Rocky’s Runs Through The Years

The story of the college student who drove his car down the famed steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum brings back memories of Rocky Balboa's various runs through the years. We found a video that includes all of the fighter's famous training scenes.

In the first Rocky movie the street fighter played by Sylvester Stallone made a solitary run dawn run up the stairs of the museum in preparation for his bout with Apollo Creed, doing a dance at the top with his arms raised in the air. This is the iconic run that thousands of tourists have copied since the original run in 1976.

By the second movie, Balboa had become a celebrity and during his run was joined by hundreds of children who ran with him through the streets of Philadelphia, winding up at the steps of the art museum.

Leaving Philadelphia

In the third film, Rocky had gone big time and was trying to get back the eye of the tiger for his fight with Clubber Lang, played by Mr T. Creed became Rocky's trainer and moved training to the west coast in a Philadelphia-looking gym and a triumphant run through the Pacific Ocean surf.

Rocky 4 found Rocky training in Russia for his big fight with Ivan Drago. The iconic "Gonna Fly Now" gave way to John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band's "Hearts On Fire" as a bearded Rocky ran through the snow, into the woods and up a mountain chased by KGB agents in a black sedan.

Rock's training was compared to Drago who was at a hi-tech facility under the watchful eye of Ludmilla Vobet Drago, played by future Mrs. Stallone Brigitte Nielsen.

Back Home

Rocky returned to Philadelphia for his training in Rocky 5, this time making a leisurely run with his son. He's not boxing this time but training young protege Tommy Gunn, played by the late Tommy Morrison. At the top of the stairs Rocky gives his son a pair of cufflinks that once belonged to Rocky Marciano and had been given to him by Mickey (Burgess Meredith).

In the last Rocky movie, Rocky Balboa, now a widower, is back in his old neighborhood training for his final fight with the late Apollo Creed's old trainer Duke. The Italian Stallion is  drinking a glass of raw eggs and punching raw meat again as he brings his boxing career full circle.

He makes the trek up the Rocky steps with his dog in the snow holding the dog in victory.