Note: This Born to Run summary is part of an ongoing project to summarise the Best Health Books and Best Self Help Books of all time.
Note: This Born to Run summary is a stub. I'll write a full summary later. For now, you'll find enough meta-data here to help you decide if it's worth reading the book.
Born to Run Review
Born to Run is a fantastic book for anyone into human history or running.
It’s packed with fascinating insights into how running made us who we (modern humans) are and the great tips and insights into running well and avoiding injuries.
I was glad to have read it (along with 5 other books) in the run up to competing in the Marathon des Sables, a 256km ultramarathon through the Sahara (full guide and training notes).
And, as one of TAoL’s top ranked health books of all time? I can definitely recommend picking up your own copy here.
Born to Run Summary
This publisher’s blurb comes from the Profile Books paperback edition of of Born to Run
“Born to Run is an epic adventure that begins with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets out to find Mexico’s Tarahumara Indians, the world’s greatest distance runners, who can go for hundreds of miles without rest while enjoying every minute of it.
Running without trainers is now big news, but the Tarahumara have been doing it for centuries and reaping the benefits. McDougall tests the idea by taking us from cutting-edge Harvard science labs to the peaks and valleys where growing numbers of ultra-runners are pushing themselves to the limit. And he finds his own inner ultra-athlete when he pits himself against the tribe, who run virtually barefoot, in a breath-taking fifty-mile race through Mexico’s Copper Canyons.
A thinking exploration of mankind’s most ancient pursuit, Born to Run will make you realize that the secret to happiness could be right at your feet.”
Best Born to Run Quotes
These Born to Run quotes come from The Art of Living's ever-growing central library of thoughts, anecdotes, notes, and inspirational quotes.
"You don't stop running because you get old, you get old because you stop running."
- Christopher McDougall, Born to Run"If you don't have answers to your problems after a four-hour run, you ain't getting them."
- Christopher McDougall, Born to Run"The reason we race isn't so much to beat each other,... but to be with each other."
- Christopher McDougall, Born to Run"You're tougher than you think you are, and you can do more than you think you can."
- Christopher McDougall, Born to Run"Suffering is humbling. It pays to know how to get your butt kicked."
- Christopher McDougall, Born to RunRead More: 5 Books Like Born to Run
Enjoyed this Born to Run summary? You might enjoy the rest of the books on these lists of the Best Health Books and Best Self Help Books of all time.
And in the meantime...
Here are 5 top books like Born to Run...
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