7th June 2023

Books I’ve read recently #9

I’d like to start by saying good morning, good afternoon, good evening, etc, and happy Wednesday. I can’t believe it’s June, the year seems to be flying by. I hope that everyone who reads this latest selection of book reviews – hopefully not just my online stalker although I guess one reader is better than no readers – is having a great week.

Like last year, one of my New Year’s Resolutions this year is to continue to read more. Anything to keep me away from doom scrolling online and comparing myself to other people. I know I’m repeating myself, but since March 2020, books have provided me with a much-needed break from the real world. Books have also provided my eyes with a break from my laptop. If you haven’t already done so, please check the rest of my ‘Books I’ve read recently’ posts.

Below are reviews and ratings of the running-related books I read between January and May. Although I’ve continued to read a lot more than I did pre-Covid, I’m not a book blogger so I decided to stick to reviews of what I’d describe as running-related books on this blog. I’ve also included information about the books I’m currently reading. Wherever possible, I’ve included links to either the publisher or the author of each book rather than to Amazon.

Books I read between January and May

The Ghost Runner: The Tragedy of the Man They Couldn’t Stop by Bill Jones

‘The Ghost Runner’ is a biography written by Bill Jones that tells the story of John Tarrant, a talented long-distance runner who in the 1950s was prevented from entering amateur races by the authorities of the day because he’d declared he’d accepted £17 in his youth for contesting boxing matches. Accepting this £17 made John Tarrant a professional in the eyes of the authorities and therefore ineligible to not only compete in amateur races but unable to represent his country. John Tarrant decided to turn up and compete in races anyway, without an official entry, and subsequently became known as the ‘Ghost Runner’.

Bill Jones describes in great detail how one single act came to totally dominate John Tarrant’s thinking, almost to the exclusion of everything and everyone else in his life.

My feelings about John Tarrant changed as I read ‘The Ghost Runner’. I wasn’t sure whether to admire him, feel sorry for him, or dislike him. John Tarrant was selfish and his apparent lack of respect towards or feelings for his wife and son made him difficult to warm to. Having said that, Tarrant’s seemingly endless battles with the authorities made me feel frustrated on his behalf. Evidently, a lot of people had sympathy for John Tarrant, but nobody with the ability to do something about it was moved to act.

Although I found ‘The Ghost Runner’ incredibly well-researched and well-written, the book is rather one-sided and makes no attempt to understand the position of the authorities. At one point I found myself feeling a degree of sympathy for the authorities as rules are rules, whether you like them or not or agree with them.

Despite this, I enjoyed reading ‘The Ghost Runner’ and learning more about someone who I’ve seen described as possibly one of the best runners who never existed. I’d be happy to recommend ‘The Ghost Runner’ to anyone with an interest in running.

PhD Runner rating: 4/5

Running by Ronnie O’Sullivan

‘Running’ is the autobiography of Ronnie O’Sullivan, an English professional snooker player who is widely regarded as one of the most talented and accomplished players in the sport’s history. The book is described as Ronnie O’Sullivan’s “frank and honest account of his astonishingly dramatic life” and is based around his passion for running.

I must admit that I’m not a fan of snooker, but I love running and I’d already read about Ronnie O’Sullivan’s impressive running performances on Runner’s World, so when I spotted a copy of ‘Running’ in a local charity shop, I checked out the book’s rating on Goodreads (currently 3.81/5) and purchased it.

I’m afraid that ‘Running’ was very nearly my first did not finish (‘DNF’) of 2023.

I struggled with the way the story jumped around and O’Sullivan’s rather rambling speaking style. Although I found some sections of ‘Running’ incredibly moving, some of O’Sullivan’s views made me feel rather uncomfortable. I was disappointed to discover that snooker takes up the majority of ‘Running’. Great if you are a snooker fan, but not so great if you are a runner.

Although I would be happy to recommend ‘Running’ to snooker fans, I’m not sure I’d recommend it to runners.

PhD Runner rating: 3/5

The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping and Deception by Nike’s Elite Running Team by Kara Goucher with Mary Pilon

In ‘The Longest Race’ the American long-distance runner and Olympian Kara Goucher reveals her experience of living through and speaking out about one of the biggest scandals in running.

I’ve been a fan of Kara Goucher for as long as I can remember and will never forget watching her beat Paula Radcliffe in the 2007 Great North Run, so when I discovered she was writing and publishing a memoir, I pre-ordered myself a copy and looked forward to the book making its way to Four Oaks.

It’s hard to know where to begin to find the words to express the brilliance of ‘The Longest Race’ and also the bravery of Kara Goucher. I read the book in one sitting and then went back to the start and did something I never do, I read the book a second time as I wanted to make sure I hadn’t missed anything the first time.

‘The Longest Race’ is an exceptionally well-written almost addictive read. I’ve followed elite running for some time, so I already knew a little of the Nike Oregon Project and the Alberto Salazar doping scandal, but I knew nothing about the details of his sexual abuse and found ‘The Longest Race’ shocking.

It turns out that Alberto Salazar is effectively the Larry Nasar of track and field. And to think Nike wanted to cover all of this up and allegedly spent millions of dollars defending him across the various cases. Something to think about next time you consider buying Nike trainers or running gear.

Although I’m all too aware this short review hasn’t done either Kara Goucher or ‘The Longest Race’ justice and I’ve got a lot more I want to say, I’m going to end my review here. I’d describe ‘The Longest Race’ as a highly important read, so important I’d recommend both runners and non-runners read it.

PhD Runner rating: 5/5

Marathon Man: My Life, My Father’s Stroke and Running 35 Marathons in 35 Days by Alan Corcoran

‘Marathon Man’ is Alan Corcoran’s uplifting and inspirational account of his gruelling journey around Ireland’s coast which saw him 35 marathons in 35 consecutive days. ‘Marathon Man’ details how Alan Corcoran was a student away at university when he found out his father had experienced a stroke. The author’s response to the shock of his father’s stroke was to get active, create positive from negative, and raise money for charity.

‘Marathon Man’ details how Corcoran, who was not an experienced long-distance runner, prepared for his challenge of completing 35 marathons in 35 consecutive days both in terms of marathon training and also the logistics. Corcoran embarked on what only could be described as an aggressive training regime to build up his distance quickly, and with the aid of the charity involved, attempted to set up a logistics operation and fundraising strategy.

While I enjoyed following Corcoran’s training and found myself wondering how on earth he completed some of his long training runs, I found reading about the apparent failings of the charity involved incredibly frustrating but sadly based on my own experiences not surprising. I’m not sure I would have dealt with the setbacks and frustrations Corcoran encountered as he prepared for his 35 marathons in 35 consecutive days challenge with such grit and determination.

Corcoran then takes us with him as he tackles each of his 35 marathons. I loved reading about the author’s highs and lows and felt as if I was there every step of the way with him as he completed each marathon. The author’s writing style is so engaging, reading ‘Marathon Man’ was almost like sitting down in a pub and hearing him share his experiences first-hand.

Once I started reading ‘Marathon Man’ I couldn’t put it down and I ended up reading the book in one sitting. ‘Marathon Man’ is an inspirational book, one I’m happy to recommend to both runners and non-runners.

PhD Runner rating: 5/5

26.2 Miles to Happiness: A Comedian’s Tale of Running, Red Wine and Redemption by Paul Tonkinson

‘26.2 Miles to Happiness’ outlines the trials and tribulations of comedian, Runner’s World columnist, and ‘Running Commentary’ podcaster Paul Tonkinson as he attempts to break three hours for the marathon. We are introduced to the supporting cast of people who assisted Paul in his endeavours. Celebrities including Bryony Gordon and Russell Howard feature alongside friends and family, members of Paul’s running club, trips to Paul’s local Oddbins, and a visit to the Mayr clinic in Austria that pushed Paul to the limit.

I loved the way the book chapters are split up into the various stages of the marathon, it helped me imagine I was running the London Marathon with Tonkinson. I also appreciated the insights into the training and dedication it took for Tonkinson to finally run a sub-three marathon, I must admit that some of the track sessions sounded brutal.

The back story which explains why even after several near misses which included a 3:03:58 marathon at York, Tonkinson was so determined to achieve his goal after was very inspiring.

I enjoyed reading ’26.2 Miles to Happiness’ so much that I entered the ballot for the 2024 London Marathon. ’26.2 Miles to Happiness’ is very humorous in parts as you would expect from a comedian, but also emotional in places. ’26.2 Miles to Happiness’ is a brilliant book, one I’m happy to recommend to both runners and non-runners, you don’t ever have to have laced up a pair of running shoes or attempted to run a marathon to enjoy this book.

PhD Runner rating: 5/5

Books I’m currently reading

Fat Man to Green Man: From Unfit to Ultramarathon by Ira Rainey

I spotted ‘Fat Man to Green Man’ in my local bookshop a couple of months ago, bought it, and added it to my constantly increasing ‘to read’ pile of books. ‘Fat Man to Green Man’ finally made it to the top of the ‘to read’ pile last week. I’m only a few chapters into ‘Fat Man to Green Man’ and I must admit that the book isn’t quite what I was expecting. From the name of the book I thought I’d be reading about the journey of someone fat and out-of-shape who decided to change their lifestyle to such an extent they were able to complete an ultramarathon. Ira Rainey was already an experienced runner with several marathons under his belt who wanted to set himself the challenge of running the 45-mile Green Man Ultra. Although ‘Fat Man to Green Man’ isn’t quite what I was expecting, the book is so entertaining and inspiring, it definitely won’t be heading into my ‘DNF’ (did not finish) pile.

From Last to First by Charlie Spedding

I must admit that I hadn’t heard of Charlie Spedding until someone recommended ‘From Last to First’ to me. Slightly embarrassing for someone who has followed athletics for over 30 years. In my defence, I was only four when Charlie Spedding won the London Marathon in 1984 and five when he won the bronze medal for Great Britain in the marathon later that year. I’ve only read the first two chapters of ‘From Last to First’, rather unusually the book starts with the highlight of Charlie Spedding’s running career; the 1984 Olympic marathon before the second chapter deals with his childhood. As a back-of-the-pack slow runner, I’m looking forward to reading the last two chapters which I’ve seen described as a bit of a rant, probably best left kept to himself. I’m intrigued.

Books I’m aiming to read next

I reached the bottom of my pile of running books last year, so I’ve been regularly checking out the local charity bookshops. With apologies for the repetition but I love the idea of not knowing what I’ll find when I go into a bookshop. Since my last ‘Books read recently’ blog, I’ve managed to pick up several running-related books in my local charity bookshop. I also keep a lookout for book recommendations on social media, and if I’m offered the opportunity to review a book, I’m always going to say yes as I love reading.

Would you like to read any of the books I’ve reviewed here? If you’d like to read any of the books I’ve reviewed here, please let me know and we can arrange for me to send you my copy.

Have you read any running-related books recently you’ve enjoyed? I’m always on the lookout for running-related book recommendations.

**Full disclosure: I purchased all of the books reviewed in this post myself. As always, all opinions and typos are my own**

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