Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The astonishing and hugely entertaining story that completely changed the way we run. An epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt?
“Equal parts quest, physiology treatise, and running history.... The climactic race reads like a sprint.... It simply makes you want to run.” —Outside Magazine
Isolated by Mexico's deadly Copper Canyons, the blissful Tarahumara Indians have honed the ability to run hundreds of miles without rest or injury. In a riveting narrative, award-winning journalist and often-injured runner Christopher McDougall sets out to discover their secrets. In the process, he takes his readers from science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultra-runners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to a climactic race in the Copper Canyons that pits America’s best ultra-runners against the tribe. McDougall’s incredible story will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that you, indeed all of us, were born to run.
Look for Born to Run 2, out now!
“Equal parts quest, physiology treatise, and running history.... The climactic race reads like a sprint.... It simply makes you want to run.” —Outside Magazine
Isolated by Mexico's deadly Copper Canyons, the blissful Tarahumara Indians have honed the ability to run hundreds of miles without rest or injury. In a riveting narrative, award-winning journalist and often-injured runner Christopher McDougall sets out to discover their secrets. In the process, he takes his readers from science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultra-runners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to a climactic race in the Copper Canyons that pits America’s best ultra-runners against the tribe. McDougall’s incredible story will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that you, indeed all of us, were born to run.
Look for Born to Run 2, out now!
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Community Reviews
Great book for any one interested in the sport of running. McDougall has a gift of seeing the big picture and interweaving several little stories to produce one big story. He also has a style where he can write himself into a story with out making it seem pretentious. He has a journalism background and that comes through when he is reporting the facts.
The story begins telling us about a Mexican tribe of runners and through creative writing we are learning about the drug trade in Mexico then we are whisked away to a 100 mile run in Colorado. Before we know it we are introduced to the benefits of barefoot running and human evolution. By the end we are back in Mexico watching a rare foot race of elite super human athletes.
I learned so much about the sport and it made me want to be a better runner. I will give high marks to any movie, TV show, book, or article if it makes me want to improve myself. This book opened my eyes to barefoot running. Before even finishing this book I started walking my dog and running on a track barefoot. That is the power of good story telling, the ability to change the thinking of its audience.
The story begins telling us about a Mexican tribe of runners and through creative writing we are learning about the drug trade in Mexico then we are whisked away to a 100 mile run in Colorado. Before we know it we are introduced to the benefits of barefoot running and human evolution. By the end we are back in Mexico watching a rare foot race of elite super human athletes.
I learned so much about the sport and it made me want to be a better runner. I will give high marks to any movie, TV show, book, or article if it makes me want to improve myself. This book opened my eyes to barefoot running. Before even finishing this book I started walking my dog and running on a track barefoot. That is the power of good story telling, the ability to change the thinking of its audience.
As a runner, I'm surprised in hindsight that I didn't get caught up in the zeitgeist to read this book after it first came out. Perhaps my semi- developed herd instinct is to blame. Many people did jump on the barefoot running bandwagon back then however, but that zeitgeist too has died down quietly since then. Hmmm...
Otherwise, the book does live up to much of the hype. Really insightful and informative look at what it truly takes to make a brilliant athlete, with a focus mostly on one indigenous tribe in Mexico's Copper Canyon.
While it's a good read for the masses, I strongly recommend it for those who love to run.
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