What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
Haruki Murakami
In the 80s Haruki Murakami sold the jazz bar he owned to devote himself to writing. He also took up running. Soon he was a best-selling author and long distance running devotee. Within a year of the career change he’d completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon in Greece. His clumsily titled running memoir is part travelogue, training log, and reminiscence. It covers Haruki’s four-month preparation for the 2005 New York Marathon and describes other idyllic running settings like Tokyo’s Jingu Gaien gardens, (where he once shared a course with an Olympian), to the Charles River in Boston. It’s funny, sobering, playful and philosophical – a rich source of inspiration for anyone who appreciates distance running.
Audiobook time: 4hrs 23mins
The Long Run
Matt Long
On the morning of 22nd December 2005, New York City fireman Matt Long was cycling to work when a 20-ton bus making an illegal turn hit him. Miraculously he survived. He endured five months in hospital and over 40 operations; one doctor told him he’d be lucky if he’d be able to walk without using a cane. Prior to the accident Matt had qualified to run the Boston Marathon. The Long Run is the emotional and incredibly honest story of Matt’s determination to fight fear, despair, loneliness, and intense physical and psychological pain to regain the life he once had. Matt taught himself to walk again and just three years after the accident completed the 2008 New York City Marathon. One to listen to next time you don’t fancy heading out for that run.
Audiobook time: 8hrs 39mins
Running
Ronnie O’Sullivan
“Running is my drug,” Says Ronnie O’Sullivan, arguably the best snooker player the world has ever seen. “Running is what has helped me fight my demons, win five world snooker championships, and cope with all the crap life’s thrown at me.” The title is an analogy that stretches beyond simply lacing up and pounding the streets. In this, his second autobiography, O’Sullivan reflects on how much of his life has been running away or running towards (often inadvisable) things. His addictive personality, depression, his father’s murder conviction, a painful break-up with the mother of his children, the difficulty of balancing family life with that of a sportsman. It’s also a book about what it’s like to get a buzz, and anybody who’s ever got the running buzz will relate to it.
Audiobook time: 8hr 32mins
My Life on the Run
Bart Yasso
American Bart Yasso invented the Yasso 800s, a marathon-training technique used by thousands around the world. He’s one of the few to have completed races on all seven continents, from the Antarctic to Mount Kilimanjaro marathons. He has five Ironman’s under his belt, and has ticked off the Badwater 146 through Death Valley. He has also cycled unsupported and by himself across America (twice). His audio book chronicles the heatstroke and frostbite, heartache and triumphs he’s experienced across more than 1,000 competitive races. It’s also a handy training aid offering practical guidance for runners tackling 5k, 10k, half marathon and marathon races. Planning a run in an unfamiliar country? My Life on the Run helps you negotiate the logistics with the wit and wisdom of a seasoned insider.
Audiobook time: 6hrs 20mins
Born to Run
Christopher McDougall
An epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? Christopher McDougall set off to find a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners and learn their secrets. In the process he shows that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong. The Tarahumara Indians live in Mexico’s deadly Copper Canyons. For centuries they have practised techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest, chasing down everything from deer to Olympians and enjoying every mile of it. Their superhuman talent is matched by uncanny health and serenity, leaving the reclusive group immune to the diseases and strife that plagues modern existence. McDougall uncovers their secrets and his own inner ultra-athlete in an audio book that will engage your mind, inspire your body and remind you that Springsteen was right: we were born to run.
Audiobook time: 11hrs 7mins
Iron War
Matt Fitzgerald
They called it the Iron War. During the 1989 Ironman World Championship the world’s two strongest athletes raced shoulder to shoulder throughout the race’s 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike race, and 26.2-mile marathon. After eight punishing hours both had demolished the previous record. Just 58 seconds separated them as they crossed the line. Sport journalist Matt Fitzgerald recalls the epic race, looking at how Allen and Scott drove themselves (and each other) through thick pain barriers. Iron War goes beyond the story of the race though. It explores the lives of the world’s two toughest men and their unquenchable desire to succeed, plotting the paths that led to their stunning showdown.
Audiobook time: 13hrs 36mins
