AW Magazine

07 August, 2025

The latest issue of AW (out on August 7) is a special edition focused on commemorating the magazine’s 80th birthday. As part of the celebrations, the team has pored through the archives to come up with a list of 80 of the most significant moments, events, performances and athletes from across the magazine’s lifetime. From athletics’ re-emergence after the end of the Second World War in 1945, through to the record-breaking exploits of today’s stars and everything in between, the words and images represent something of a journey through time and highlight just how much the sport – and the wider world – has changed down the decades. One of the most talked about aspects of the past is the rivalry between Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe that reached its peak at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. In a rare interview, silver medallist Jürgen Straub takes us inside the 1500m final at those Games and explains what it was like to compete against those British stars, as well as representing an East German team that was shrouded in controversy. The athletics writer and statistician Bob Phillips, who has been immersed in the sport for 70 years, also gives his views on how athletics keeps evolving, while the latest instalment of our historical series shines the spotlight on the brave athletes who decided to take a stand in protest and make themselves heard. Elsewhere in the issue, sports photographer and cinematographer Dan Vernon provides a fascinating glimpse into how he goes about his work, the AW columnists provide their usual balance of opinion and insight, plus the ever-packed performance section features expert advice when it comes to training, coaching and the latest footwear.