50/50, 07 Nov 2008
Likely you saw Dean Karnazes on the news promoting his 50 marathons in 50 days. I remember watching him thinking "is this guy crazy?" For the majority of us, completing even one marathon would be a lifelong goal achieved. Here this guy is looking to do not one or two runs in a season but 50 without even a day of rest. Like many people, I wondered why this person would even trey such a feat. In fact, was it even possible?

So when I got a chance to review 50/50, I jumped at the chance. By some standards, Dean Karnazes is a little abnormal. I say so, mostly because of his ability to endure 50 days of traveling, running a marathon, being interviewed, and then traveling again before getting only a few hours sleep. Just keeping the body going at that pace would be difficult enough. Add in some jet lag, a cold, and a scary fall. It's pretty amazing.

What I liked most about this story is that this man seemed like a real person. He's definitely more athletic and driven than most people but all of us have the ability to make better choices and push ourselves just a bit more than we thought possible. Absolutely inspiring.

50/50, 07 Nov 2008
Likely you saw Dean Karnazes on the news promoting his 50 marathons in 50 days. I remember watching him thinking "is this guy crazy?" For the majority of us, completing even one marathon would be a lifelong goal achieved. Here this guy is looking to do not one or two runs in a season but 50 without even a day of rest. Like many people, I wondered why this person would even trey such a feat. In fact, was it even possible?

So when I got a chance to review 50/50, I jumped at the chance. By some standards, Dean Karnazes is a little abnormal. I say so, mostly because of his ability to endure 50 days of traveling, running a marathon, being interviewed, and then traveling again before getting only a few hours sleep. Just keeping the body going at that pace would be difficult enough. Add in some jet lag, a cold, and a scary fall. It's pretty amazing.

What I liked most about this story is that this man seemed like a real person. He's definitely more athletic and driven than most people but all of us have the ability to make better choices and push ourselves just a bit more than we thought possible. Absolutely inspiring.

An Inspiration, 16 Feb 2008
Having realised that walking up my own house stairs had me almost passing out I decided to take up running (walking was a good start in my case) and within 6 months I completed my first 10K. Passing that finnish line I was the proudest and most elated I have ever been in my life and it was then that I realised what this "buzz" people kept talking about was. I felt amazing!

Not long after this I picked up Paula Radcliffe's autobiography and was hooked. I started reading and became in awe of someone who was so dedicated to her sport and who was so disciplined that while I was out getting lashed at every available opportunity while at Universtity, at the same time in another town Paula was working doggedly towards getting her 1st class degree while still managing to train religiously in the sport she loved. To me - someone who was brand new to running and who finds it very difficult - Paula became an inspiration.

I do, however, agree with some other reviews that the writing wasn't the greatest but then she is an athlete not an author, and I did notice that there were several explanations as to why she thought she hadn't run her best (I hesitate to say excuses as I have found myself saying things like "I didn't have a great run today, my legs felt heavy" etc) and I admit that this sometimes bacame repetitive.

I would still recommend this book highly though, as whether you're new to running like me or a seasoned racer the fact is that Paula Radcliffe is still one of the greatest athletes that this country has ever produced and regardless of her written word talents, this should surely be celebrated. She is an inspiration to many and rightly so. I enjoyed this book very much and it certainly spurred me on so thank you Paula.

Could be better, 31 Oct 2007
Good read but nothing that really gets to the heart of Paula's obsession with running. Also nothing that is not known already by the general public. Hopefully her final story will be a better read than her Story so far.

Worth reading, 26 Mar 2007
Yes the book is in part repetitive (Hello other reviewers, welcome to the mentality of a runner ...repetition) and yes Paula is a "nice" person, but the book is not half as bad as some of the reviews I have read here...and the only reason I wanted to throw the book across the room (as one reviewer commented) was because of the endless support she receives, though this is only out of frustration of my own lack of support. Never once was I bored by this, learned from it, and I welcomed her "excuses" as mere honest portrayals of what went wrong in her preparation. "The other athlete was better than me on the day" would not under any circumstances give the reader an incite into Paula Radcliffe, machine. This is an autobiography, it is about her. To this part she has been very honest, though the real star is Gary. I'd give my right tooth to have a partner that supportive.

Disappointing and full of excuses, 03 Jan 2007
I am an avid reader of sportsmen and women's autobiographies and as a former competitive distance runner, I was particularly keen to read Paula's autobiography. Before I read her autobiography I had great admiration for her and had followed her career with great interest.

Unfortunately, reading her autobiography caused me to lose some respect for her as a person and as a professional athlete. The book is full of excuses about why she didn't win particular races, as another reviewer wrote. I am in complete agreement with that reviewer's comments (see review: "100 greatest excuses").

I had to stop reading this autobiography on numerous occasions as I became so frustrated. At the point where she states that her legs were heavy in a particular race due to it being the wrong time of the month, I felt like throwing the wretched book across the room!

I normally find sports autobiographies enjoyable and inspiring. However, I really didn't enjoy this one at all, and if you don't want to read excuse after excuse, you won't either.


Nice, 07 Oct 2006
Paula Radcliffe is a nice person. She had a nice childhood with her nice parents and her nice brother. She joined a nice club run by a very nice couple. She's nice about her competitors, her friends and pretty much everyone else. Only her poor husband comes out as a bit of a git - and that's mainly because he writes small sections himself.

All this makes for a nice life but an extraordinarily dull autobiography from such an inspirational runner. This might be forgivable if the book were well written. Unfortunately it is one of the most badly written professionally published books I have read: repetitive (count the 'as I said before's), chronologically confused, and poorly structured.

On the plus side, it is not fair to describe this as a book of excuses. There are some interesting insights into the fragility of pushing the body to peak performance and the impact that small injuries and minor illness can have on elite atheletes. Possibly a bit too much insight into Paula's bowel movements, but the indignities she is happy to face in order to win are impressive.

Paula's a runner not a writer. But she was helped in this book by David Walsh, three times winner of the Sports Writer of the Year Award. And he really should have helped her make a better fist of this.

Let's hope Paula has lots more victories - and a better second volume - in her.

50/50, 07 Nov 2008
Likely you saw Dean Karnazes on the news promoting his 50 marathons in 50 days. I remember watching him thinking "is this guy crazy?" For the majority of us, completing even one marathon would be a lifelong goal achieved. Here this guy is looking to do not one or two runs in a season but 50 without even a day of rest. Like many people, I wondered why this person would even trey such a feat. In fact, was it even possible?

So when I got a chance to review 50/50, I jumped at the chance. By some standards, Dean Karnazes is a little abnormal. I say so, mostly because of his ability to endure 50 days of traveling, running a marathon, being interviewed, and then traveling again before getting only a few hours sleep. Just keeping the body going at that pace would be difficult enough. Add in some jet lag, a cold, and a scary fall. It's pretty amazing.

What I liked most about this story is that this man seemed like a real person. He's definitely more athletic and driven than most people but all of us have the ability to make better choices and push ourselves just a bit more than we thought possible. Absolutely inspiring.

An Inspiration, 16 Feb 2008
Having realised that walking up my own house stairs had me almost passing out I decided to take up running (walking was a good start in my case) and within 6 months I completed my first 10K. Passing that finnish line I was the proudest and most elated I have ever been in my life and it was then that I realised what this "buzz" people kept talking about was. I felt amazing!

Not long after this I picked up Paula Radcliffe's autobiography and was hooked. I started reading and became in awe of someone who was so dedicated to her sport and who was so disciplined that while I was out getting lashed at every available opportunity while at Universtity, at the same time in another town Paula was working doggedly towards getting her 1st class degree while still managing to train religiously in the sport she loved. To me - someone who was brand new to running and who finds it very difficult - Paula became an inspiration.

I do, however, agree with some other reviews that the writing wasn't the greatest but then she is an athlete not an author, and I did notice that there were several explanations as to why she thought she hadn't run her best (I hesitate to say excuses as I have found myself saying things like "I didn't have a great run today, my legs felt heavy" etc) and I admit that this sometimes bacame repetitive.

I would still recommend this book highly though, as whether you're new to running like me or a seasoned racer the fact is that Paula Radcliffe is still one of the greatest athletes that this country has ever produced and regardless of her written word talents, this should surely be celebrated. She is an inspiration to many and rightly so. I enjoyed this book very much and it certainly spurred me on so thank you Paula.

Could be better, 31 Oct 2007
Good read but nothing that really gets to the heart of Paula's obsession with running. Also nothing that is not known already by the general public. Hopefully her final story will be a better read than her Story so far.

Worth reading, 26 Mar 2007
Yes the book is in part repetitive (Hello other reviewers, welcome to the mentality of a runner ...repetition) and yes Paula is a "nice" person, but the book is not half as bad as some of the reviews I have read here...and the only reason I wanted to throw the book across the room (as one reviewer commented) was because of the endless support she receives, though this is only out of frustration of my own lack of support. Never once was I bored by this, learned from it, and I welcomed her "excuses" as mere honest portrayals of what went wrong in her preparation. "The other athlete was better than me on the day" would not under any circumstances give the reader an incite into Paula Radcliffe, machine. This is an autobiography, it is about her. To this part she has been very honest, though the real star is Gary. I'd give my right tooth to have a partner that supportive.

Disappointing and full of excuses, 03 Jan 2007
I am an avid reader of sportsmen and women's autobiographies and as a former competitive distance runner, I was particularly keen to read Paula's autobiography. Before I read her autobiography I had great admiration for her and had followed her career with great interest.

Unfortunately, reading her autobiography caused me to lose some respect for her as a person and as a professional athlete. The book is full of excuses about why she didn't win particular races, as another reviewer wrote. I am in complete agreement with that reviewer's comments (see review: "100 greatest excuses").

I had to stop reading this autobiography on numerous occasions as I became so frustrated. At the point where she states that her legs were heavy in a particular race due to it being the wrong time of the month, I felt like throwing the wretched book across the room!

I normally find sports autobiographies enjoyable and inspiring. However, I really didn't enjoy this one at all, and if you don't want to read excuse after excuse, you won't either.


Nice, 07 Oct 2006
Paula Radcliffe is a nice person. She had a nice childhood with her nice parents and her nice brother. She joined a nice club run by a very nice couple. She's nice about her competitors, her friends and pretty much everyone else. Only her poor husband comes out as a bit of a git - and that's mainly because he writes small sections himself.

All this makes for a nice life but an extraordinarily dull autobiography from such an inspirational runner. This might be forgivable if the book were well written. Unfortunately it is one of the most badly written professionally published books I have read: repetitive (count the 'as I said before's), chronologically confused, and poorly structured.

On the plus side, it is not fair to describe this as a book of excuses. There are some interesting insights into the fragility of pushing the body to peak performance and the impact that small injuries and minor illness can have on elite atheletes. Possibly a bit too much insight into Paula's bowel movements, but the indignities she is happy to face in order to win are impressive.

Paula's a runner not a writer. But she was helped in this book by David Walsh, three times winner of the Sports Writer of the Year Award. And he really should have helped her make a better fist of this.

Let's hope Paula has lots more victories - and a better second volume - in her.

Wonderfully Honest!, 16 Nov 2008
This is a smashing book and a compelling read for anyone interested in either athletics or Irish sport. Sonia's honesty and dignity shine throughout the book. Humphries brings us through the highs & lows of Sonia's career and re-kindles the both the pain and the euphoria that we first experienced when we watched Sonia racing live. Arguably she was cheated out of both Olympic and World Championship gold medals by athletes who cheated in the not-so-golden age of doping. To her credit, O' Sullivan (behaving with Mandela-like dignity) refuses to point the finger and I am left feeling how fortunate I am to have seen not just a great athlete in her prime but also a wonderful person. This book reads very well throughout and is absorbing right to the last page.

50/50, 07 Nov 2008
Likely you saw Dean Karnazes on the news promoting his 50 marathons in 50 days. I remember watching him thinking "is this guy crazy?" For the majority of us, completing even one marathon would be a lifelong goal achieved. Here this guy is looking to do not one or two runs in a season but 50 without even a day of rest. Like many people, I wondered why this person would even trey such a feat. In fact, was it even possible?

So when I got a chance to review 50/50, I jumped at the chance. By some standards, Dean Karnazes is a little abnormal. I say so, mostly because of his ability to endure 50 days of traveling, running a marathon, being interviewed, and then traveling again before getting only a few hours sleep. Just keeping the body going at that pace would be difficult enough. Add in some jet lag, a cold, and a scary fall. It's pretty amazing.

What I liked most about this story is that this man seemed like a real person. He's definitely more athletic and driven than most people but all of us have the ability to make better choices and push ourselves just a bit more than we thought possible. Absolutely inspiring.

An Inspiration, 16 Feb 2008
Having realised that walking up my own house stairs had me almost passing out I decided to take up running (walking was a good start in my case) and within 6 months I completed my first 10K. Passing that finnish line I was the proudest and most elated I have ever been in my life and it was then that I realised what this "buzz" people kept talking about was. I felt amazing!

Not long after this I picked up Paula Radcliffe's autobiography and was hooked. I started reading and became in awe of someone who was so dedicated to her sport and who was so disciplined that while I was out getting lashed at every available opportunity while at Universtity, at the same time in another town Paula was working doggedly towards getting her 1st class degree while still managing to train religiously in the sport she loved. To me - someone who was brand new to running and who finds it very difficult - Paula became an inspiration.

I do, however, agree with some other reviews that the writing wasn't the greatest but then she is an athlete not an author, and I did notice that there were several explanations as to why she thought she hadn't run her best (I hesitate to say excuses as I have found myself saying things like "I didn't have a great run today, my legs felt heavy" etc) and I admit that this sometimes bacame repetitive.

I would still recommend this book highly though, as whether you're new to running like me or a seasoned racer the fact is that Paula Radcliffe is still one of the greatest athletes that this country has ever produced and regardless of her written word talents, this should surely be celebrated. She is an inspiration to many and rightly so. I enjoyed this book very much and it certainly spurred me on so thank you Paula.

Could be better, 31 Oct 2007
Good read but nothing that really gets to the heart of Paula's obsession with running. Also nothing that is not known already by the general public. Hopefully her final story will be a better read than her Story so far.

Worth reading, 26 Mar 2007
Yes the book is in part repetitive (Hello other reviewers, welcome to the mentality of a runner ...repetition) and yes Paula is a "nice" person, but the book is not half as bad as some of the reviews I have read here...and the only reason I wanted to throw the book across the room (as one reviewer commented) was because of the endless support she receives, though this is only out of frustration of my own lack of support. Never once was I bored by this, learned from it, and I welcomed her "excuses" as mere honest portrayals of what went wrong in her preparation. "The other athlete was better than me on the day" would not under any circumstances give the reader an incite into Paula Radcliffe, machine. This is an autobiography, it is about her. To this part she has been very honest, though the real star is Gary. I'd give my right tooth to have a partner that supportive.

Disappointing and full of excuses, 03 Jan 2007
I am an avid reader of sportsmen and women's autobiographies and as a former competitive distance runner, I was particularly keen to read Paula's autobiography. Before I read her autobiography I had great admiration for her and had followed her career with great interest.

Unfortunately, reading her autobiography caused me to lose some respect for her as a person and as a professional athlete. The book is full of excuses about why she didn't win particular races, as another reviewer wrote. I am in complete agreement with that reviewer's comments (see review: "100 greatest excuses").

I had to stop reading this autobiography on numerous occasions as I became so frustrated. At the point where she states that her legs were heavy in a particular race due to it being the wrong time of the month, I felt like throwing the wretched book across the room!

I normally find sports autobiographies enjoyable and inspiring. However, I really didn't enjoy this one at all, and if you don't want to read excuse after excuse, you won't either.


Nice, 07 Oct 2006
Paula Radcliffe is a nice person. She had a nice childhood with her nice parents and her nice brother. She joined a nice club run by a very nice couple. She's nice about her competitors, her friends and pretty much everyone else. Only her poor husband comes out as a bit of a git - and that's mainly because he writes small sections himself.

All this makes for a nice life but an extraordinarily dull autobiography from such an inspirational runner. This might be forgivable if the book were well written. Unfortunately it is one of the most badly written professionally published books I have read: repetitive (count the 'as I said before's), chronologically confused, and poorly structured.

On the plus side, it is not fair to describe this as a book of excuses. There are some interesting insights into the fragility of pushing the body to peak performance and the impact that small injuries and minor illness can have on elite atheletes. Possibly a bit too much insight into Paula's bowel movements, but the indignities she is happy to face in order to win are impressive.

Paula's a runner not a writer. But she was helped in this book by David Walsh, three times winner of the Sports Writer of the Year Award. And he really should have helped her make a better fist of this.

Let's hope Paula has lots more victories - and a better second volume - in her.

Wonderfully Honest!, 16 Nov 2008
This is a smashing book and a compelling read for anyone interested in either athletics or Irish sport. Sonia's honesty and dignity shine throughout the book. Humphries brings us through the highs & lows of Sonia's career and re-kindles the both the pain and the euphoria that we first experienced when we watched Sonia racing live. Arguably she was cheated out of both Olympic and World Championship gold medals by athletes who cheated in the not-so-golden age of doping. To her credit, O' Sullivan (behaving with Mandela-like dignity) refuses to point the finger and I am left feeling how fortunate I am to have seen not just a great athlete in her prime but also a wonderful person. This book reads very well throughout and is absorbing right to the last page.

You can't read books on running and not read this one!, 24 Feb 2008
Very good, well written book that documents Gebreselassie's rise from poverty to superstardom. With an always welcome to the statistician glossary of race details and history included, both Haile's career (not just as an athlete but also a would-be politician) and private life are more than adequately covered. For the athletics nut, there are also training tips, and also coverage of other athletes such as Yifter and Jos Hermans.

50/50, 07 Nov 2008
Likely you saw Dean Karnazes on the news promoting his 50 marathons in 50 days. I remember watching him thinking "is this guy crazy?" For the majority of us, completing even one marathon would be a lifelong goal achieved. Here this guy is looking to do not one or two runs in a season but 50 without even a day of rest. Like many people, I wondered why this person would even trey such a feat. In fact, was it even possible?

So when I got a chance to review 50/50, I jumped at the chance. By some standards, Dean Karnazes is a little abnormal. I say so, mostly because of his ability to endure 50 days of traveling, running a marathon, being interviewed, and then traveling again before getting only a few hours sleep. Just keeping the body going at that pace would be difficult enough. Add in some jet lag, a cold, and a scary fall. It's pretty amazing.

What I liked most about this story is that this man seemed like a real person. He's definitely more athletic and driven than most people but all of us have the ability to make better choices and push ourselves just a bit more than we thought possible. Absolutely inspiring.

An Inspiration, 16 Feb 2008
Having realised that walking up my own house stairs had me almost passing out I decided to take up running (walking was a good start in my case) and within 6 months I completed my first 10K. Passing that finnish line I was the proudest and most elated I have ever been in my life and it was then that I realised what this "buzz" people kept talking about was. I felt amazing!

Not long after this I picked up Paula Radcliffe's autobiography and was hooked. I started reading and became in awe of someone who was so dedicated to her sport and who was so disciplined that while I was out getting lashed at every available opportunity while at Universtity, at the same time in another town Paula was working doggedly towards getting her 1st class degree while still managing to train religiously in the sport she loved. To me - someone who was brand new to running and who finds it very difficult - Paula became an inspiration.

I do, however, agree with some other reviews that the writing wasn't the greatest but then she is an athlete not an author, and I did notice that there were several explanations as to why she thought she hadn't run her best (I hesitate to say excuses as I have found myself saying things like "I didn't have a great run today, my legs felt heavy" etc) and I admit that this sometimes bacame repetitive.

I would still recommend this book highly though, as whether you're new to running like me or a seasoned racer the fact is that Paula Radcliffe is still one of the greatest athletes that this country has ever produced and regardless of her written word talents, this should surely be celebrated. She is an inspiration to many and rightly so. I enjoyed this book very much and it certainly spurred me on so thank you Paula.

Could be better, 31 Oct 2007
Good read but nothing that really gets to the heart of Paula's obsession with running. Also nothing that is not known already by the general public. Hopefully her final story will be a better read than her Story so far.

Worth reading, 26 Mar 2007
Yes the book is in part repetitive (Hello other reviewers, welcome to the mentality of a runner ...repetition) and yes Paula is a "nice" person, but the book is not half as bad as some of the reviews I have read here...and the only reason I wanted to throw the book across the room (as one reviewer commented) was because of the endless support she receives, though this is only out of frustration of my own lack of support. Never once was I bored by this, learned from it, and I welcomed her "excuses" as mere honest portrayals of what went wrong in her preparation. "The other athlete was better than me on the day" would not under any circumstances give the reader an incite into Paula Radcliffe, machine. This is an autobiography, it is about her. To this part she has been very honest, though the real star is Gary. I'd give my right tooth to have a partner that supportive.

Disappointing and full of excuses, 03 Jan 2007
I am an avid reader of sportsmen and women's autobiographies and as a former competitive distance runner, I was particularly keen to read Paula's autobiography. Before I read her autobiography I had great admiration for her and had followed her career with great interest.

Unfortunately, reading her autobiography caused me to lose some respect for her as a person and as a professional athlete. The book is full of excuses about why she didn't win particular races, as another reviewer wrote. I am in complete agreement with that reviewer's comments (see review: "100 greatest excuses").

I had to stop reading this autobiography on numerous occasions as I became so frustrated. At the point where she states that her legs were heavy in a particular race due to it being the wrong time of the month, I felt like throwing the wretched book across the room!

I normally find sports autobiographies enjoyable and inspiring. However, I really didn't enjoy this one at all, and if you don't want to read excuse after excuse, you won't either.


Nice, 07 Oct 2006
Paula Radcliffe is a nice person. She had a nice childhood with her nice parents and her nice brother. She joined a nice club run by a very nice couple. She's nice about her competitors, her friends and pretty much everyone else. Only her poor husband comes out as a bit of a git - and that's mainly because he writes small sections himself.

All this makes for a nice life but an extraordinarily dull autobiography from such an inspirational runner. This might be forgivable if the book were well written. Unfortunately it is one of the most badly written professionally published books I have read: repetitive (count the 'as I said before's), chronologically confused, and poorly structured.

On the plus side, it is not fair to describe this as a book of excuses. There are some interesting insights into the fragility of pushing the body to peak performance and the impact that small injuries and minor illness can have on elite atheletes. Possibly a bit too much insight into Paula's bowel movements, but the indignities she is happy to face in order to win are impressive.

Paula's a runner not a writer. But she was helped in this book by David Walsh, three times winner of the Sports Writer of the Year Award. And he really should have helped her make a better fist of this.

Let's hope Paula has lots more victories - and a better second volume - in her.

Wonderfully Honest!, 16 Nov 2008
This is a smashing book and a compelling read for anyone interested in either athletics or Irish sport. Sonia's honesty and dignity shine throughout the book. Humphries brings us through the highs & lows of Sonia's career and re-kindles the both the pain and the euphoria that we first experienced when we watched Sonia racing live. Arguably she was cheated out of both Olympic and World Championship gold medals by athletes who cheated in the not-so-golden age of doping. To her credit, O' Sullivan (behaving with Mandela-like dignity) refuses to point the finger and I am left feeling how fortunate I am to have seen not just a great athlete in her prime but also a wonderful person. This book reads very well throughout and is absorbing right to the last page.

You can't read books on running and not read this one!, 24 Feb 2008
Very good, well written book that documents Gebreselassie's rise from poverty to superstardom. With an always welcome to the statistician glossary of race details and history included, both Haile's career (not just as an athlete but also a would-be politician) and private life are more than adequately covered. For the athletics nut, there are also training tips, and also coverage of other athletes such as Yifter and Jos Hermans.

The London Marathon, 27 Oct 2007
This book is brilliant, I couldn't put it down once I started and loved every minute of it. It focuses on The London Marathon and how it developed into the great race it is today, as well as looking at the start of the marathon as an event and other aspects of marathon running in general. It was immensely readable and had some great photo plates as well. This is highly recommended indeed.

everyone's personal everest, 09 May 2006
I can't speak for everyone out there who has read the book, so I'll start with my own experience. I bought the book in 2005, as one of the lucky runners who went through the ballot and got a place to run my very first marathon, at my very first attempt to apply for such an enormous and popular event. Marathon is an event that requires no romanticising as it is in itself romantic, with enough weight of mythology and history. The writer, John Bryant, strikes the balance between sentiment and historical facts wonderfully, the book flows comfortably, with laught-out-loud moments as well as pages that would have a grown adult teary-eyed, as one reads about the atmosphere in the marathon, the unconditional support from the onlookers and the unstinting generosity of all those who hand out endless supply of sweets and fresh fruits, as well as encouragement, there is no jeering and sneering when a runner stops to stretch or to take a break but sincere, genuine pats on the shoulders and backs to urge them on to the finishing line. One reads about the incredible but magnificent obsession of various personalities throughout the history of marathon running, the dogged determinations of people inflicted with life-threatening illnesses and hilarious anecdotes that make the London Marathon not only one of the greatest races in the world, but the greatest show in town. For people who might never consider Marathon running, this book will be an entertaining and well-written read, for those who ran, are still running or are going to run a marathon, this book will be sheer inspiration.

50/50, 07 Nov 2008
Likely you saw Dean Karnazes on the news promoting his 50 marathons in 50 days. I remember watching him thinking "is this guy crazy?" For the majority of us, completing even one marathon would be a lifelong goal achieved. Here this guy is looking to do not one or two runs in a season but 50 without even a day of rest. Like many people, I wondered why this person would even trey such a feat. In fact, was it even possible?

So when I got a chance to review 50/50, I jumped at the chance. By some standards, Dean Karnazes is a little abnormal. I say so, mostly because of his ability to endure 50 days of traveling, running a marathon, being interviewed, and then traveling again before getting only a few hours sleep. Just keeping the body going at that pace would be difficult enough. Add in some jet lag, a cold, and a scary fall. It's pretty amazing.

What I liked most about this story is that this man seemed like a real person. He's definitely more athletic and driven than most people but all of us have the ability to make better choices and push ourselves just a bit more than we thought possible. Absolutely inspiring.

An Inspiration, 16 Feb 2008
Having realised that walking up my own house stairs had me almost passing out I decided to take up running (walking was a good start in my case) and within 6 months I completed my first 10K. Passing that finnish line I was the proudest and most elated I have ever been in my life and it was then that I realised what this "buzz" people kept talking about was. I felt amazing!

Not long after this I picked up Paula Radcliffe's autobiography and was hooked. I started reading and became in awe of someone who was so dedicated to her sport and who was so disciplined that while I was out getting lashed at every available opportunity while at Universtity, at the same time in another town Paula was working doggedly towards getting her 1st class degree while still managing to train religiously in the sport she loved. To me - someone who was brand new to running and who finds it very difficult - Paula became an inspiration.

I do, however, agree with some other reviews that the writing wasn't the greatest but then she is an athlete not an author, and I did notice that there were several explanations as to why she thought she hadn't run her best (I hesitate to say excuses as I have found myself saying things like "I didn't have a great run today, my legs felt heavy" etc) and I admit that this sometimes bacame repetitive.

I would still recommend this book highly though, as whether you're new to running like me or a seasoned racer the fact is that Paula Radcliffe is still one of the greatest athletes that this country has ever produced and regardless of her written word talents, this should surely be celebrated. She is an inspiration to many and rightly so. I enjoyed this book very much and it certainly spurred me on so thank you Paula.

Could be better, 31 Oct 2007
Good read but nothing that really gets to the heart of Paula's obsession with running. Also nothing that is not known already by the general public. Hopefully her final story will be a better read than her Story so far.

Worth reading, 26 Mar 2007
Yes the book is in part repetitive (Hello other reviewers, welcome to the mentality of a runner ...repetition) and yes Paula is a "nice" person, but the book is not half as bad as some of the reviews I have read here...and the only reason I wanted to throw the book across the room (as one reviewer commented) was because of the endless support she receives, though this is only out of frustration of my own lack of support. Never once was I bored by this, learned from it, and I welcomed her "excuses" as mere honest portrayals of what went wrong in her preparation. "The other athlete was better than me on the day" would not under any circumstances give the reader an incite into Paula Radcliffe, machine. This is an autobiography, it is about her. To this part she has been very honest, though the real star is Gary. I'd give my right tooth to have a partner that supportive.

Disappointing and full of excuses, 03 Jan 2007
I am an avid reader of sportsmen and women's autobiographies and as a former competitive distance runner, I was particularly keen to read Paula's autobiography. Before I read her autobiography I had great admiration for her and had followed her career with great interest.

Unfortunately, reading her autobiography caused me to lose some respect for her as a person and as a professional athlete. The book is full of excuses about why she didn't win particular races, as another reviewer wrote. I am in complete agreement with that reviewer's comments (see review: "100 greatest excuses").

I had to stop reading this autobiography on numerous occasions as I became so frustrated. At the point where she states that her legs were heavy in a particular race due to it being the wrong time of the month, I felt like throwing the wretched book across the room!

I normally find sports autobiographies enjoyable and inspiring. However, I really didn't enjoy this one at all, and if you don't want to read excuse after excuse, you won't either.


Nice, 07 Oct 2006
Paula Radcliffe is a nice person. She had a nice childhood with her nice parents and her nice brother. She joined a nice club run by a very nice couple. She's nice about her competitors, her friends and pretty much everyone else. Only her poor husband comes out as a bit of a git - and that's mainly because he writes small sections himself.

All this makes for a nice life but an extraordinarily dull autobiography from such an inspirational runner. This might be forgivable if the book were well written. Unfortunately it is one of the most badly written professionally published books I have read: repetitive (count the 'as I said before's), chronologically confused, and poorly structured.

On the plus side, it is not fair to describe this as a book of excuses. There are some interesting insights into the fragility of pushing the body to peak performance and the impact that small injuries and minor illness can have on elite atheletes. Possibly a bit too much insight into Paula's bowel movements, but the indignities she is happy to face in order to win are impressive.

Paula's a runner not a writer. But she was helped in this book by David Walsh, three times winner of the Sports Writer of the Year Award. And he really should have helped her make a better fist of this.

Let's hope Paula has lots more victories - and a better second volume - in her.

Wonderfully Honest!, 16 Nov 2008
This is a smashing book and a compelling read for anyone interested in either athletics or Irish sport. Sonia's honesty and dignity shine throughout the book. Humphries brings us through the highs & lows of Sonia's career and re-kindles the both the pain and the euphoria that we first experienced when we watched Sonia racing live. Arguably she was cheated out of both Olympic and World Championship gold medals by athletes who cheated in the not-so-golden age of doping. To her credit, O' Sullivan (behaving with Mandela-like dignity) refuses to point the finger and I am left feeling how fortunate I am to have seen not just a great athlete in her prime but also a wonderful person. This book reads very well throughout and is absorbing right to the last page.

You can't read books on running and not read this one!, 24 Feb 2008
Very good, well written book that documents Gebreselassie's rise from poverty to superstardom. With an always welcome to the statistician glossary of race details and history included, both Haile's career (not just as an athlete but also a would-be politician) and private life are more than adequately covered. For the athletics nut, there are also training tips, and also coverage of other athletes such as Yifter and Jos Hermans.

The London Marathon, 27 Oct 2007
This book is brilliant, I couldn't put it down once I started and loved every minute of it. It focuses on The London Marathon and how it developed into the great race it is today, as well as looking at the start of the marathon as an event and other aspects of marathon running in general. It was immensely readable and had some great photo plates as well. This is highly recommended indeed.

everyone's personal everest, 09 May 2006
I can't speak for everyone out there who has read the book, so I'll start with my own experience. I bought the book in 2005, as one of the lucky runners who went through the ballot and got a place to run my very first marathon, at my very first attempt to apply for such an enormous and popular event. Marathon is an event that requires no romanticising as it is in itself romantic, with enough weight of mythology and history. The writer, John Bryant, strikes the balance between sentiment and historical facts wonderfully, the book flows comfortably, with laught-out-loud moments as well as pages that would have a grown adult teary-eyed, as one reads about the atmosphere in the marathon, the unconditional support from the onlookers and the unstinting generosity of all those who hand out endless supply of sweets and fresh fruits, as well as encouragement, there is no jeering and sneering when a runner stops to stretch or to take a break but sincere, genuine pats on the shoulders and backs to urge them on to the finishing line. One reads about the incredible but magnificent obsession of various personalities throughout the history of marathon running, the dogged determinations of people inflicted with life-threatening illnesses and hilarious anecdotes that make the London Marathon not only one of the greatest races in the world, but the greatest show in town. For people who might never consider Marathon running, this book will be an entertaining and well-written read, for those who ran, are still running or are going to run a marathon, this book will be sheer inspiration.

A Good Book but too factual, 26 Sep 2008
I love reading running books and especially about athletes such as Prefontaine who in his own right was a running legend, especially in the States even though he never won an Olympic gold medal. After reading all the 5 star reviews on here, I decided to buy this novel and read it whilst I was on holiday.

I have to be honest, the book was written very factual and direct. I actually wanted to know more about "Pre" the person and not necessarily just about his running ability. What was he like as a person? There needed to be more information about his personal life as well as his athletic ability, but this book just seemed to be a little one dimensional.

The other complaint I had about the book was the running times that the author thought so important throughout the novel. I love my running and love to hear about other peoples PB's and lap times etc. but this was taken to ridiculous proportions with some chapters detailing about six or seven different times that Pre recorded in one athletics meet alone. It was all again a bit too data driven and I sometimes got a little lost due to it being too much information in small pockets.

Overall the book was an interesting read and I did enjoy it but there needed to be more information about Prefontaine the person as well as the athlete he so obviously was.


Excellent. Two thumbs up. It made me believe again., 23 Mar 2000
The book speaks for itself. If you believe in the humanity of mankind, you'll cry your way to the end. Pre= Loved by me (squared).

An excellent book - Go Pre!, 05 Sep 1999
Steve Prefontaine truly was the greatest American distance runner ever. I bought this book and I loved it. If you care at all about Pre, I highly recomend it. It's got a lot of good pictures, too.

Prefontaine is the greatest man ever!, 30 Aug 1999
Pre was a optimistic goal plunger with guts. He said things like

~I dont run a race to see who is the fastest, I only run a race to see who has the most guts~

He has inspired me to run, and now I run every morning, I am in 7th grade and hope to cary on his legendary performance

A candid, interesting perspective about a running legend, 12 May 1999
A refreshing, candid story of an exceptional athlete, whom carried a cause and succeeded. A perspective of a simple yet complex man and the raw heart of his running conquests.

50/50, 07 Nov 2008
Likely you saw Dean Karnazes on the news promoting his 50 marathons in 50 days. I remember watching him thinking "is this guy crazy?" For the majority of us, completing even one marathon would be a lifelong goal achieved. Here this guy is looking to do not one or two runs in a season but 50 without even a day of rest. Like many people, I wondered why this person would even trey such a feat. In fact, was it even possible?

So when I got a chance to review 50/50, I jumped at the chance. By some standards, Dean Karnazes is a little abnormal. I say so, mostly because of his ability to endure 50 days of traveling, running a marathon, being interviewed, and then traveling again before getting only a few hours sleep. Just keeping the body going at that pace would be difficult enough. Add in some jet lag, a cold, and a scary fall. It's pretty amazing.

What I liked most about this story is that this man seemed like a real person. He's definitely more athletic and driven than most people but all of us have the ability to make better choices and push ourselves just a bit more than we thought possible. Absolutely inspiring.

An Inspiration, 16 Feb 2008
Having realised that walking up my own house stairs had me almost passing out I decided to take up running (walking was a good start in my case) and within 6 months I completed my first 10K. Passing that finnish line I was the proudest and most elated I have ever been in my life and it was then that I realised what this "buzz" people kept talking about was. I felt amazing!

Not long after this I picked up Paula Radcliffe's autobiography and was hooked. I started reading and became in awe of someone who was so dedicated to her sport and who was so disciplined that while I was out getting lashed at every available opportunity while at Universtity, at the same time in another town Paula was working doggedly towards getting her 1st class degree while still managing to train religiously in the sport she loved. To me - someone who was brand new to running and who finds it very difficult - Paula became an inspiration.

I do, however, agree with some other reviews that the writing wasn't the greatest but then she is an athlete not an author, and I did notice that there were several explanations as to why she thought she hadn't run her best (I hesitate to say excuses as I have found myself saying things like "I didn't have a great run today, my legs felt heavy" etc) and I admit that this sometimes bacame repetitive.

I would still recommend this book highly though, as whether you're new to running like me or a seasoned racer the fact is that Paula Radcliffe is still one of the greatest athletes that this country has ever produced and regardless of her written word talents, this should surely be celebrated. She is an inspiration to many and rightly so. I enjoyed this book very much and it certainly spurred me on so thank you Paula.

Could be better, 31 Oct 2007
Good read but nothing that really gets to the heart of Paula's obsession with running. Also nothing that is not known already by the general public. Hopefully her final story will be a better read than her Story so far.

Worth reading, 26 Mar 2007
Yes the book is in part repetitive (Hello other reviewers, welcome to the mentality of a runner ...repetition) and yes Paula is a "nice" person, but the book is not half as bad as some of the reviews I have read here...and the only reason I wanted to throw the book across the room (as one reviewer commented) was because of the endless support she receives, though this is only out of frustration of my own lack of support. Never once was I bored by this, learned from it, and I welcomed her "excuses" as mere honest portrayals of what went wrong in her preparation. "The other athlete was better than me on the day" would not under any circumstances give the reader an incite into Paula Radcliffe, machine. This is an autobiography, it is about her. To this part she has been very honest, though the real star is Gary. I'd give my right tooth to have a partner that supportive.

Disappointing and full of excuses, 03 Jan 2007
I am an avid reader of sportsmen and women's autobiographies and as a former competitive distance runner, I was particularly keen to read Paula's autobiography. Before I read her autobiography I had great admiration for her and had followed her career with great interest.

Unfortunately, reading her autobiography caused me to lose some respect for her as a person and as a professional athlete. The book is full of excuses about why she didn't win particular races, as another reviewer wrote. I am in complete agreement with that reviewer's comments (see review: "100 greatest excuses").

I had to stop reading this autobiography on numerous occasions as I became so frustrated. At the point where she states that her legs were heavy in a particular race due to it being the wrong time of the month, I felt like throwing the wretched book across the room!

I normally find sports autobiographies enjoyable and inspiring. However, I really didn't enjoy this one at all, and if you don't want to read excuse after excuse, you won't either.


Nice, 07 Oct 2006
Paula Radcliffe is a nice person. She had a nice childhood with her nice parents and her nice brother. She joined a nice club run by a very nice couple. She's nice about her competitors, her friends and pretty much everyone else. Only her poor husband comes out as a bit of a git - and that's mainly because he writes small sections himself.

All this makes for a nice life but an extraordinarily dull autobiography from such an inspirational runner. This might be forgivable if the book were well written. Unfortunately it is one of the most badly written professionally published books I have read: repetitive (count the 'as I said before's), chronologically confused, and poorly structured.

On the plus side, it is not fair to describe this as a book of excuses. There are some interesting insights into the fragility of pushing the body to peak performance and the impact that small injuries and minor illness can have on elite atheletes. Possibly a bit too much insight into Paula's bowel movements, but the indignities she is happy to face in order to win are impressive.

Paula's a runner not a writer. But she was helped in this book by David Walsh, three times winner of the Sports Writer of the Year Award. And he really should have helped her make a better fist of this.

Let's hope Paula has lots more victories - and a better second volume - in her.

Wonderfully Honest!, 16 Nov 2008
This is a smashing book and a compelling read for anyone interested in either athletics or Irish sport. Sonia's honesty and dignity shine throughout the book. Humphries brings us through the highs & lows of Sonia's career and re-kindles the both the pain and the euphoria that we first experienced when we watched Sonia racing live. Arguably she was cheated out of both Olympic and World Championship gold medals by athletes who cheated in the not-so-golden age of doping. To her credit, O' Sullivan (behaving with Mandela-like dignity) refuses to point the finger and I am left feeling how fortunate I am to have seen not just a great athlete in her prime but also a wonderful person. This book reads very well throughout and is absorbing right to the last page.

You can't read books on running and not read this one!, 24 Feb 2008
Very good, well written book that documents Gebreselassie's rise from poverty to superstardom. With an always welcome to the statistician glossary of race details and history included, both Haile's career (not just as an athlete but also a would-be politician) and private life are more than adequately covered. For the athletics nut, there are also training tips, and also coverage of other athletes such as Yifter and Jos Hermans.

The London Marathon, 27 Oct 2007
This book is brilliant, I couldn't put it down once I started and loved every minute of it. It focuses on The London Marathon and how it developed into the great race it is today, as well as looking at the start of the marathon as an event and other aspects of marathon running in general. It was immensely readable and had some great photo plates as well. This is highly recommended indeed.

everyone's personal everest, 09 May 2006
I can't speak for everyone out there who has read the book, so I'll start with my own experience. I bought the book in 2005, as one of the lucky runners who went through the ballot and got a place to run my very first marathon, at my very first attempt to apply for such an enormous and popular event. Marathon is an event that requires no romanticising as it is in itself romantic, with enough weight of mythology and history. The writer, John Bryant, strikes the balance between sentiment and historical facts wonderfully, the book flows comfortably, with laught-out-loud moments as well as pages that would have a grown adult teary-eyed, as one reads about the atmosphere in the marathon, the unconditional support from the onlookers and the unstinting generosity of all those who hand out endless supply of sweets and fresh fruits, as well as encouragement, there is no jeering and sneering when a runner stops to stretch or to take a break but sincere, genuine pats on the shoulders and backs to urge them on to the finishing line. One reads about the incredible but magnificent obsession of various personalities throughout the history of marathon running, the dogged determinations of people inflicted with life-threatening illnesses and hilarious anecdotes that make the London Marathon not only one of the greatest races in the world, but the greatest show in town. For people who might never consider Marathon running, this book will be an entertaining and well-written read, for those who ran, are still running or are going to run a marathon, this book will be sheer inspiration.

A Good Book but too factual, 26 Sep 2008
I love reading running books and especially about athletes such as Prefontaine who in his own right was a running legend, especially in the States even though he never won an Olympic gold medal. After reading all the 5 star reviews on here, I decided to buy this novel and read it whilst I was on holiday.

I have to be honest, the book was written very factual and direct. I actually wanted to know more about "Pre" the person and not necessarily just about his running ability. What was he like as a person? There needed to be more information about his personal life as well as his athletic ability, but this book just seemed to be a little one dimensional.

The other complaint I had about the book was the running times that the author thought so important throughout the novel. I love my running and love to hear about other peoples PB's and lap times etc. but this was taken to ridiculous proportions with some chapters detailing about six or seven different times that Pre recorded in one athletics meet alone. It was all again a bit too data driven and I sometimes got a little lost due to it being too much information in small pockets.

Overall the book was an interesting read and I did enjoy it but there needed to be more information about Prefontaine the person as well as the athlete he so obviously was.


Excellent. Two thumbs up. It made me believe again., 23 Mar 2000
The book speaks for itself. If you believe in the humanity of mankind, you'll cry your way to the end. Pre= Loved by me (squared).

An excellent book - Go Pre!, 05 Sep 1999
Steve Prefontaine truly was the greatest American distance runner ever. I bought this book and I loved it. If you care at all about Pre, I highly recomend it. It's got a lot of good pictures, too.

Prefontaine is the greatest man ever!, 30 Aug 1999
Pre was a optimistic goal plunger with guts. He said things like

~I dont run a race to see who is the fastest, I only run a race to see who has the most guts~

He has inspired me to run, and now I run every morning, I am in 7th grade and hope to cary on his legendary performance

A candid, interesting perspective about a running legend, 12 May 1999
A refreshing, candid story of an exceptional athlete, whom carried a cause and succeeded. A perspective of a simple yet complex man and the raw heart of his running conquests.

Heartbreaking, 21 Mar 2006
In Black and White: The Untold Story of Joe Louis and Jesse Owens chronicles the breathtaking acheivements and the horrendous institutionalised racism that both of these amazing athletes suffered. Louis and Owens did more for their country than almost any other major figure during the 1930's and both also helped to highlight the terrible adversities that were heaped against them in everyday life. Both were world famous performers who were held up as the ideal representatives of their nation but they still couldn't sit down and have a meal in many parts of their own country due to the colour of their skin. Owens was finished as a serious athlete at 24, kicked out of amatuer athletics by the repulsive Avery Brundage (the man responsible for also barring Jim Thorpe from Amatuer athletics) purely for questioning why he was being kept away from his family for weeks on end in order to make the AAU a lot of money on a European tour while the athletes themselves made nothing. Owens struggles to find a place for himself as he slowly loses touch with the younger generation of track and field athletes coming through. His humiliation at the hands of John Carlos and Tommie Smith at the 1968 Olympics will bring a lump to your throat. Louis donated purses from two fights to the Army and Navy relief funds and was chased remorselessly by the IRS for the taxes on them for years and years. His descent into debt, drug addiction and insanity makes for uncomfortable reading. At the end it is the German fighter Max Schmelling his most famous adversary, who Louis destoyed in his most famous fight, who does more for him than the country he was held up as a representative of in their meeting. Donald McCrae is an excellent writer and in Louis and Owens he has two excellent subjects to work with. Two of the most famous men of the Twentieth century in any walk of life are presented to us with all of their virtues and faults on display and both come out as fundamentally decent men who were treated very shabbily.

Reservations Overcome, 27 Mar 2004
At the outset McRae's telling of the story by snap-shots seemed to me irritatingly tabloid, as did the quantity of invented dialogue and somewhat sentimentalised psychology. It's difficult to remember when these reservations disappeared, but they were overcome by the narrative pace, the impressive research of primary and secondary sources and the sophisticated selection of material. The result is a book which tells much of the story of the lives of Joe Louis and Jesse Owens without being a biography of either and focuses crucially on their relationships with the white establishment represented, at its worst, by such figures as the appalling Avery Brundage whose career as Olympic supremo continued untroubled by his part in driving Jesse Owens out of sporting competition.

Untold and extraordinary, 02 Sep 2003
This must be one of the best sports books ever never mind 2002. McRae's book wonderfully evokes the times and places in the lives of two great sportsmen. In places, as in the aftermath of Louis's last fight or in the final demise of the great men, it is unbearably moving. At other times, for example during Owens's world record-breaking streak in one afternoon during a college meet, it is thrilling, page-turning stuff. Other highlights include the recreation of Louis's key fights and the background detail of the appalling racism at the heart of American life. Louis and Owens come across as real, heroic figures with fiercely strong and weak human traits. Despite the fact that they were modest men achieving extraordinary feats in their fields, they also posted small victories in their society at large not least in the way American institutions regarded, valued and treated their non-white citizens. A must read.

In Black &White The Untold Story of jesse owens & Joe Louis, 27 Jan 2003
McRae has written another Masterpiece.
For sports lovers & historians alike this is a must read.
McRae's research is second to none & his writing is informative, fluid & compassionate - he offers real insight into the lives of both superstars as well as a telling narrative on America's struggle with racism since the 1920's. The spirit of the Olympics is personified in Jesse Owens, the power-hungry values of Olympic administration are personified by Avery Brundage while
the rotten core of Boxing administration is exposed throughout the book. One cannot fail to be moved by this book especially by both the dignity, achievements & human failings of both sporting icons.

50/50, 07 Nov 2008
Likely you saw Dean Karnazes on the news promoting his 50 marathons in 50 days. I remember watching him thinking "is this guy crazy?" For the majority of us, completing even one marathon would be a lifelong goal achieved. Here this guy is looking to do not one or two runs in a season but 50 without even a day of rest. Like many people, I wondered why this person would even trey such a feat. In fact, was it even possible?

So when I got a chance to review 50/50, I jumped at the chance. By some standards, Dean Karnazes is a little abnormal. I say so, mostly because of his ability to endure 50 days of traveling, running a marathon, being interviewed, and then traveling again before getting only a few hours sleep. Just keeping the body going at that pace would be difficult enough. Add in some jet lag, a cold, and a scary fall. It's pretty amazing.

What I liked most about this story is that this man seemed like a real person. He's definitely more athletic and driven than most people but all of us have the ability to make better choices and push ourselves just a bit more than we thought possible. Absolutely inspiring.

An Inspiration, 16 Feb 2008
Having realised that walking up my own house stairs had me almost passing out I decided to take up running (walking was a good start in my case) and within 6 months I completed my first 10K. Passing that finnish line I was the proudest and most elated I have ever been in my life and it was then that I realised what this "buzz" people kept talking about was. I felt amazing!

Not long after this I picked up Paula Radcliffe's autobiography and was hooked. I started reading and became in awe of someone who was so dedicated to her sport and who was so disciplined that while I was out getting lashed at every available opportunity while at Universtity, at the same time in another town Paula was working doggedly towards getting her 1st class degree while still managing to train religiously in the sport she loved. To me - someone who was brand new to running and who finds it very difficult - Paula became an inspiration.

I do, however, agree with some other reviews that the writing wasn't the greatest but then she is an athlete not an author, and I did notice that there were several explanations as to why she thought she hadn't run her best (I hesitate to say excuses as I have found myself saying things like "I didn't have a great run today, my legs felt heavy" etc) and I admit that this sometimes bacame repetitive.

I would still recommend this book highly though, as whether you're new to running like me or a seasoned racer the fact is that Paula Radcliffe is still one of the greatest athletes that this country has ever produced and regardless of her written word talents, this should surely be celebrated. She is an inspiration to many and rightly so. I enjoyed this book very much and it certainly spurred me on so thank you Paula.

Could be better, 31 Oct 2007
Good read but nothing that really gets to the heart of Paula's obsession with running. Also nothing that is not known already by the general public. Hopefully her final story will be a better read than her Story so far.

Worth reading, 26 Mar 2007
Yes the book is in part repetitive (Hello other reviewers, welcome to the mentality of a runner ...repetition) and yes Paula is a "nice" person, but the book is not half as bad as some of the reviews I have read here...and the only reason I wanted to throw the book across the room (as one reviewer commented) was because of the endless support she receives, though this is only out of frustration of my own lack of support. Never once was I bored by this, learned from it, and I welcomed her "excuses" as mere honest portrayals of what went wrong in her preparation. "The other athlete was better than me on the day" would not under any circumstances give the reader an incite into Paula Radcliffe, machine. This is an autobiography, it is about her. To this part she has been very honest, though the real star is Gary. I'd give my right tooth to have a partner that supportive.

Disappointing and full of excuses, 03 Jan 2007
I am an avid reader of sportsmen and women's autobiographies and as a former competitive distance runner, I was particularly keen to read Paula's autobiography. Before I read her autobiography I had great admiration for her and had followed her career with great interest.

Unfortunately, reading her autobiography caused me to lose some respect for her as a person and as a professional athlete. The book is full of excuses about why she didn't win particular races, as another reviewer wrote. I am in complete agreement with that reviewer's comments (see review: "100 greatest excuses").

I had to stop reading this autobiography on numerous occasions as I became so frustrated. At the point where she states that her legs were heavy in a particular race due to it being the wrong time of the month, I felt like throwing the wretched book across the room!

I normally find sports autobiographies enjoyable and inspiring. However, I really didn't enjoy this one at all, and if you don't want to read excuse after excuse, you won't either.


Nice, 07 Oct 2006
Paula Radcliffe is a nice person. She had a nice childhood with her nice parents and her nice brother. She joined a nice club run by a very nice couple. She's nice about her competitors, her friends and pretty much everyone else. Only her poor husband comes out as a bit of a git - and that's mainly because he writes small sections himself.

All this makes for a nice life but an extraordinarily dull autobiography from such an inspirational runner. This might be forgivable if the book were well written. Unfortunately it is one of the most badly written professionally published books I have read: repetitive (count the 'as I said before's), chronologically confused, and poorly structured.

On the plus side, it is not fair to describe this as a book of excuses. There are some interesting insights into the fragility of pushing the body to peak performance and the impact that small injuries and minor illness can have on elite atheletes. Possibly a bit too much insight into Paula's bowel movements, but the indignities she is happy to face in order to win are impressive.

Paula's a runner not a writer. But she was helped in this book by David Walsh, three times winner of the Sports Writer of the Year Award. And he really should have helped her make a better fist of this.

Let's hope Paula has lots more victories - and a better second volume - in her.

Wonderfully Honest!, 16 Nov 2008
This is a smashing book and a compelling read for anyone interested in either athletics or Irish sport. Sonia's honesty and dignity shine throughout the book. Humphries brings us through the highs & lows of Sonia's career and re-kindles the both the pain and the euphoria that we first experienced when we watched Sonia racing live. Arguably she was cheated out of both Olympic and World Championship gold medals by athletes who cheated in the not-so-golden age of doping. To her credit, O' Sullivan (behaving with Mandela-like dignity) refuses to point the finger and I am left feeling how fortunate I am to have seen not just a great athlete in her prime but also a wonderful person. This book reads very well throughout and is absorbing right to the last page.

You can't read books on running and not read this one!, 24 Feb 2008
Very good, well written book that documents Gebreselassie's rise from poverty to superstardom. With an always welcome to the statistician glossary of race details and history included, both Haile's career (not just as an athlete but also a would-be politician) and private life are more than adequately covered. For the athletics nut, there are also training tips, and also coverage of other athletes such as Yifter and Jos Hermans.

The London Marathon, 27 Oct 2007
This book is brilliant, I couldn't put it down once I started and loved every minute of it. It focuses on The London Marathon and how it developed into the great race it is today, as well as looking at the start of the marathon as an event and other aspects of marathon running in general. It was immensely readable and had some great photo plates as well. This is highly recommended indeed.

everyone's personal everest, 09 May 2006
I can't speak for everyone out there who has read the book, so I'll start with my own experience. I bought the book in 2005, as one of the lucky runners who went through the ballot and got a place to run my very first marathon, at my very first attempt to apply for such an enormous and popular event. Marathon is an event that requires no romanticising as it is in itself romantic, with enough weight of mythology and history. The writer, John Bryant, strikes the balance between sentiment and historical facts wonderfully, the book flows comfortably, with laught-out-loud moments as well as pages that would have a grown adult teary-eyed, as one reads about the atmosphere in the marathon, the unconditional support from the onlookers and the unstinting generosity of all those who hand out endless supply of sweets and fresh fruits, as well as encouragement, there is no jeering and sneering when a runner stops to stretch or to take a break but sincere, genuine pats on the shoulders and backs to urge them on to the finishing line. One reads about the incredible but magnificent obsession of various personalities throughout the history of marathon running, the dogged determinations of people inflicted with life-threatening illnesses and hilarious anecdotes that make the London Marathon not only one of the greatest races in the world, but the greatest show in town. For people who might never consider Marathon running, this book will be an entertaining and well-written read, for those who ran, are still running or are going to run a marathon, this book will be sheer inspiration.

A Good Book but too factual, 26 Sep 2008
I love reading running books and especially about athletes such as Prefontaine who in his own right was a running legend, especially in the States even though he never won an Olympic gold medal. After reading all the 5 star reviews on here, I decided to buy this novel and read it whilst I was on holiday.

I have to be honest, the book was written very factual and direct. I actually wanted to know more about "Pre" the person and not necessarily just about his running ability. What was he like as a person? There needed to be more information about his personal life as well as his athletic ability, but this book just seemed to be a little one dimensional.

The other complaint I had about the book was the running times that the author thought so important throughout the novel. I love my running and love to hear about other peoples PB's and lap times etc. but this was taken to ridiculous proportions with some chapters detailing about six or seven different times that Pre recorded in one athletics meet alone. It was all again a bit too data driven and I sometimes got a little lost due to it being too much information in small pockets.

Overall the book was an interesting read and I did enjoy it but there needed to be more information about Prefontaine the person as well as the athlete he so obviously was.


Excellent. Two thumbs up. It made me believe again., 23 Mar 2000
The book speaks for itself. If you believe in the humanity of mankind, you'll cry your way to the end. Pre= Loved by me (squared).

An excellent book - Go Pre!, 05 Sep 1999
Steve Prefontaine truly was the greatest American distance runner ever. I bought this book and I loved it. If you care at all about Pre, I highly recomend it. It's got a lot of good pictures, too.

Prefontaine is the greatest man ever!, 30 Aug 1999
Pre was a optimistic goal plunger with guts. He said things like

~I dont run a race to see who is the fastest, I only run a race to see who has the most guts~

He has inspired me to run, and now I run every morning, I am in 7th grade and hope to cary on his legendary performance

A candid, interesting perspective about a running legend, 12 May 1999
A refreshing, candid story of an exceptional athlete, whom carried a cause and succeeded. A perspective of a simple yet complex man and the raw heart of his running conquests.

Heartbreaking, 21 Mar 2006
In Black and White: The Untold Story of Joe Louis and Jesse Owens chronicles the breathtaking acheivements and the horrendous institutionalised racism that both of these amazing athletes suffered. Louis and Owens did more for their country than almost any other major figure during the 1930's and both also helped to highlight the terrible adversities that were heaped against them in everyday life. Both were world famous performers who were held up as the ideal representatives of their nation but they still couldn't sit down and have a meal in many parts of their own country due to the colour of their skin. Owens was finished as a serious athlete at 24, kicked out of amatuer athletics by the repulsive Avery Brundage (the man responsible for also barring Jim Thorpe from Amatuer athletics) purely for questioning why he was being kept away from his family for weeks on end in order to make the AAU a lot of money on a European tour while the athletes themselves made nothing. Owens struggles to find a place for himself as he slowly loses touch with the younger generation of track and field athletes coming through. His humiliation at the hands of John Carlos and Tommie Smith at the 1968 Olympics will bring a lump to your throat. Louis donated purses from two fights to the Army and Navy relief funds and was chased remorselessly by the IRS for the taxes on them for years and years. His descent into debt, drug addiction and insanity makes for uncomfortable reading. At the end it is the German fighter Max Schmelling his most famous adversary, who Louis destoyed in his most famous fight, who does more for him than the country he was held up as a representative of in their meeting. Donald McCrae is an excellent writer and in Louis and Owens he has two excellent subjects to work with. Two of the most famous men of the Twentieth century in any walk of life are presented to us with all of their virtues and faults on display and both come out as fundamentally decent men who were treated very shabbily.

Reservations Overcome, 27 Mar 2004
At the outset McRae's telling of the story by snap-shots seemed to me irritatingly tabloid, as did the quantity of invented dialogue and somewhat sentimentalised psychology. It's difficult to remember when these reservations disappeared, but they were overcome by the narrative pace, the impressive research of primary and secondary sources and the sophisticated selection of material. The result is a book which tells much of the story of the lives of Joe Louis and Jesse Owens without being a biography of either and focuses crucially on their relationships with the white establishment represented, at its worst, by such figures as the appalling Avery Brundage whose career as Olympic supremo continued untroubled by his part in driving Jesse Owens out of sporting competition.

Untold and extraordinary, 02 Sep 2003
This must be one of the best sports books ever never mind 2002. McRae's book wonderfully evokes the times and places in the lives of two great sportsmen. In places, as in the aftermath of Louis's last fight or in the final demise of the great men, it is unbearably moving. At other times, for example during Owens's world record-breaking streak in one afternoon during a college meet, it is thrilling, page-turning stuff. Other highlights include the recreation of Louis's key fights and the background detail of the appalling racism at the heart of American life. Louis and Owens come across as real, heroic figures with fiercely strong and weak human traits. Despite the fact that they were modest men achieving extraordinary feats in their fields, they also posted small victories in their society at large not least in the way American institutions regarded, valued and treated their non-white citizens. A must read.

In Black &White The Untold Story of jesse owens & Joe Louis, 27 Jan 2003
McRae has written another Masterpiece.
For sports lovers & historians alike this is a must read.
McRae's research is second to none & his writing is informative, fluid & compassionate - he offers real insight into the lives of both superstars as well as a telling narrative on America's struggle with racism since the 1920's. The spirit of the Olympics is personified in Jesse Owens, the power-hungry values of Olympic administration are personified by Avery Brundage while
the rotten core of Boxing administration is exposed throughout the book. One cannot fail to be moved by this book especially by both the dignity, achievements & human failings of both sporting icons.

An enthralling read, 06 Sep 2008
Bought this book on holiday to Greece and couldn't put it down. The book provided insights into these two great characters that were otherwise not public knowledge, e.g. Ovett's dominant mother, Andy Norman's views on Cliff Temple, Ovett's change of views from racing to record-breaking, Coe's aid to Ovett after Ovett had collapsed in the LA Olympics. This book was much more than an account of the Coe v Ovett saga, it was a history lesson, documentary, mini-biographies, and fast-paced thriller all rolled into one. The chapter on the historical mile rivalries of Walter George v Willie Cummings and Arne Anderssen v Gunter Hagg is superb. I cannot speak highly enough of this book. The phrase "unputdownable" is not lost on Pat Butcher's excellent work.

The perfect rivalry, 16 Mar 2008
Pat Butcher's book is a fine read - accurate, entertaining, informative, and including a generous helping of human drama. His assessments are fair and even-handed, something not always easy to achieve even after more than 20 years. His accounts of past achievements and rivalries, his revealing of the person behing the athlete, and the transition from (sh)amateurism to professionalism are excellent. I particularly like some of the little details which spoke to much (.... and Coleman said, "Ovett, those blue eyes, like chips of ice.")

In fact I might have given 5 stars but I found the journalistic dialect - the extensive use of stereotypes, the exaggerated black and white - was a little grating (only a real Ovett opponent would accept that for years he made Coe's athletic career a misery). Of course, it is hard to escape the reality that these were two exceptional athletes, and it certainly was the rivalry between them that captured the imagination of track enthusiasts and the general public alike. But the dominant theme of the book was "rivalry" rather than the athletic event itself. I would have preferred the book to bring out just is so special, so "perfect" about the mile (British or metric), because it IS a special distance, posing special challenges to the athlete and lending itself to the type of sporting confrontation that generates these special rivalries.

Riveting read, 22 Aug 2007
This is a great read for anyone interested in athletics. Unsurprisingly it's mostly about Coe and Ovett and their intense battle for supreamacy but, riveting as that main plot is, Butcher intersperses sections on many of the other leading runners of the time, the change from amateurism to professionalism, the history of the mile.. etc which help flesh out the story.

The opening sentence captures the imagination and makes putting the book down difficult! I would have liked a bit more on the LA campaign which closes the book however.

I've read biographies by several olympic athletes and one thing they have in common is not conveying what it's actually like to be at the games. Something I would give my right arm for. Paula's is the most recent example, where there is little more detail than you would expect describing a trip to Sainsbury's. The Perfect Distance did go some way to capture the atmosphere and brought back vivid memories of watching Coe, Cram and Ovett competing at the time, on the edge of my seat, shouting at the tv.

Highly recommended.





A brilliant tale of two shining stars., 14 Jan 2007
Although too young to vividly remember the full extent of their rivalry, I took up running as an 8 year-old after watching Coe's magnificent victory in LA, and have been at it ever since.
Butcher's masterly account captures all the magic of the two great runners, presenting them as multi-faceted personalities each driven to glory in his own unique way. He also skilfully presents the differences between them and the essence of this keenest of rivalries, while bringing out a warmth and mutual respect that has clearly developed over time and with the benefit of hindsight.
What sets the novel apart from the majority of sporting literature is the narrative skill and literary flair he uses to do justice to a great story and piece of history, and a first line that made the hairs stand up on my neck.
Unlike most sports books, which are purely of interest to the hardcore enthusiast, this is to be recommended for anyone with a passing interest in sport.
For track fans it is an absolute must-have.

UK golden athletics, 27 Aug 2006
I thought this book depicted Ovett, Coe and the UK Golden era of athletics superbly. It gave me an insight into all of their races, results, their characters, careers and a full background of what I had witnessed on TV as a child. Fabulous!!!