Short description
Deals with 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.
Long description
'Make friends with pain, and you will never be alone'. 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.
Review
'Born to Run is a fascinating and inspiring true adventure story, based on humans pushing themselves to the limits. A brilliantly written account of extraordinary endurance, far from home - that also explains how anyone can run better - it's destined to become a classic.' Sir Ranulph Fiennes 'Chris McDougall runs miles across the planet's most hostile terrain with a lost tribe, a zonked-out surfer couple and a bare-footed maniac, then tells their amazing story with the narrative skill and gusto of a Carl Hiassen novel. It's quite simply the best book you'll ever read about running, as through the gentle, reclusive super-athletes of the Tarahumara Indians, he connects with its true spirit and offers inarguable evidence that everything the modern runner knows is wrong. There's top-class travel writing, cutting-edge science, and an inspiring tale of endurance -- it's brilliant, and brilliantly life-affirming.' Lloyd Bradley, author, The Rough Guide to Running, former Consultant Editor, Runners' World and Men's Health 'Initially, I thought Me? Read a book on running?A Then suddenly - wham! - I was drawn in, galloping along through a multi-faceted landscape that is by turns exhilarating, funny and weirdly absorbing. It's been a breathless read, but sheer endorphinous pleasure.' John Gimlette, author of At the Tomb of the Inflatable Pig 'Driven by an intense yet subtle curiosity, Christopher McDougall gamely treads across the continent to pierce the soul and science of long-distance running. McDougall's ambitious search leads him deep into the ragged folds of Mexico's Copper Canyon, where he somehow manages the impossible: he plumbs the mystic secrets of the fleet-footed Tarahumara Indians while never losing his deep enchantment for the majesty of their culture.' Hampton Sides, author of Blood and Thunder and Ghost Soldiers 'Wonderful. It's funny, insightful, captivating, and a great and beautiful discovery. There are lessons that translate to realms beyond running. The book inspires anyone who seeks to live more fully or to run faster. I just loved this book.' Lynne Cox, author of Swimming to Antarctica 'Hilariously funny, weird, and nonstop fun to read; runners can sink their teeth into this tall tale' Bill Rodgers, former American record holder in the marathon 'McDougall has written not just a classic book for runners but for anyone who has ever dreamt of venturing beyond one's comfort zone. In ultrarunners he 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