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North  By  cover art

North

By: Scott Jurek, Jenny Jurek
Narrated by: Scott Jurek, Jenny Jurek
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Publisher's summary

From the author of the best seller Eat and Run, a thrilling new memoir about his grueling, exhilarating, and immensely inspiring 46 day run to break the speed record for the Appalachian Trail.

Scott Jurek is one of the world's best known and most beloved ultrarunners. Renowned for his remarkable endurance and speed, accomplished on a vegan diet, he's finished first in nearly all of ultrarunning's elite events over the course of his career. But after two decades of racing, training, speaking, and touring, Jurek felt an urgent need to discover something new about himself. He embarked on a wholly unique challenge, one that would force him to grow as a person and as an athlete: breaking the speed record for the Appalachian Trail. North is the story of the 2,189-mile journey that nearly shattered him.

When he set out in the spring of 2015, Jurek anticipated punishing terrain, forbidding weather, and inevitable injuries. He would have to run nearly 50 miles a day, every day, for almost seven weeks. He knew he would be pushing himself to the limit, that comfort and rest would be in short supply—but he couldn't have imagined the physical and emotional toll the trip would exact, nor the rewards it would offer.

With his wife, Jenny, friends, and the kindness of strangers supporting him, Jurek ran, hiked, and stumbled his way north, one white blaze at a time. A stunning narrative of perseverance and personal transformation, North is a portrait of a man stripped bare on the most demanding and transcendent effort of his life. It will inspire runners and non-runners alike to keep striving for their personal best.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2018 Scott Jurek, Jenny Jurek (P)2018 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Pure suspense, adventure, and inspiration. When Scott Jurek went into the woods to create his masterpiece, no one knew if he would make it back out again. He was America's greatest ultra athlete, a runner whose brains and singular intensity led him to years of extraordinary victories. But this time, Jurek was pushing himself into realms more dangerous than Death Valley, more treacherous than Mexican canyons, and only slightly less crazy than the time he chased after a wild bear. His story of plunging into the wilderness in pursuit of a dream is both heartwrenching and spellbinding."—Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run and Natural Born Heroes

"Scott Jurek's record-setting journey on the Appalachian Trail was the most punishing, most demanding, most grueling feat I've ever personally witnessed. By mile 2,000, he was a hollowed-out, broken-down carapace of a person. And unless he found something, some way not just to keep going but to speed up, he was going to miss the record. Over those final 200 miles, I watched him dig deeper than I thought humanly possible: he not only claimed the fastest known time, but—most impressively—never failed to greet a fellow blaze-hiker with a smile and a cheery, 'How far ya' going?' Now, reading his immersive and engaging book, where he asks and pushes himself to find the answers to all of the 'whys,' I almost don't want his suffering to end, just so I can enjoy another chapter."—Aron Ralston, adventurer and author of 127 Hours: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

"When Scott first shared with me that the AT would be his next record setting challenge, I was in awe at the stamina it would require and the precision in planning and preparation that it would ultimately entail. Scott, and Jenny, are both living proof that what you dream you can also make manifest. Read this book and redefine your own personal limits."—Christy Turlington Burns, Founder & CEO Every Mother Counts

What listeners say about North

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Couldn’t take Jenny

I tried, but just couldn’t get past Jenny’s narration. It’s like listening to a middle schooler reading a term paper.

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89 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Big fan of Jurek but prejudiced and insulting to Southerners

Great runner and great guy by all accounts, but this book depicts rural southerners as boogeymen was reminiscent of stereotypes given to blacks 100 years ago. These offenses usually take place in Jenny Jurek’s voice (who absurdly wondered in Virginia if locals had ever seen an Asian person before). Very insulting to anyone who has hiked the trail or lives near it and know the generosity of spirit and tangible goods that people in the south provide. Her imagination runs wild in the south with mythical tales and preconceived notions about southern folk. She felt unsafe-many women do-but attributing that to a specific group was off putting.

On the good side, Jurek’s struggles in New Hampshire and much of Maine make me feel better about my thruhike.

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61 people found this helpful

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Not interesting

I found this to be utterly boring except when Jenny narrated, and it became torture.

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59 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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The wife's voice will make you cringe

A gratifying diary of Jurek's attempt at the Appalachian Trail FKT record and a realistic, inspiring story for any hardcore trail runner, long-distance hiker, or vegan. (Yeah, WE GET IT, they're vegan.) Scott narrates just fine. Jenny on the other hand stumbles over pronunciation. Did she herself not write those words she audibly butchers? Whose idea was it for her to narrate? Her whiney voice drones on like a 13-year-old and her man-voice impression of Karl Meltzer is just ridiculous. Her anti-social attitude is a theme which I can relate to, but gradually all the misanthropy and tiger-wifing becomes unpleasant to hear. I do like the book overall and often find that autobiographical writing is best read by the author, not so in the case of Jenny Jurek.

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36 people found this helpful

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Class Act

Scott Jurek is a class act. A few months ago I sat in a hospital room with my 1 year old. He was sick, and the days of trying to keep him as motionless as possible to keep from disturbing his IV were catching up to him. Sick + restless + barely toddling = scary combination. As the late hours of the night faded into the early morning dawn and my stories began to wear thin as my brain waded further and further into sleeplessness, I called in back up to keep my son occupied. We do our best to keep him away from screen time, but desperate times called. I pulled up some cartoons on my phone to play for him, but he hated that. I then pulled up some footage on Scott from YouTube, and my son was captivated. We spent hours watching videos and reading articles about or written by Scott.

I then flipped over to Instagram and saw the announcement that Scott and Jenny were going to publish North. I excitedly commented (something which I wouldn't have done under the influence of more rest) explaining where I was at the moment and how my son and I were both elated to hear of the new release. To my surprise, within hours Scott had commented back. I "fan-girled" really hard; my wife made fun of me. I was just amazed at the class, care and poise that always seem to emanate from Scott.

I highly recommend listening to North on Audible because you get a feel for exactly what I have described here, but you get more. North goes deep while going long (over 2,000 miles, in fact). I loved getting to travel with Scott through this book, and I loved crewing with Jenny from chapter to chapter. Both are real, here. They take you to the highs and invite you into the lows. Jenny, way to be solid like a rock but still fluid when needed most. Scott, congratulations. Amazing job to you both.

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12 people found this helpful

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Inspiring

A casual trail runner this book inspires me to get out more. To embrace the present moment and enjoy my husband more. To get out into the wilderness. A wonderful book.

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11 people found this helpful

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Wonderful!’

What an incredible adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Scott and Jenny’s tales of Scott’s FKT on the AT.

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7 people found this helpful

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My running partner

Jureks’ books are amongst my favorite running partners. Their grit and toughness inspire me to push beyond my preconceived limits. Thank you Jurek for helping me understand what I am capable of achieving on my feet.

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5 people found this helpful

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Very enjoyable book

I enjoyed listening to the Jurek's narration of this book. Great for runners, hikers or anyone that loves outdoor adventures.

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5 people found this helpful

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The Jerker Delivers

Great book for runner and endurance athletes. Scott and Jenny do a great job capturing the essence of a through hike and the ups and downs of endurance running. If you run ultras, this book is especially for you. Enjoy!

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