On March 4, 1928, 199 men lined up in Los Angeles, California, to participate in a 3,400-mile transcontinental footrace to New York City. The Bunion Derby, as the press dubbed the event, was the brainchild of sports promoter Charles C. Pyle. He promised a $25,000 grand prize and claimed the competition would immortalize U.S. Highway Route 66, a 2,400-mile road, mostly unpaved, that subjected the runners to mountains, deserts, mud, and sandstorms, from Los Angeles to Chicago.

The runners represented all walks of American life from immigrants to millionaires, with a peppering of star international athletes included by Pyle for publicity purposes. For eighty-four days, the men participated in this part footrace and part Hollywood production that incorporated a road show featuring football legend Red Grange, food concessions, vaudeville acts, sideshows, a portable radio station, and the world's largest coffeepot sponsored by Maxwell House serving ninety gallons of coffee a day.

Drawn by hopes for a better future and dreams of fame, fortune, and glory, the bunioneers embarked on an exhaustive and grueling journey that would challenge their physical and psychological endurance to the fullest while Pyle struggled to keep his cross-country road show afloat.

"In a wild grab for glory, a cast of nobodies saw hope in the dust: blacks who escaped the poverty and terror of the Old South; first-generation immigrants with their mother tongue thick on their lips; Midwest farm boys with leather-brown tans. These men were the 'shadow runners, ' men without fame, wealth, or sponsors, who came to Los Angeles to face the world's greatest runners and race walkers. This was a formidable field of pastOlympic champions and professional racers that should have discouraged sane men from thinking they could win a transcontinental race to New York. Yet they came, flouting the odds. Charley Pyle's offer of free food and lodging to anyone who would take up the challenge opened the race to men of limited means. For some, it was a cry from the psyche of no-longer-young men, seeking a last grasp at greatness or a summons to do the impossible. This pulled men on the wrong side of thirty from blue-collar jobs and families."--from the Preface

"No writer 'owns' a swath of history the way Chuck Kastner 'owns' the wildly crazy C. C. Pyle Bunion Derbies. The inaugural race was a truly American epic: from its massive scope to the fact that it was dominated by a handful of second-rate runners who decided there was no future in continuing in the underdog role. Chuck's book makes you want to schedule your next vacation for Route 66, there to relive the zaniness and heroics of 1928."--Rich Benyo, editor, "Marathon & Beyond" Magazine

"What made "Bunion Derby" an outstanding read for me is twofold: it is about a piece of American history that is today almost unknown. One web site has a fascinating history of it, and there have been a few articles here and there, but for the most part it has disappeared from written history. Why? There is so much that it represents--the character and strength that was an American virtue; the opportunistic hucksterism that defined this country; individuals conquering extraordinary physical and emotional difficulties, petty jealousies, cheating, political and financial agendas, and creating for themselves a personal challenge that each--whether he dropped out or completedthe race--in his own way won. This is one of those books that should be discovered by every reader who appreciates solid research, writing worth reading and a fantastic story. How many ways can I say that it is one every reader of BiblioBuffet should pick up as soon as possible. "Bunion Derby" has my highest recommendation."--"BibioBuffet"

""Bunion Derby's" narrative arc transcends the academic approach one would expect from a university press."--Philip Damon, on the Peace Corps Writers website

"We think ["Bunion Derby"] would make a great holiday gift for any of your running or history-minded friends, but get one for yourself, too. It's a great read."--"Northwest Runner"

The inspirational story of athlete Jo Pavey, the runner and mum who ran at a record-breaking fifth Olympic Games at Rio 2016. 'Come-back races? I've had more than a few, the night of 10 May 2014 was the ultimate long shot. I was a forty-year-old mother of two who had given birth eight months before. I trained on a treadmill in a cupboard by the back door and I was wearing a running vest older than most of the girls I was competing against. Was I crazy?' Jo Pavey was forty years old when she won the 10,000m at the European Championships. It was the first gold medal of her career and, astonishingly, it came within months of having her second child. The media dubbed her 'Supermum', but Jo's story is in many ways the same as every mother juggling the demands of working life with a family - the sleepless nights, the endless nappy changing, the fun, the laughter and the school-run chaos. The only difference is that Jo is a full-time athlete pushing a buggy on her training runs, clocking up miles on the treadmill in a cupboard while her daughter has her lunchtime nap, and hitting the track while her children picnic on the grass. Heartwarming and uplifting, This Mum Runs follows Jo's roundabout journey to the top and all the lessons she's learnt along the way. It is the inspiring yet everyday story of a mum that runs and a runner that mums.

Dean Karnazes has pushed his body and mind to inconceivable limits, from running in the shoe-melting heat of Death Valley to the lung-freezing cold of the South Pole. He's raced and competed across the globe and once ran 50 marathons, in 50 states, in 50 consecutive days. In A Runner's High, Karnazes chronicles his return to the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run in his mid-fifties after first completing the race decades ago. The Western States, infamous for its rugged terrain and extreme temperatures, becomes the most demanding competition of his life, a physical and emotional reckoning and a battle to stay true to one's purpose. Confronting his age, wearying body, career path and life choices, we see Karnazes as we never have before, raw and exposed. A Runner's High is both an endorphin-fuelled page-turner and a love letter to the sport from one of its most celebrated ambassadors.

Dawn Dais hated running. And it didn't like her much, either. Her fitness routine consisted of avoiding the stairs in her own house, because who really has the energy to climb stairs? It was with this exercise philosophy firmly in place that she set off to complete a marathon. The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women is the ideal training manual for women who don't believe that running is their biological destiny but who dream of crossing the finish line nonetheless. Fully updated with today's best technology for runners and an exploration of running for different bodies, Dais provides readers with a doable training schedule alongside helpful how-tos and funny observations from the pavement. She also integrates entries from her own running journal, sharing everything would-be marathoners need to know about the gear, the blisters, the early morning workouts, the late-night carb binges and most important of all, the amazing rewards. Running may not seem like a friendly endeavour, but with Dawn Dais, you can tame the beast and hit the marathon trail.

In Run Like a Champion, one of America's most versatile and accomplished runners, Alan Culpepper, reveals the best practices of the best runners. Over his 25-year racing career, Culpepper won national titles from 5K to marathon, a span of race distances so wide that just a few runners can claim the same impressive versatility. Culpepper sets out his approach--and the lessons he learned from his competitors--so that all runners can fully realize their potential. As a two-time Olympic competitor, Culpepper has a unique understanding of what it takes to compete at the highest level. His running career has put him on the start line alongside the world's best runners, and he has found that despite their many differences, talents, and approaches to training, among them they share a common understanding: the best athletes know that the secret to success in running lies in understanding a bigger picture of training. Not everyone has the physiology to run at the highest level, but everyone can benefit from implementing an Olympic approach to training. Run Like a Champion shares a big-picture view of running, looking at not only the essential training elements but also other key pieces of the puzzle: identifying motivation; finding a proper work/life/family balance; and understanding complementary aspects of training such as stretching, how much to drink, diet, and how to avoid and treat injuries. Run Like a Champion reveals all the guidelines, tips and tricks, workouts, mental training, and nutritional practices that Olympic runners use. By making this Olympic approach part of their running, runners of all levels will make their goals achievable from 5K to marathon.

In 2017, professional runner Rickey Gates ran 3,700 miles across the continental United States with just a small backpack and an anthropologist's curiosity to discover the divided America in which we live. In the book Cross Country, Gates documents this epic experience from South Carolina to San Francisco, sharingfirst-person essays, interviews, and over 200 photographs of the ordinary and extraordinary people and places he saw along the way. While Gates delivers unparalleled insight into the extreme athletic and mental challenge of this transcontinental run, running is not the core focus of Cross Country -it is a story of the remarkable people across the United States who we would otherwise never meet. * A photographic travelogue that follows along Rickey Gates's run across the country, and the individuals who live in it * Filled with portraits, landscapes, and collages of towns and communities that most people have never seen * From South Carolina to San Francisco, the five-month-long run covers 3,700 miles of hiking trails, rivers, and roads. Gates slept in the rain, carried meager possessions on his back, ran through the night, endured mental and physical challenges, and survived on a staple of gas station hot dogs and Pop Tarts. Delivering a patchwork portrait of America, Gates's captivating story captures the spirit of our country-that grit, determination, and compassion are qualities that can unite us all. * Perfect gift for runners, hikers, and lovers of the outdoors, as well as fans of travelogues, photography, and photo-journalism * A great pick for those who loved Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton, The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey by Rinker Buck, and A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson. * A unique perspective of the United States

When 39,195 competitors thunder over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to begin the thirty-eighth running of the famed New York City Marathon, they experience one of the most exhilarating moments in sports. But as they cross five towering bridges and five distinct boroughs, carried 26.2 miles by their own indomitable wills, grueling challenges await them. "New York Times" sportswriter Liz Robbins brings race day to life in this gripping saga of the 2007 Marathon, weaving the unforgettable stories of runners into a vibrant mile-by-mile portrait of the world's largest marathon. If the women's race plays out like a mesmerizing chess game, then the men's race quickly turns into a high-speed car chase. South Africa's Hendrick Ramaala, eager to recapture glory at age 35, surges to lead the pack as Kenya's Martin Lel and Morocco's Abderrahim Goumri stay within striking range. While the professionals offer insight into the intense, often painful experience of being an elite athlete, the amateurs provide timeless stories of courage and obsession that typify today's marathoner: Harrie Bakst, a cancer survivor at 22, who is a first-timer; Pam Rickard, a 45-year-old mother of three from Virginia, who is a recovering alcoholic; and 65-year-old Tucker Andersen, who has run the race every year since 1976. Enlivening the history of the New York City Marathon with stories of such legends as the late Fred Lebow, the race's charismatic founder, and nine-time champion Grete Waitz, "A Race Like No Other" provides a curbside seat to the drama of the first Sunday in November.

Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2018 If you had told Helen two years ago that she would be getting up at 6 a.m. on Sundays to swim in a freezing reservoir and spending her Saturday nights unshowered and covered in mud in a pub, she would have spat out her champagne. But when everyone around you starts settling down, what else is a glamorous party girl to do but to launch herself into the world of endurance sport? For someone who didn't even own a pair of flat shoes (and definitely no waterproofs), Helen would soon find she had a lot to learn. Join Helen on her hilarious and soul-searching journey as she swaps a life of cocktail bars and dating for the challenges and exhilaration of triathlons, trail runs, obstacle races, long-distance cycles and ocean swims... and sets herself the seemingly impossible goal of qualifying as a Team GB triathlete.

Brecon Beacons Trail Running is a comprehensive guide to off-road running across the national park, including the Black Mountains, the Brecon Beacons themselves and the Black Mountain. With 20 runs from 5.3km to 17.5km in length, this book is suitable for runners of all abilities. The hills and valleys of the Brecon Beacons offer a wide variety of running, all sharing the same mountainous scenery and stunning views in this beautiful part of South Wales. Local authors Lily Dyu and John Price have compiled many of their favourite runs, including accessible loops around Carreg Cennen Castle and Table Mountain, through to big days out around Fan y Big, Pen y Fan and Fan Brycheiniog. Summit the Sugar Loaf and The Blorenge on the outskirts of Abergavenny, explore the waterfalls by Ystradfellte, or trace the Cat's Back along the Welsh-English border; there's something for everyone. Each route features clear and easy-to-use Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps, easy-to-follow directions, details of distance and timings, and refreshment stops and local knowledge.

Running is not just a sport. It reconnects us to our bodies and the places in which we live, breaking down our increasingly structured and demanding lives. It allows us to feel the world beneath our feet, lifts the spirit, allows our minds out to play and helps us to slip away from the demands of the modern world. When Vybarr Cregan-Reid set out to discover why running meant so much to so many, he began a journey which would take him out to tread London's cobbled streets, climbing to sites that have seen a millennium of hangings, and down the crumbling alleyways of Ruskin's Venice. Footnotes transports you to the cliff tops of Hardy's Dorset, the deserted shorelines of Seattle, the giant redwood forests of California, and to the world's most advanced running laboratories and research centres, using debates in literature, philosophy and biology to explore that simple human desire to run. Liberating and inspiring, this book reminds us why feeling the earth beneath our feet is a necessary and healing part of our lives.

A book about two passions: trail running and delicious food.

Eat, Run, Enjoy is a recipe book designed for runners of all levels. It features 80 mouth-watering recipes, including breakfasts, salads, main meals, snacks, drinks and desserts, many of which are vegetarian or vegan, and all designed with busy runners in mind. These easy-to-make and nutritionally balanced meals will help runners reach their performance goals in an enjoyable way. It's delicious food that not only tastes great but will also keep you going through long days on the trails and in the mountains.

Includes insightful interviews with some of the world's best trail and mountain runners, who offer their nutritional advice and tips on how to become a better runner. With beautiful food photography and stunning images of some of the world's most majestic trails, this book will inspire you both to get cooking some wholesome and tasty food in the kitchen, then to lace up your trainers and head outside to enjoy the run.

The book features interviews with ultra-running legends Emelie Forsberg, Ida Nilsson, Mimmi Kotka, Ricky Lightfoot, Courtney Dauwalter and Zach Miller.

Half Marathon: A Complete Training Guide for Women is a must-have for adult women of any age at any fitness level who want to train for a half marathon. Using Jeff Galloway's proven Run Walk Run (R) method, this book offers a step-by-step program for women that will get them started with weekly training. The training plans follow the run-walk-run format, allowing the runner to increase her mileage while decreasing her time, safely and effectively. An added benefit of these training programs is that they can easily fit into any busy schedule because training needs to happen only three days a week. Along with the training programs, this book offers nutrition advice for women-what and when to eat and how to control weight while training. It offers advice on staying motivated and preventing injury while training as well. Also included is information on women-specific issues. Any woman looking to complete a half marathon will find all the information she needs to run-walk-run fast and finish her race strong.

Mental Toughness for Runners gives the reader highly effective methods for successful mental training, including self-coaching, well-founded training psychology, and thought-provoking strategies for self-reflection. The mental training presented in this book has been proven successful by numerous coaching sessions and by endurance athletes throughout the world who have achieved significant and often dramatic achievements after improving their motivation, performance, and well-being with this mental training. In addition, the exercises are supplemented with case studies from various coaching sessions. The book also delves into the science of mental training so that the reader may understand the reasons behind certain training concepts, but always the focus remains on practicing and directly applying the methods to the runner's training. This book will guide the reader through a personal assessment of his training so that he may develop an individually tailored mental training plan which can then be integrated into everyday sports life. Every runner who reads this book will improve his mental training and ultimately his running performance. The book presents in a unique way the experiences and the know-how of a sports psychological expert, who coaches numerous runners and other endurance athletes psychologically, who also researches psychological aspects in running, regularly reports on his work in lectures, at scientific congresses and in magazine articles and who repeatedly achieves top 10 placings in international (extreme) races.

Since the outstanding success of his New Zealand athletes Snell, Halberg, and Magee at the 1960 Rome Olympics, Arthur Lydiard's name has been synonymous with the best training methods used by the world's top middle- and long-distance runners. His training plans precipitated an athletic revolution, stressing physiological conditioning as a prerequisite to sporting effort and long-duration, even-pace running at a strong speed as the means of achieving success. Arthur Lydiard instructed runners and coaches in Finland, Mexico, Venezuela, Denmark, Japan, the United States, and New Zealand for more than 50 years and had continued to experiment and refine his methods.Running with Lydiard contains expanded information on exercise physiology, diet, injury prevention and cure, discussion of Lydiard's methods, and revised training schedules.

The World Marathon Book celebrates the runners who conquer the legendary 26.2 miles, and the races they take part in, detailing their illustrious histories and greatest moments. It explores both the famed city-based marathons like London, Paris and New York as well as the more adventurous races like the Marathon du Medoc - a must for anyone who prefers a glass of wine to than a Lucozade while racing - or the Great Wall Marathon in China for those who prefer a further challenge. With inspiring photography, fantastic personal stories and essential infographic elements, this is the book for anyone who has ever taken on, or wishes to take on, the 26.2 miles.

Trail and Mountain Running is a practical guide for runners designed to help those who are already running off road and wanting to improve their performance, to try longer or rougher terrain with confidence, and those who simply want to venture from roads onto trails and mountain paths for the first time. Divided into three sections, the book covers: Training fundamentals - giving you all the knowledge you need to run off road in terms of training programme, looking after your body, kit and equipment and staying safe in the environment. Racing - providing more detailed advice about what to do pre, during and post race to maximize performance. Optimizing performance - more advanced information on training and racing, and supplementary areas such as altitude training, which can help performance. Throughout the book advice is given relative to four 'typical races' of different lengths and terrain; all of which is interspersed by real life anecdotes and stories from the authors.

Improve Your Marathon and Half Marathon Running is an accessible, jargon-free guide for athletes committing to improving their running at either distance. It provides valuable advice in increasing competition experience and structuring more advanced training programmes. The book covers: training plans and principles; evolving training programmes as a runner's experience increases; methods for cross-training in other disciplines; principles for athletes to examine the biomechanics of their running to improve performance; benefits of coaching, and finally, training case histories of successful athletes.

Fifty Places to Run Before You Die is a beautifully illustrated collection of the most exhilarating running courses in the world. Featuring a balance of popular races (marathons, 10Ks, and endurance runs) and scenic trails off the beaten path, as well as interviews with accomplished runners and leaders of respected running organizations, this book divulges the details that make each venue unique-and plenty of tips for those who aspire to run there. Readers will discover events and courses both national and international, including the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc in France, the New York City Marathon, the Vancouver Sun Run, the Grand Canyon, the Dolomites in Italy, and the Great Ocean Road Marathon in Australia. Fifty Places to Run Before You Die is an essential travel companion for runners of all levels seeking to conquer new terrain while breaking personal records.

High Performance Long Distance Running is a book for serious long-distance runners from 5,000 metres to the marathon. It covers every aspect of the preparation required by an elite-performance athlete and the author argues that absolutely nothing should be left to chance.

Cracking... full of running gems, realities and giggles. Nice work!' - Martin Yelling, Marathon Talk 'Lovely - very impressive' - TalkSPORT 'From now on, if anyone I know mentions that they want to start running, this will be my first recommendation' - Stuart Heritage Best Books of 2021: Sport - Waterstones selection The Runner's Code explores the unwritten rules of everyday running and is essential reading for anyone who marvels at marathons, tears round the track or simply plods round the park. Filled with smart advice and brilliantly knowing humour, this unique celebration of running takes the newbie and veteran alike through the secret, nuanced and blindingly obvious rules of running to answer all the important questions, such as: - What's the correct etiquette for acknowledging other runners? - What should you do if you get 'caught short' on a run? - And exactly how many times can you ask colleagues for marathon sponsorship? The book is packed with plenty of need-to-know information to help you deliver your best running performance, such as coping with different weather conditions, advice on kit and clothing (how many miles can a pair of trainers last, and is it ever appropriate to run in a mankini?) and pavement etiquette (overtaking dawdling pedestrians on a busy street). There are also sections on getting the best race-day nutrition, finding the perfect running headspace and gaining maximum joy from your running. The Runner's Code features exclusive contributions from BBC presenters Nicky Campbell and Louise Minchin, sports writer Henry Winter, and leading running authors Anna McNuff, Paul Tonkinson, Rachel Cullen, Martin Yelling, Liz Yelling, Helen Croydon and Michael Stocks. They each brilliantly reveal what they love and what they hate about running. Written by journalist, author and self-confessed running nut Chas Newkey-Burden, The Runner's Code will help us to all run better and more responsibly, while reminding us of the joy and, at times, the wonderful absurdity of running.

I dont have time to run. The run will hurt or make me tired. I am too busy to run today. If youre always looking for any excuse to not go running, or put off starting a running regime, this book is for you! Athletes and people who just want to stay fit and exercise need to train their mind just as much as the body! Its easy to find excuses and stay at home, but with Jeff Galloways mental training strategies you will find yourself staying motivated and setting and reaching new goals in no time. In Mental Training for Runners you will find many useful tips on how to deal with stress. Jeff Galloway describes typical everyday situations and how to go out and run even if your brain is making up excuses. Jeff explains drills to help you rehearse a good response to those excuses so that over time you will change your habits; he presents training tools that will lower your stress and help you learn to set realistic goals. There is a section on better technique that will help you run better and achieve your next goal. Mental Training for Runners will put you on the path to a positive mental environment and will turn your mind, body, and spirit into a powerful team and tool. After reading and learning from this book, there will only ever be one answer to any challenge: I can do it!

How Not To Run: A Journey to the Roof of the World is the story of a weekend runner who only ever wanted to keep fit to ride her horses with a little more finesse. Shauney always said she would never race. 'I just don't see the point. I don't think it would be for me,' she used to say. However, four and a half years later she found herself standing in the midst of the towering Himalayas, on the start line of the Everest Marathon, one of the toughest races anywhere in the world. With numerous 10Ks, half-marathons, full marathons, trail races and ultra-marathons already under her belt, the road from adamant non-racer to extreme long-distance runner had not been a smooth one - and was about to reach new heights of risk, danger and near disaster. Follow Shauney's journey over thousands of painful yet joyous miles, from some of the most beautiful, hidden parts of Scotland, via unforgettable, eye-watering races, all the way to the heights of the Himalayas - for the pinnacle of her racing and fundraising career so far.