| "Runner" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Manfred Mann's Earth Band | ||||
| from the album Somewhere in Afrika | ||||
| B-side | "No Transkei" | |||
| Released | 1984 | |||
| Recorded | 1981–82 | |||
| Studio | Mastersounds Underhill Studio, London | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:40 | |||
| Label | Bronze (UK original release) Cohesion (UK 1999 reissue) Arista (U.S.) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Ian Thomas | |||
| Producer(s) | Manfred Mann | |||
| Manfred Mann's Earth Band singles chronology | ||||
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"The Runner", also called simply "Runner", is a song written by Canadian rock musician Ian Thomas and released in 1981 on his album of the same name. Inspired by the story of Terry Fox, "The Runner" was covered by French singer Sheila later that year, but its most famous rendition was recorded by Manfred Mann's Earth Band, a British band known for making hits of reworked cover songs, and released as a single in 1984, shortly before that year's Summer Olympics. The timing of the Manfred Mann's Earth Band version made it a success, and it reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.