Life Is a Marathon

A Memoir of Love and Endurance

By: Matt Fitzgerald

Narrated by: Jamie Renell

Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

An endurance athlete and coach reveals how the marathon transforms the lives of everyone who attempts it - and how it has helped his own family cope with serious adversity.

Step after step for 26.2 miles, hundreds of thousands of people run marathons. But why - what compels people past pain, lost toenails, 5:30 a.m. start times, "The Wall"? Sportswriter Matt Fitzgerald set out to run eight marathons in eight weeks across the country to answer that question. At each race, he meets an array of runners, from first-timers, to dad-daughter teams and spouses, to people who'd been running for decades, and asks them what keeps them running. But there is another deeply personal part to Matt's journey: his own relationship to the sport - and how it helped him overcome his own struggles and cope with his wife Nataki's severe bipolar disorder.

A combination of Matt's own How Bad Do You Want It? and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Life Is a Marathon captures the magic of those 26.2 miles. At the end of the day - and at the end of the race - the pursuit of a marathon finish line is not unlike the pursuit of happiness. You will pick up the audiobook for a powerful personal story about what running does for the people for whom it does the most. You will put it down with a greater understanding of what it means to be alive in this world.

©2019 Matt Fitzgerald (P)2019 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Life is a Marathon is a powerful inspiration for the body, mind, and heart: after reading the book, I want to run longer, better understand myself as an athlete, and most importantly, love with more patience and generosity." —Mark Lukach, author of the international bestseller My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward

"Matt Fitzgerald reveals how perseverance and authentic love (whether it be for a partner, a sport, or anything that's close to one's heart) can transform a life into one that's worth living. Life is a Marathon is nothing short of remarkable."—Dyane Harwood, author of Birth of a New Brain: Healing from Postpartum Bipolar Disorder

"Life is a Marathon is a running book, of course, but it's also about love, family, passion, and what it means to find your true self. It's a must-read for anyone who has run a marathon—or wants to."—Jen Miller, author of Running: A Love Story

Honest, real, runner & non-runner alike can learn

I appreciate Matt Fitzgerald honesty about himself, both good & bad. I am grateful to both Matt & his wife, for being willing to openly share about there struggles with mental health. Whether you are a runner or not you can appreciate how the marathon overlaps with life itself.

Second Fitzgerald book I listened too

This author is great. I really enjoyed this book. Got me through several run as I prepare for my first marathon.

The incredible story of love and endurance; the path to personal growth

A fascinating read about personal and marital life challenges the author faced so bravely while training for endurance sports such as running in the author's case.

An inspirational runner’s read

Being a fan of books about endurance training and those that are inspiring, this was the perfect intersection of both! Gripping, inspiring, and often shocking, this book will be one I’ll return to for perspective and motivation! Thank you Nataki and Matt for sharing your story!!

Great story

Loved listening to this book. Love the parallels of running a marathon to life.

Heartwarming and Inspirational

Loved it all! Thanks for the funny and authentic story. I have recommended it a dozen times already!

A great look into Fitzgeralds life

The narrator does a great job telling this story. I have always loved reading Fitzgeralds articles and this book was just as good. It was hard to listen at certain points when he describes the abuse.. he is far more patient than I, and a strong individual for not holding back in the telling of those traumatic experiences. This is definitely worth the read for any endurance athlete that struggles to juggle a relationship with training

WOW

Matt just keeps turning out one great book after another. I have read ever single book he has written except one, read them all.

Inspirational

I have heard many of Matt's books. Listening to this book gave me an expanded respect for the person, as well as the runner. The book is not always about running, but it expands on a concept that many runners know already, There are parallel in life and running. They may not always be readily visible, but they are there. Find out how your running influences and parallels your life. Happy reading/running....

Life really is a marathon

I enjoyed listening to this book on my runs.

It was really about the balance between running and the ups and downs we all deal with in life. I appreciate that the author was very open about his and his wife's experience with her bipolar disorder.