"Running Free" was the first single released by Iron Maiden. It was released on the 8th of February 1980. It was written by Steve Harris and Paul Di'Anno. The song appears as the fourth track on the band's debut album Iron Maiden.

The song is about a troubled 16-year-old boy who runs away on a pick up truck, ends up in a Los Angeles jail and picks up a woman from a bar. The song is known to be one of the band's more traditional rock numbers and is still played at Maiden gigs today with the band members individually named by the lead singer during the long bass-solo.

The single's cover art is also famously known as the first official appearance of the band's mascot Eddie. However in the cover-art his face is obscured because the band didn't want to unveil their mascot until the album's release. Also on the cover is a young metal-head resembling somewhat a young Bruce Dickinson. On close observation one may notice that Eddie is missing one of his arms, which is presumably the arm seen reaching out from the right side of the cover.