If you’re a sponge on all things professional running—the training, the philosophies, the lifestyle—you’re in for a fulfilling 2022. Several current and former professionals, some of whom are also trainers, are publishing books that will take you behind the scenes in a way that no strava update or instagram story can possibly do.
Runners (as well as their coaches and supporters) have additional reason to be excited about this year’s lineup, with more than half of the titles below coming from female authors.
You are reading: Best running books 2020
(and if you want to relax and be entertained, inspired, motivated or provoked by the words of a great writer, keep reading classic books to add them to your reading list this year).
new books for 2022
Even if you don’t get paid to perform, you can still approach your craft like a pro. learn to run like a pro (even if you’re slow) by ben rosario, northern arizona elite trainer and olympic marathoner aliphine tuliamuk, and matt fitzgerald, prolific fitness writer and 2:39 marathoner.
fitzgerald says the book was driven by a shared belief that “this journey is most rewarding when runners take the sport seriously, investing themselves deeply in the pursuit of improvement.” their goal is to help runners of all levels apply “elite best practices in a way that suits their lifestyles and goals.” (March 1 post)
molly huddle, two-time olympian and one of us’s most decorated long-distance runners. uu. history, and sara slattery, a former pro and current grand canyon college coach, have been busy off the track for the past several years. how she did it is the culmination of her work and her gift to future generations of long-distance runners.
Inspired by her own stories and those of 50 other outstanding female runners, the goal of the book, says huddle, is “to connect with young athletes and their coaches and parents to provide guidance for a healthy and productive approach.” to the distance race.” (March 8 post)
If you’re a female runner looking to reach the next level, you’ll want to add women’s breakthrough races to your list. Combining Neely Spence Gracey’s roles as an elite marathoner and trainer with Cindy Kuzma’s background as a running author and podcaster, the book features personal stories, interviews with elites, a variety of training plans, science-backed advice, and a handful of recipes, all in one fun and accessible package.
Written by women for women, Women’s Career Advancement is what Gracey calls “a roadmap for female runners seeking excellence.” (April 30 post)
Although published a month before this 2022 roundup, Jason Koop’s updated training fundamentals for ultrarunning are too rich a resource to pass up. By combining more than 20 years of coaching experience with the latest research, Koop offers ultrarunners a reference manual that he believes will be relevant for decades to come.
At 522 pages and with more than 400 scientific references, he says that “the science and philosophy it contains is an amalgamation of experience far beyond what I could have comprehended when I initially started this project in 2015.” Whether you’re a hobbyist or a vet, leave no stone unturned with the revised training essentials for ultrarunning. (December 2021 post)
→ good for a girl: my life is in a man’s world by laurenfleshman
from former usa Champion track and field laurenfleshman, who is currently on sabbatical from coaching the Littlewing team pros, arrives the long-awaited for a girl. Based on her 2019 new york times op-ed, “I traded my body for my sport. no girl should,” Fleshman details her career journey as a woman in a system she says was largely built by and for men.
Her book is her way of helping other athletes and their support systems understand the unique obstacles they face, from eating disorders to underpayment, so they can reimagine the female athletic experience. (September 1 post)
→ running while black by alison mariella désir
Perhaps best recognized as the activist behind Harlem Run, Run 4 All Women, and leading the industry’s diversity coalition, come fall, Alison Mariella Désir will also be known as the author of Running While Black. She examines her experiences as an endurance athlete from a black and historical perspective, seeking to understand the gulf between running’s reputation as an egalitarian sport and the reality of her being an unwelcome environment for many non-whites.
“I am excited to reveal essential race history that all runners should know well, but has been forgotten or erased,” says désir. (October post)
→ personal best run: your guide to balanced training and racing by mark coogan and scott douglas
Many runners believe they can’t reach their potential without a combination of tunnel vision and a win-at-all-costs attitude. Olympic athlete and coach Mark Coogan and running world contributing writer Scott Douglas are turning that assumption on its head in their upcoming book, Personal Best Running.
coogan says he’s informed by his 30 years of experience in the sport and his belief that “you can run well and be successful, have a great workout and still be happy and take care of yourself.” the book is intended for committed runners who want to have it both ways. (November post)
→ becoming a sustainable runner by tina muir and zoë rom
While you may not have considered running from a sustainability standpoint, Tina Muir and Zoë Rom suggest it’s time you did. by becoming a sustainable runner, later this year elite runner and podcaster (muir) and editor-in-chief of trail runner magazine (rom) come together to shine a light on the power each runner has to impact their community and the environment for good.
“While we as runners would like to think our sport doesn’t affect our planet,” says Muir, “there’s a lot of room for improvement in the way we waste, shop, eat and run.” (Late 2022 release)
classic books for runners
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The following books do a fantastic job of fueling your enthusiasm for the sport and your overall career goals. some focus on your overall training and ways you can become a better runner. others explore the epic journeys of some of the biggest names in the sport, like scott jurek on his incredible journey down the appalachian trails or meb keflezighi detailing all the great marathons of his illustrious career.
but you’ll also need fuel (run fast, cook fast, eat slow) some motivation (beautiful work) and laughter (how to poop yourself). whatever you are looking for, we have a recommendation for you. if we don’t, leave us a note in the comments section.
Plus, these books make great gifts for your favorite runner if they’re in a pinch.
By all indicators, if world champion steeplechase emma coburn isn’t on the track or in the gym, she’s most likely in the kitchen, whipping up elaborate meals for her fellow team managers and stunning cakes for everyone. friends and family. His goal for Runner’s Kitchen, launched in late 2020 and featuring 100 of his favorite recipes, is to “open people’s eyes to the joy and health of having a diet with a variety of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fruits and vegetables and sugar”. Coburn also hopes to debunk the myth, especially prevalent among young female runners, that a restrictive diet is the way to go. “Every body is different,” says Coburn, “and I’m really excited to show what foods work for my body.” (published December 2020)
In classic Matt Fitzgerald style, his recently released The Comeback Quoient combines real-world experiences with cutting-edge science, this time to demystify the beloved story of sports’ comeback. “I wrote the book for athletes of all stripes who want to improve mentally,” Fitzgerald says. Using ultramarathoners, triathletes, and road runners like cover model (and Olympic marathon qualifier) Molly Siedel for inspiration, he breaks down the three-step process great athletes use to bounce back from adversity. readers will be left with the belief, the toolset, and the preparation to stage their own epic comebacks. (published December 2020)
From endurance psychology expert Noel Brick, Ph.D., and contributing writer to the running world, Scott Douglas, comes the genius of athletes. The goal, Douglas says, is “to help everyday athletes learn and hone the thinking skills that top athletes use,” for application inside and outside the boundaries of sport. Readers will learn the five key types of cognitive tools for overcoming challenges and how to employ them at different stages (either in a career or a challenging non-career project). They’ll also draw inspiration from people who have brought athletic success to different arenas, like former Miller Steve Holman who became a top executive at Vanguard, and Olympic Nordic ski champion Kikkan Randall who overcame breast cancer.
While working toward her third Olympic berth, three-time Olympic gold medalist (twice in the 4 x 100-meter relay and once in the long jump) Tianna Bartoletta wrote a memoir called Survive and Thrive. . According to Bartoletta, whose insightful commentary and succinct, honest writing style have made her blog a favorite in the athletics community, the book is “equal parts origin story and radical resilience story. proof that greatness is the result of powerful intent and refusing to give up on oneself.”
lottie bildirici, the nutrition coach, recipe developer, and athlete behind the running on veggies blog, is putting her plant-based, performance-driven food philosophy in print this year. her cookbook, also called vegetable running, is based on her experience helping athletes around the world eat right and features more than 100 new recipes, along with meal plans, shopping lists and foods pantry staples. Through it all, bildirici seeks to simplify the eating process, consider the “why” behind food choices, and share accessible recipes that will help athletes “feel better and enjoy every bite.”
When rise and run hit bookstores last fall, shalane flanagan and elyse kopecky can officially claim a cookbook trifecta. With Rise and Run being three quarters of recipes, one quarter of a training manual, Kopecky calls it “so much more than a cookbook.” along with first and second breakfast ideas, it offers advice for sunrise stretches, daily intentions, and morning miles. Lovers of the first two cookbooks in the duo (run fast, eat slow, and run fast, cook fast, eat slow) are in luck: the so-called kopecky get up and run “by far our most beautiful and inspiring book to date.” date”.
Despite how controversial recovery is among athletes right now, the question of how best to adapt to and benefit from training remains fraught with confusion. FiveThirtyEight science writer Christie Aschwanden offers some much-needed clarity on the subject. From Gatorade to cryotherapy, from Tom Brady’s infrared pajamas to Simone Biles’s pneumatic compression boots, Aschwanden researches the latest trends in recovery, often playing guinea pig herself. good to go ultimately aims to figure out which recovery products and practices are worth our time and money.
from the bestselling author the sports gene arrives range, a striking challenge to the assumption that specialization is a prerequisite for success. Backed by scientific research and anecdotal evidence from some of the world’s greatest artists, from artists and inventors to athletes and forecasters, David Epstein makes the case for a one-size-fits-all approach and the accompanying failure, exploration, and creativity. Among the running community, the range may be especially interesting for parents wondering how to set their children up for future success.
On May 6, 1967, Maureen Wilton, a 13-year-old girl from suburban Toronto, Canada, attempted to break the women’s marathon world record of 3:19 in a small race a few miles from her home. she lined up on a dusty road to complete five laps of a roughly 5-mile course with 28 men and another woman, kathrine switzer, who joined the race two weeks after her own iconic finish in the marathon boston. (Read an excerpt here.)
Our former “sweat science” columnist from the running world takes a closer look at how we can train our brains to overcome physical limitations.
Olympic medalist and American marathon record holder Deena Kastor attributes her success to a shift to optimistic thinking. In her book, she shares how the power of positive psychology worked for her.
Celebrity trainer Andrew Kastor (and husband of Deena Kastor) gives runners an easy-to-follow training plan for their first marathon, with advice and motivation from world-renowned runners.
You know you have good running friends when they recommend you read this. Once a runner, Quenton Cassidy, the novel’s protagonist, is a college senior on the verge of greatness in the mile. cassidy returns to racing after a brief retirement in cartago to face the marathon.
meb keflezighi’s legendary race restored american distance running to its former glory with victories in the boston marathon, new york city marathon and other races around the world. In all, Keflezighi has run 26 marathons as a professional and in his memoir he shares the lessons learned and experiences from each of his incredible races. (and check out the 10 things you can learn from this book).
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age is just a number, and no one embodies it better than ida keeling. The 103-year-old is still competing, often winning as the only contestant in her age group. In her memoir, she shares stories from her exciting running career, from breaking the world record in the 100-meter dash and celebrating with push-ups, to her struggles: growing up poor in Harlem, working in factories during the Great Depression to raise four children as a single mother and the loss of two adult children to unsolved cases of drug-related violence.
The book has been one of the most popular running books since its debut. Although the writer is the first to admit that many shoe companies were working on minimalist footwear before he began researching the book, Born to Run and Christopher McDougall’s promotion of barefoot and minimalist running are considered by many to be the main catalysts of the current running shoe revolution. and the movement towards the race more efficiently.
Running puts everyone in a better mood. but for some of us, our miles are key to managing depression and anxiety. Runner’s World Contributing Editor Scott Douglas explores the thinking behind the growing body of scientific research that shows how running can actually make us happier.
You may know Mirna Valerio from her profile in the August 2015 issue of Runner’s World. or from her blog and her facebook page fatgirlrunning, where her posts show an indomitable will to conquer goals and an unstoppable love of running despite the challenges of being a 200+ pound ultrarunner. Her book shows that same spirit, but with more detail: She’ll learn how a wake-up call in the form of chest pains from her got 300-pound Mirna up for a run. she hasn’t stopped, working from 5Ks to ultramarathons to become a sponsored athlete with a vital message: running is for everyone.
Lopez Lomong recounts his rise from a barefoot lost boy of the Sudanese civil war to an American. Olympic. “Lopez Lomong’s story is truly inspiring,” four-time gold medalist Michael Johnson wrote in his book review. “His life of his is a story of courage, hard work, never giving up and having hope where there is hopelessness everywhere. Lopez is a true role model.”
In 2017, Shalane Flanagan became the first American woman in 40 years to win the New York City Marathon. His secret from her? food that is more than just fuel. in her new cookbook, run fast. cook fast eat slow nutrition coach elyse kopecky and flanagan share the nutritious and delicious meals that helped her break the treadmill in central park. (See some sample recipes that feed the shalane.)
The title sounds cheeky, but we know how important something like pooping yourself before a race is. Meghan Kita, former World Running Editor, has curated hundreds of the best tips when it comes to running, all so you can hit the road with confidence.
One of our favorite racing icons and the world’s newest race director for runners takes you on some of his adventures around the world to races big and small, everywhere from Antarctica and Africa to the park. chitwan national park in nepal, where he was chased by an angry rhino.
Seabiscuit author Laura Hillenbrand tells the incredible story of Louis Zamperini, a talented young track and field star who competed in the Berlin Olympics and whose life took a turn after the outbreak of World War II. She follows Zamperini as she tests her stamina to run and survive in this must-read. read a question and answer with the author here.
kilian jornet is arguably one of the best ultra runners in the world, having won some of the best races in the world, from ultra-trail du mont-blanc and western state 100. in addition to competitive racing, the spanish runner challenged himself to himself to get the fastest known times on some of the highest peaks in the world for both ascents and descents. Here, he details these journeys on the Matterhorn, Denali, and many more through photos, words, and illustrations that take you deeper into his expeditions.
adharanand finn, author of running with the kenyans and the way of the runner, takes you into the world of the fastest growing niche in running: ultraunning.
If recovery after injury has ever confused you, you’re not alone. This book combines personal accounts from athletes, scientific research, and experts in the field to provide dozens of tips and tricks that will help runners at any stage of the recovery process.
To everyone who knew her, it seemed like Maddy Holleran had it all. But then the successful runner, her freshman year at her ivy league dream school, the University of Pennsylvania, jumped from a parking lot roof and killed her. that tragic act betrayed a facade of determination and a carefully curated social media presence. Journalist Kate Fagan uses Maddy’s story to illustrate the plight of young people waging lonely battles with mental illness against pressure to present a “perfect” life.
chris lear presents a riveting account of college cross country. Set in the fall of 1998, the book chronicles the University of Colorado Buffaloes’ cross-country campaign, taking the reader on a journey from the anticipation of preseason camp, through the midseason shock of losing a teammate, and even the exhilaration of competing in the ncaa championships.
There’s something about replaying the race, and if you’re a long-distance runner, time alone, that brings out the philosophical side of a lot of people. And if you are one of the meditative types, this book will act as an energy drink for your intellectual side. Using works of philosophy, literature, and her own running experiences, Cregan-Reid looks at the human side of sport, showing that while running makes our bodies healthy, it also improves our minds.
[These 9 Children’s Books About Running Will Get Your Kids To The Starting Line]In their latest book, the authors of the notable Run Less, Run Faster shifted their focus slightly away from the hard-core, numbers-obsessed runner, to the runner who wants to stay healthy and strong enough to keep playing the sport he or she love through the decades. The book details what bill pierce and scott murr call the 7-hour training week, where runners still only run three days a week, but also do three days of cross-training and incorporate regular strength training, flexibility work, and stretching sessions
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