to cover my hands. Back in the day, you may have carried 15 extra pounds after you started to sweat because of all the clothes you wore.”

But, back then, modern gadgets like high-tech watches didn’t exist. “The people keeping time would write bib numbers as people crossed. It was bizarre—each person’s times were guessed based on what place they finished. I look back and laugh.”

Where to Run in Texas Bill Rodgers; he says he has an article with Rodgers’ autograph. “I idolized him. He trained and had the opportunity to represent his country and be a favorite for the Olympic gold medal, and it was snatched away.”

When asked if he missed anything about how running used to be, Simpson answered, “I miss getting a Popsicle at the finish line.”

What would it take for him to unsubscribe? “An after-lifetime subscription.”

Although we can’t revive the lifetime subscription, we do have a special 50th Anniversary offer: For $50, you get a year of the magazine, two workout DVDs, an RW cookbook, and a training plan for any race from 5K to marathon (runnersworld50.com). Add it all up and it's a $142 value. Who knows, if we inspire you, help you eat better and stay injury-free, and maybe run your first race or even a PR. . .in a few years you may feel compelled to send us a check for the difference. Don’t worry, we won’t cash that one, either.

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David Willey is the editor-in-chief of Runner's World. Follow him on Twitter @dwilleyRW.