BBC News Long Reads

Len Johnson beat the best Britain had to offer but was denied his place as national champion because of the colour of his skin.

As Covid leaves thousands struggling, Rebecca Stott recalls how her mum coped with a financial disaster in the 1970s.

When Miles Hargrove’s dad was kidnapped by Colombian guerrillas, he asked a young friend to act as negotiator.

Ezekiel Mitchell is following those who blazed a trail before him, helping restore an American history that has not been fully told.

Even in the early years, those at Manchester United saw signs of a leader in Ryan Giggs. When Wales called, that was put to the test.

The men and women who drove across Europe in a double-decker bus that was older than them.

How students are making the best of the opportunities to study and socialise in a pandemic.

Training based on Ervin Staub's idea of bystander intervention is driving police reform in the US.

There's a word Michael Gunning keeps coming back to: 'lucky'. But his path to the top of his sport has been anything but easy.

What does touch mean to us and how has the need for touch changed because of Covid-19?

Rita Perrott went into a care home, but then visiting was curtailed. Her family didn't want her to die alone.

It was a battle against time for Tony Vargas, who put personal tragedy aside to do what he thought was right.

What does the world's largest study of loneliness tell us? And why are young people more likely to be lonely?

Fritz Pollard was the NFL's first black coach and its first black quarterback, but most American football fans have never heard of him.

Former Arsenal forward Dennis Bergkamp speaks to BBC Sport about his philosophy of football and future plans in the game.

A voicemail app makes it easier to speak to family members in prison, as one young woman found when her mum was jailed.

As homicides in London reach an eight-year high, what is life like for those who investigate them?

Lack of training is restricting access to abortion in Germany, but students are trying to change that.