The Road to Sparta Audiobook By Dean Karnazes cover art

The Road to Sparta

Reliving the Ancient Battle and Epic Run That Inspired the World's Greatest Footrace

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The Road to Sparta

By: Dean Karnazes
Narrated by: Robert Fass
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The Road to Sparta is the story of the 153-mile run from Athens to Sparta that inspired the marathon and saved democracy, as told - and experienced - by ultramarathoner and New York Times best-selling author Dean Karnazes.

In 490 BCE Pheidippides ran for 36 hours straight from Athens to Sparta to seek help in defending Athens from a Persian invasion in the Battle of Marathon. In doing so he saved the development of Western civilization and inspired the birth of the marathon as we know it. Even now, some 2,500 years later, that run stands enduringly as one of greatest physical accomplishments in the history of mankind.

Karnazes personally honors Pheidippides and his own Greek heritage by recreating this ancient journey in modern times. Karnazes even abstains from contemporary endurance nutrition like sports drinks and energy gels and eats only what was available in 490 BCE, such as figs, olives, and cured meats. Through vivid details and internal dialogs, The Road to Sparta offers a rare glimpse into the mind-set and motivation of an extreme athlete during his most difficult and personal challenge to date.

©2016 Dean Karnazes (P)2016 Tantor Ancient Europe Greece Running & Jogging Sports History Track & Field Ancient History Ancient Greece Sports Inspiring Extreme Sports Greek Mythology

Critic reviews

"This is a remarkable and inspiring memoir that will have casual and serious runners cheering." ( Publishers Weekly)
Inspiring Historical Account • Engaging Greek History • Professional Reading • Informative Marathon Origins

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Enjoyed every single chapter, narration and detail like If I lived through the story. Perfect choice of words and vocabulary. Stars 5 out of 5 and would recommend it even to everyone.

Great story !

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Loved this book! Very insightful, and encouraging! Just a great book to listen to on the run!😅

Great book to listen to on the run! 😅

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Not my favorite story about running but still a good one. I like the interwoven story of the original marathon. If you read Natural Born Heroes, the format is very similar.

The story is not as motivating as his previous works, but I was entertained!

Interwoven runs with history

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It has been said that fools may learn from personal experience. Yet, the wise learn from the experiences of others. This audiobook engages you with a vivid adventure in a champion’s path with Greek history, virtue, passion, philosophy, the divine, family, food, grit, and excellence. Another generous gift from beloved, Karno. I would recommend this book to anyone active in personal growth and development.

Grateful for Practical Poetic Arete

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This book kept my attention the entire time. The reading was on point and captivating. Excellent personal story that captures history needing to. e told.

Captivating

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The personal story along with the history of Greece both very powerful. I learned a lot!

Fantastic Read!

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For someone with as much talent, determination, and intelligence, I find Dean to be very likeable due to his humility and personality. Every book and story I read about Dean is captivating and insightful. I especially like how he blended Greek history with his personal goals and his family lineage. This is a very fun book to listen to. Thanks Dean!

Dean does it again!

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As a runner who started ultra running 5 years ago, this read was inspiring. Definitely kept me entertained on the 3+ hour long runs.

Great listen

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Makes me want to find out more about Greece during this time in history and learn more.

Loved this story.

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I bought this book, interested to learn more about Sparta. It was a little wordy, and at times pacing was too slow. This audio recording would have benefited greatly with a professional narrator and some abridging.

Interesting story, but wordy

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