Running with the Kenyans

By: Adharanand Finn

Narrated by: Paul Tyreman

Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's Summary

After years of watching Kenyan athletes win the world's biggest races, Adharanand Finn set out to discover just what it was that made them so fast - and to see if he could keep up. Packing up his life he moved from Devon to Iten, in Kenya, to eat with, interview, sleep beside and - most importantly – run with, some of the greatest runners in the world. In the distance rests his dream, to join the best of the Kenyan athletes in an epic first marathon across the Kenyan plains.

©2012 Adharanand Finn (P)2012 W F Howes Ltd

Great story of a magnificent passion for running

Well put together story of a man's passion for running and self discovery. A broader view on how life can be explored. Well read

Very nice listen if you're into running/Kenya

If you like to read/listen an easy book on running and/or experiencing Kenya, this is highly recommended.

narrating a running story...

a great book to listen too a week ahead of a race.... or if you're thinking of changing your running technique, the. it would be perfect during the off season to develop that forefoot technique...

Perfect audiobook for listening while running!

Really enjoyed the book. interesting storytelling . listened it during my running sessions while training for my first marathon. love!

interesting read - even for a non-runner like me!

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

Really good book - enjoyed it very much even though I have no interest in running and didn't know the author or anything about Kenya. I have since listened to it again and quite possibly enjoyed it more the second time. He paints a picture of what it was like for an ordinary person to live and train with the Kenyan's - I could really imagine what it was like to be an outsider and train with possibly the best runners in the world.

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

The whole story is as much about the people and his family as it is about running.
Even if you don't like sports (and I am definitely only mildly interested at best!) I am sure you will still enjoy this book for its real story of an everyday man out of his usual element.

A great listen

Fascinating story about a journalist who moves his family to Kenya to experience life as a runner out there. I found this to be a really addictive listen – the writer paints a vivid picture of both the characters and the epic environment. And, of course, being a runner, I was completely gripped by the theme of trying to uncover just what it is that makes Kenyans the best runners on earth. An engaging book that I was sad to finish.

A thoroughly interesting tale

Where does Running with the Kenyans rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

First audiobook I have listened to.

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

The Fartlek run.

Which character – as performed by Paul Tyreman – was your favourite?

Kipsang

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

These people aren't just born to run, they live to run.

Any additional comments?

Paul Tyreman performs an excellent narration

Love running, cant finish this book

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

This guy cant write. Sorry. I love running, I really loved 'Born to Run' by Christopher McDougall, but the big difference is that Christopher McDougal was a journalist, his profession was to write, he knew how to spin a story. This author unfortunately had a great adventure, but cannot write and it makes for a painstaking read. As someone who also loves travel I really had high hopes for this book, the story is probably of limited appeal to someone who has never been to Africa, but I was hoping for so much more. I wanted heart to heart conversations, but it seems that either the author wasn't able to make these bonds with the athletes or those around him, or these guys just don't have much to say. I bought this to listen to on my long runs, but I cant listen to anymore of it, its so boring. An average paragraph goes something like this."I turned up at 6 oclock. Jeffery didnt turn up at 6 oclock, because hes always late, he turned up at 7 oclock" "My daughter went to school" "I could see her blond hair easily amongst all the black headed children" "She didnt want to go the next day" Africa, and Kenya especially, are mind blowing landscapes, and it feels this is lost on the author. He cannot describe what he sees around him and it felt like he was overwhelmed or his heart is closed to the whole experience. The whole writing style feels very immature, as does the nature of the interactions with those he meets. Its possible that this guy isn't very well travelled and this kind of comes across in the book. It kind of reminds me of something that the old, square bloke in the Dunlop green flash from the cricket club up the road who had only ever been on holiday to Bournemouth would write. Its got no style, no humour, no heart. And i'm going to delete it, unfinished now. I havent written this to offend anyone, Ive written it to save you all some valuable time and read something more worthy of being read. I'm going to read Scott Jureks book next, or What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami. Please let them be interesting !

not hooked

Feels that story could be told in much shorter time. It gets repetitive and quite boring. The next Finns book about the ultra running is much more interesting.

Skip opening chapters

The opening chapters were very uninteresting but once he gets to Kenya it picks up and is a good listen. The details and descriptions of Kenya were a lot more interesting to me than the authors personal stuff. Overall though I would recommend to any fellow obsessed runners.

Fantastic!

A wonderful story of how working hard to face life's challenges can lead to unexpected rewards. I enjoyed it right up to the last word!

Okay

Really liked Rise of the ultra runner so tried the other two books but struggled to get through.

Odd pronunciations. Theoreh, Geoffreh

The narrators accent slips a bit, but is mostly well performed. Interesting story and insight into Kenyan runners.

A little boring

I couldn't help comparing this to 'Born to run' that I had just read before this. I felt that this book didn't create that much insight in either running or Kanya. It felt like a fairly flat narration of the events that the author experienced. It didn't hold my attention and I didn't complete it.