• Born to Run

  • A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
  • By: Christopher McDougall
  • Narrated by: Fred Sanders
  • Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (19,895 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Born to Run  By  cover art

Born to Run

By: Christopher McDougall
Narrated by: Fred Sanders
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $18.00

Buy for $18.00

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The astonishing and hugely entertaining story that completely changed the way we run. An epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt?

“Equal parts quest, physiology treatise, and running history.... The climactic race reads like a sprint.... It simply makes you want to run.” —Outside Magazine

Isolated by Mexico's deadly Copper Canyons, the blissful Tarahumara Indians have honed the ability to run hundreds of miles without rest or injury. In a riveting narrative, award-winning journalist and often-injured runner Christopher McDougall sets out to discover their secrets. In the process, he takes his readers from science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultra-runners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to a climactic race in the Copper Canyons that pits America’s best ultra-runners against the tribe. McDougall’s incredible story will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that you, indeed all of us, were born to run.

©2009 Knopf (P)2009 Random House

Critic reviews

“Compelling. . . . Entertaining. . . . [McDougall] uses an extended portrait of one of the world's least known cultures, the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico's Copper Canyons, to put modern American running under an exacting magnifying glass.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“Equal parts quest, physiology treatise, and running history. . . . [McDougall] seeks to learn the secrets of the Tarahumara the old-fashioned way: He tracks them down. . . . The climactic race reads like a sprint. . . . It simply makes you want to run.”—Outside Magazine

“Hugely entertaining. . . . One of the most joyful and engaging books about running to appear for many years.”—The Irish Times

activate_proofit_target_DT_control

Featured Article: 55+ Quotes for Whenever You Need a Little Encouragement


We all have bad days and dry spells. We all experience moments of disappointment, sadness, and self-doubt. And occasionally, we all need an encouraging word—or several—to lift our spirits, boost our confidence, and fill us with hope. Straight from the works of best-selling and widely admired authors, here's a collection of positive and reassuring words you can turn to anytime you're in need of support.

What listeners say about Born to Run

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    15,661
  • 4 Stars
    3,226
  • 3 Stars
    744
  • 2 Stars
    165
  • 1 Stars
    99
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    12,401
  • 4 Stars
    2,664
  • 3 Stars
    530
  • 2 Stars
    66
  • 1 Stars
    54
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    12,686
  • 4 Stars
    2,256
  • 3 Stars
    611
  • 2 Stars
    115
  • 1 Stars
    67

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Incredible Storytelling

Just great storytelling, great narration, exhilarating, exciting. This guy could make eating soup into a wild narrative... don’t worry if you aren’t into running. You’ll love this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great fun, may not be entirely scientific but it makes you think.

I really enjoyed this story. Probably because I’m a sucker for WWII stories and anti-hero success stories. The performance was great. I would listen to this again.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fabulous

Wonderful book. Aspirational at worst, life changing at best. Our bodies are amazing and this helps show the way towards what we can do as humans.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Never thought a book about running would be so fascinating

Great writer and subject matter. Learned so much I had no idea about. Running is interesting?! Who knew!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing and inspiring.

A beautiful blend of storytelling and rock hard science. I didn’t want it to end. Truly. Like any great story, I wanted it to keep going.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wow

What an amazing beautiful book, perfectly narrated. I was truly sad when it ended. This book really brings you in to the lives of these runners.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Captivating listen

Finished it in less than a day. Fantastic book for runners, non runners and those disheartened from running.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Awesome motivation

The book is awesome with a lot of motivation on running and challenging your limits with some irrelevant stories

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

great adventure read

This is my second read of a wonderful story about a man's quest to run. His journey takes him to the Tarahumara and an epic race with fleet spirits of amazing talent. We meet Scott Jurek, Jenny and El Caballo. We learn about foot placement, stride length and posture. Mostly, we learn about the spiritual gift of using our bodies to run, walk and shuffle in the Great Outdoors. The book is as good on the second round as it was the first, with the small difference that Vibrams are no longer The New Thing. I highly recommend for anyone who enjoys adventure reads.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing!

A wonderfully told book that will keep you listening, with fascinating people, history, and stories, all woven together to make something unforgettable!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!