The most recommended marathon books

If there is ever a life full of lessons on never giving up, it’s Dick Beardsley’s. One of America’s greatest and most accomplished marathoners, he is a multiple champion record-setter and made the Guinness Book of World Records when he ran 13 marathon PRs in a row. With tremendous honesty, he details in his book how a succession of tractor and car accidents and drug dependency nearly cost him his life on several occasions. It is a book about running, tragedy, survival, and redemption. He also wrote the foreword for one of my books.

Flashback to a classic. Not enough people know about the Mysterious Mr. Quin stories by Agatha Christie. They have all the glamour of Poirot, but they’re not quite whodunits. Or are they? Despite the fact that crime is solved in each, they’re a little weird and magical and even melancholy. Our “detective” Mr. Satterthwaite seems to find himself near death over and over, and each time his acquaintance Mr. Quin (who bears a lot of resemblance to the tragic Harlequin figure of commedia dell’arte) arrives to help him to find his way to the truth. Each story is super short, so they’re good for when you can’t muster attention for a marathon reading session. Worth seeking out!

Having quit running altogether because of a lack of improvement and a bad college experience, Ron Daws discovered a different way of running that brought him joy and success. Following the training of Arthur Lydiard, Daws began a road racing career that culminated in making the 1968 U.S. Olympic team in the marathon.

This book took me by surprise; it is an eye-opening epic read highlighting the importance of energy, not just time, as an area that is most important to focus on and master.

As a previous sufferer of burnout, it taught me that, unlike time, energy is finite and pivotal for peak performance. This book took me on a journey and framework where I could practically think about my life in terms of energy (rather than just time) and maximise this in the areas of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health; just superb.

I also loved the concept, which we are never taught, that recovery is just as important as performance and to think more like an athlete in my everyday life. Energy is everything to me, so I found this book truly transformative!

Fly With Me was the most enjoyable book I read all year. It was smart, heartfelt, and well-paced, with a perfect balance of heavy and light. I laughed, and I cried multiple times.

I also deeply appreciated seeing neuro-spicy characters on the page.

This representation—bisexual characters, characters with ADHD—means so much to me. Andie Burke, along with Sarah Grunder Ruiz in her upcoming book, is putting us on the map in the best way. I’m so here for it.

Any story about legendary running ambassador Bill Rodgers is worth the read. A U.S. Olympian and four-time winner of the Boston Marathon and New York City Marathon, his impact on the sport of running is immeasurable on many levels – shining a light on athlete inequality, repeated hard-earned road-race excellence, expanding the sport to the non-elite, and consistent approachability and promotion. His tenacity as a competitor helped push the sport into “primetime” and beyond. Having interviewed him many times over the years for my books and articles, Marathon Man reads the way he speaks, with honesty and insight. In addition to a Hall of Fame resume, part of his popularity is based on the fact the common runner can relate to many of his battles – a former smoker, blue-collar life, cancer survivor.

Any Willis book grabs me and takes me down a road of intensity: emotionally, physically, and intellectually. Crosstalk took a what-if question and pulled me down the potential overwhelm of how humanity’s best and worst might approach its possibility. 

What if you could share your thoughts with others and they with you? What if it was used against you? What if you couldn’t shut it off or couldn’t keep the voices from mounting up until it was a multitude of people shouting between your ears? And it gets worse before it gets better. 

Every time I put the book down, I felt like I had run a marathon. Crossing the finish line? Glorious.

If you simply enjoy an honest, thoughtful, character-driven story, Butterfly Dreams will not disappoint. With tremendous appeal and an inspiring message of a middle-aged woman finding love again later in life, Bonnie Engstrom weaves charm, humor, and faith messages in a unique way.

I am a middle-aged woman myself, and I could truly relate to Betsy’s mindset and her persona. By the time I finished reading this book, I felt like I had become good friends with the main character, Betsy. Not only that, but my new “friendship” with Betsy is still lingering in my mind as I think about her journey. 

John “The Penguin” Bingham’s words of inspiration were exactly what I needed when I began to run as an “adult-onset athlete” (his words.) His books are funny and inspirational, informative, and well-written. This is by far my favorite of his many books. Those early months were tough but some days, courage is what it still takes to keep myself out there on the trails and roads.

Marathon Mouse is a fun story for our littlest runners. Most of the mice living under the bridge between Brooklyn and Staten Island didn’t like the commotion of Marathon Day. But Preston did. Preston braved the crowds and big shoes to run the Marathon himself. And near the finish line, his family, who had told him races weren’t for mice, were there cheering him on.

Marathon Mouse is the only one of my book recommendations about an animal marathon runner. But, as with the books here about people, Preston, the Marathon Mouse, has perseverance and determination and feels joy when he’s running.