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

Run with love within your heart is the whole story

The spirit of running...
The greatest ultra running athletes and their stories, their thoughts and spirits.
The story about those who live for running...
And all about running that will make you go out and enjoy
running :-)

It almost makes me want to run!

Very interesting and knowledgeable book. Christopher carries you along on his adventures!
I now eat my chia seed pudding every day for breakfast!

Fred Sanders does a great job narrating.

inspiring

loved it, testament of inner strength. Brotherhood, mental freedoms. give it all and expect nothing

A book worth reading more than twice

This is probably the best book I've listened to last year. Christopher's brain may have extra neurons for how to tell a story. It's not so much the scientific facts and theories that make the book interesting but the context created around them that make them easy to follow. This book glorifies true and "invisible" heroes in running and portrays running not as the elixir of life. I rarely rate any book or anything a five star rating, but this book earns it. And yes I am going to listen to it again.

riveting but plodding

great content. backstory was informative but tended to interrupt the narrative. also it took awhile to begin the actual story. i see why he included all of it and I'm glad but it wasn't well strung together. very halting progress

Engaging, informative and inspiring

I am runner, but don't like books about running. Except this one. This book gave me a lot.
There is a main story line and alternately an informative chapter about a relevant topic. At the first half of the book the informative chapters were more interesting for me, but at the end the story blooms into a fantastic race which makes you cheer for everybody. This book has so many information and important sentences about life and running, that after listening the audio book I actually bought a physical copy too for underlining my favorite parts.
I think Fred Sanders make an excellent narration.

Best running book ever

A running book with a real story! Legends like Jurek and Arnufo and some interesting anthropology of our species . Almost got me to run barefoot, and eat differently!

Great book great narration!

A great story is not what it entales but how the story is told. This book is a great example of that. I am not, or should I say was not, interrested in running. This book made me realize the fact that I was infact born to run.

great story about running and character

well told inspectional story around ultra running, running dynamics, grit. and determination. worth a credit.

One of the most inspiring stories I ever read

Full of adventure and joy.
And it makes me very much feel like running!

Born to run 🏃