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

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

Inspirational and insightful

Ive listened to this book several times and I find Fred Sanders narration to be excellent.
This book brings out all that is good about running, camaraderie, compassion, commitment and weaves in a great story as well. It even inspired me to add some miles to weekly running schedule, so its all good.
Listen and Enjoy !

Good read even for a non runner.

Fascinating story, good reader and delightful prose...an all around winner. The descriptions of the race participants and terrain are very interesting.

Not just about running, it's an exposé on 'heart'

So, I had a lot of hype tossed at me about this book before I even got into it. But by minute 15, hands down, this was one of those rare moment when the hype is justifiable. This book is an amazing tale of human insurance, our species' capacity to explore, and how we wrestle the best out of ourselves even when we don't think there's anything left. It's a mantra for modern men and women who are trying to find a place in this chaotic world. Sometimes, to move forward, we must first look back. And, sometimes we have to do it at a run.

How exciting can a book on running be?...

Very exciting! I couldn't wait to get back to this book everytime I had to quit. This was very well written and would easily engage a non-runner. Stories throughout make this book very interesting as well as when the book starts touching on the science of running, which is again backed up by more stories. I will be listening to this one again shortly.

Fun and inspirational

Inspirational, enjoyable, the whole way through. Well written, each diverse story comes full circle revealing the true heart of running.

Rubber tires for shoes

This book gave me inspiration for getting off the roads and onto trails and rugged mountain terrain. It was an absolutely fascinating read!

Makes you want to run a marathon

I highly, highly recommend this book for anyone who is a runner. It's not only one of the better books I've read over the last five years -- it will make you want to immediately run a marathon.

A magnificent view of the super human wold.

This is the one that will change your life. Get ready for the adventure of a life time.

Every runner should listen to this one

Great story intertwined with facts, history of running, biology and running technique. Very good book.

Good but more for runners

The book has an interesting story to tell, but a complicated one, with various timelines, cultural and biological perspectives, races, characters, etc. I think I would've enjoyed it more if I'd read instead of listened to it, because at some point it was just like "and then there's this amazing runner who was in this amazing race" and I lost track of the connections some times. A small portion of the book was also quite heavy on the biological/physiological aspect of running. I run in my free time and like knowing about the running world and exercise physiology, so if you do too I recommend this book. I'd say it's a max 4-star for non-runners.