Pedzisa mutsara unotevera: 1978 rakanga riri gore rinokosha mu"mitambo yavanoda" kazhinji kazhinji uye mumugwagwa unomhanya zvikurukuru. Mumakore akapfuura, vatambi vakanga vachipandukira ganhuriro dzemari dzomugariro wavo wokuzvifadza. Vaida kukwanisa kugamuchira mubayiro wemari pachena. Zvichitevera Mitambo yeOlympic ya1972, vatambi vepamusoro-soro vakagadzira uye vakamhanya muInternational Track Association, izvo zvakaita kuti varasikirwe nekodzero yavo yeOlympic. Panguva imwe cheteyo, mamirioni avaAmerica akafadzwa nebhuku raFrank Shorter
Kukunda muOlympic Marathon ya1972 uye vakanga vava kuita makwikwi omumugwagwa, chiitiko chinozivikanwa se"Running Boom". Pakazosvika 1978, kupandukira kwemumhanyi kwakatungamira kuAmateur Sports Act ya1978, ichityora mutemo weAmateur Athletic Union wekuunganidzwa kwemitambo yavakange vatonga uye nhengo inodzora inotsiva The Athletics Congress, sevamiriri vemumba vezvinodiwa neIAAF neIOC vachiramba nzira dzekuvhura musuwo wehunyanzvi vachipesana nemvura yezvinodiwa zvekutengesa vaida kushandisa mukurumbira wemutambo. Mumakwikwi emumigwagwa, sangano idzva rinonzi "Association of Road Racing Athletes" (rinozivikanwa seARRA) rakaumbwa kuti rigadzire nzvimbo yemakwikwi emumigwagwa. Pakati pezviitiko zvitanhatu zvecharter zvedunhu raiva Lasse Viren Finnish Invitational, ichipa $ 30,000 mumari yemubairo.