Running with the Kenyans

Passion, Adventure, and the Secrets of the Fastest People on Earth

By: Adharanand Finn

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

“A dusty road stretches into the distance like a pencil line across the arid landscape. Lions, rhino, and buffalo roam the plains on either side. But I haven’t come to Kenya to spot wildlife. I’ve come to run.”

Whether running is your recreation, your religion, or just a spectator sport, Adharanand Finn’s incredible journey to the elite training camps of Kenya will captivate and inspire you. Part travelogue, part memoir, this mesmerizing quest to uncover the secrets of the world’s greatest runners - and put them to the test - combines practical advice, a fresh look at barefoot running, and hard-won spiritual insights.

As a boy growing up in the English countryside, Adharanand Finn was a natural runner. While other kids struggled, he breezed through schoolyard races, imagining he was one of his heroes: the Kenyan long-distance runners exploding into prominence as Olympic and world champions. But as he grew up, pursued a career in journalism, married and had children, those childhood dreams slipped away - until suddenly, in his mid-thirties, Finn realized he might have only one chance left to see how far his talents could take him.

Uprooting his family of five, including three small children, Finn traveled to Iten, a small, chaotic town in the Rift Valley province of Kenya - a mecca for long-distance runners thanks to its high altitude, endless running paths, and some of the top training schools in the world. Finn would run side by side with Olympic champions, young hopefuls, and barefoot schoolchildren... not to mention the exotic - and sometimes dangerous - wildlife for which Kenya is famous.

Here, too, he would meet a cast of colorful characters, including his unflappable guide, Godfrey Kiprotich, a former half marathon champion; Christopher Cheboiboch, one of the fastest men ever to run the New York City Marathon; and Japhet, a poor, bucktoothed boy with unsuspected reservoirs of courage and raw speed. Amid the daily challenges of training and of raising a family abroad, Finn would learn invaluable lessons about running - and about life.

©2012 Adharanand Finn (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Part scientific study, travel memoir, and tale of self-discovery, Finn’s journey makes for a smart and entertaining read.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Equal parts cultural examination, cult-of-running treatise, and poignant memoir, Running with the Kenyans thrives on a variety of levels. Like the skilled distance runner he is, Finn paces this book marvelously and then saves the best for the final kick. This book packs all the pleasure and satisfaction - and none of the ancillary pain - of a long training run.” (L. Jon Wertheim, senior editor, Sports Illustrated, and coauthor of the New York Times best seller Scorecasting)

“If you want to know the secrets of Kenyan runners, and have a rollicking adventure along the way, join Finn in his fascinating tale of what it is to go stride for stride with the fastest people on Earth.” (Neal Bascomb, author of The Perfect Mile)

Great read.

Would you listen to Running with the Kenyans again? Why?

I wanted to run the whole time I was reading the book!

What other book might you compare Running with the Kenyans to and why?

n/a

What does John Lee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I was reminded of the runner's heritage because of the audio, and more keen to the cultural differences.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Run, Forrest, run!

Any additional comments?

I've told all of my friends about this book.

Insightful & Inspiring

Any additional comments?

For anyone who loves running or wonders how so many people from one country can dominate in the world of running, this is a must read.

Excellent running story

What made the experience of listening to Running with the Kenyans the most enjoyable?

So, the narrators voice took a little getting used to and the book had a slow start... But once I got into it I couldn't stop listening. It was a very intelligently written book about running and form. It was written from the point of view of a better than average runner, but not quite an elite runner.

Run like a Kenyan

I love this book maybe its because of the journey I took this year to reach the goal that Finn had to run a sub 3 marathon. But where his journey ends in NY City Marathon mine started there. Listening to his story was inspiring and moving. To me the Kenyans are the ones I look up to because they do so well with practically nothing. If your a runner I highly recommend this book. Rest assured I will read this book again when I run NY again next year. I couldn't help but root for Finn and I thank him for writing such a great book.

Great listen

What did you love best about Running with the Kenyans?

This was a great read just before the #london2012 olympics, is all fired upp for to watch all the medium and long distance running after listening to this book.

I could this turned into a movie about a european man traveling to Kenya to try to discover the secret behind the Kenyan running sensation for the last 25 years.

A good book for a running story

Would you listen to Running with the Kenyans again? Why?

Maybe. I have listened to Born to Run 3 times. I like to listen to running book while I am out for my long runs. This one was a good story of running with Kenyan runners in their culture but not insperational. The tempo of the book was a bit slower and did not speak to me like a few other books. There was good vivid detail in the book which allowd me to see the book in my head while I ran.

Great Story

Well written and narrated. One of the best running books I've listened to. The author has a good sense of humor. Because of his non-elite status as a runner, you can really put yourself in his shoes.

Very inspiring-Uped my milage just listening.

Would you listen to Running with the Kenyans again? Why?

A lot of fun traveling along with the story. Relistening just to keep Running with the group.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Running with the Kenyans?

Visiting the famil homes and running camps.

His Curiosity is Contagious

My review might make you think Running With Kenyans was written for kids--if you don't have kids don't worry--the book is not a children's book. So please read on.

My son is a natural athlete loving all sports and in particular, he is an extraordinarily fast runner. He also is not a child who cares at all about Harry Potter. So mix those two things together and you have a mom trying to find a decent audio book on sports that is okay for an 8 year old, yet not poorly written (which many of the chapter books are--sorry but it's true). Somehow I got to Running With Kenyans in my search and I am very happy I did. Every night I read to the kids myself then put on an audio book for them to fall asleep. We also listen to audio books in the car sometimes. This book is read perfectly. The narration is top notch. The story unfolds slowly, and with an easy rhythm like that of the running he describes. I simply love his story and the way he told it and the way, in the end, John Lee narrrated it. I would end up lying down with kids and not leaving the room because I had to keep listening.

Usually when people say "a page turner" they mean intrigue and tension galore. With this book I wanted to hear what happened next but not in a stressful urgent way but because Adharanand's writing makes you feel like you are there with him. And that's a nice feeling. Like when you don't want to leave vacation. His curiosity is contagious and his self-reflection humorous and honest.

We have now listened to this book, frankly, if I say a number I am guessing. 5 times? When we've had a hard night, or life seems scary, my son picks this book over all others in our Audible for the soothing tale of learning how the Kenyans run, the people and this father, Adharanand Finn, on his own journey.

must read for runners!

loved the narrative. i wish i could do the same. training in Iten might be amazing.