Book description
"A fascinating and inspiring true adventure story ... destined to
become a classic." Ranulph Fiennes. A New York Times bestseller and
"word of mouth sensation." At the heart of Born to Run lies a
mysterious tribe of Mexican Indians, the Tarahumara, who live quietly in
canyons and are reputed to be the best distance runners in the world; in
1993, one of them, aged 57, came first in a prestigious 100-mile race
wearing a toga and sandals. A small group of the world's top
ultra-runners (and the awe-inspiring author) make the treacherous
journey into the canyons to try to learn the tribe's secrets and then
take them on over a course 50 miles long. With incredible energy and
smart observation, McDougall tells this story while asking what the
secrets are to being an incredible runner. Travelling to labs at
Harvard, Nike, and elsewhere, he comes across an incredible cast of
characters, including the woman who recently broke the world record for
100 miles and for her encore ran a 2:50 marathon in a bikini, pausing to
down a beer at the 20 mile mark. Reviews 'Quite simply the best book
you'll ever read about running - it's brilliant, and brilliantly
life-affirming.', Lloyd Bradley, author of The Rough Guide to Running
'A classic ... in ultrarunners McDougall uncovers a tribe worthy of the
pioneering drifters that fired the American spirit, and in McDougall
ultrarunners have found their own Kerouac or Krakauer.', Tim Butcher,
author of Blood River 'Reaches the state of bliss that runners very
occasionally experience in the midst of an endless run.', Simon Kuper,
FT 'Fascinating stuff, particularly for anyone who's ever been
frustrated by the apparently shoddy mechanics of their own running
body.', Victoria Moore, Daily Mail 'A sensation ... a rollicking tale
well told', Rick Broadbent, The Times 'Part how-to manual, part
scientific treatise but throughout a ripping yarn, this book will
inspire everyone who reads it to think on their feet.', Simon Redfern,
Independent on Sunday 'If you're a runner, you probably won't reach the
end of the first chapter without bolting for the door to get some miles
behind you.', Leeds Guide '[A] major voice of a new movement.', Bernard
Goldberg, HBO 'Good books about running are rare - Haruki
Murakami'sWhat I Talk About When I Talk About Running is a meditative
jog compared to this blistering endurance tester - but this ranks among
the strongest.', Julian Fleming, Sunday Business Post 'Utterly
unputdownable ... a fascinating peek into the lives of the publicity-shy
Tarahumara and the collection of misfits who populate the world of
ultra-running ... the final race in Mexico's Copper Canyon will have you
turning pages faster than Usain Bolt can run for a bus.', Natasha Young,
Wanderlust 'If you're a runner, you'll love it. It's about how far we
can go spiritually and physically.', Kate Hudson, Actress, Elle
'Inspiring stuff', Amy Lawrenson, Elle 'I read Born to Run last year
and it affected me profoundly. I thought,"F*** it. I'm gonna run a
marathon."', Flea (of Red Hot Chili Peppers), Runner's World
Christopher McDougall is a former war correspondent for the Associated
Press and is now a contributing editor forMen's Health. A three-time
National Magazine Award finalist, he has written forEsquire,The New York
Times Magazine,OutsideandMen's Journal. He does his own running among
the Amish farms around his home in rural Pennsylvania.
