The Lost Art of Running

A Journey to Rediscover the Forgotten Essence of Human Movement

By: Shane Benzie, Tim Major

Narrated by: Clifford Samuel

Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Bloomsbury presents The Lost Art of Running by Shane Benzie with Tim Major, read by Clifford Samuel.

The Lost Art of Running is an opportunity to join running-technique-analyst coach and movement guru Shane Benzie on his journey across five continents as he trains with and analyses the running style of some of the most gifted athletes on the planet.

'Running technique has to be one of the most subjective issues out there: 10 minutes' investigation on the internet will generally confuse rather than confirm what you should or should not be doing. Mother Nature gave us some amazing gifts as runners - if we rediscover them and use them, we can transform our dynamic and everyday movement.' (Shane Benzie)

Part narrative, part practical, this adventure takes you to the foothills of Ethiopia and the ‘town of runners’; to the training grounds of world-record-holding marathon runners in Kenya; racing across the Arctic Circle and the mountains of Europe, through the sweltering sands of the Sahara and the hostility of a winter traverse of the Pennine Way, to witness the incredible natural movement of runners in these environments.

Along the way, you will learn how to incorporate natural movement techniques into your own running and hear from some of the top athletes Shane has coached over the years. Whether experienced or just tackling your first few miles, this ground-breaking book will help you discover the lost art of running.

©2020 Shane Benzie with Tim Major (P)2020 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

"A fascinating book." (Adharanand Finn, the best-selling author of Running with the Kenyans, The Rise of the Ultra Runners and The Way of the Runner)

"Shane's approach to running movement really works. Shane helped me prepare for my fourth Marathon des Sables. I am convinced that the insight from these sessions was instrumental in me being able to run as well as I did and secure my second win in a highly competitive race." (Elisabeth Barnes, ultra endurance runner)

"Shane is the Indiana Jones of the running world." (Damian Hall, ultra marathon runner and journalist)

Stunningly brilliant

As a high school running coach regardless of the books length I cannot tell you how much of a gem this book is. If you are looking for ways to improve your running as a professional or amateur athlete or even as a coach you won’t regret it.

3 reads to 5 stars

1st read to get the jest of it. 2nd read to better understand the science. 3rd read as I attempted injury free marathon training. Next read to assure I never forget the brilliant concepts as I train for my next endurance event. Wow, this book could turn your running world right side up!

good book

so many running books and all just seem to brag about how great they are. this one seemed different in that it actually got me thinking about how to incorporate some of the authors ideas into my training. made me think about how we approach running in general.

INCREDIBLY HELPFUL INFO ON BIOMECHANICS

And an interesting round the world investigation of elite runners and the world’s great distance events. This is a really great resource for those who want to learn more about how we run and how we can improve. I especially appreciate that the authors calling out the over emphasis on gear. Running (like most things) has become an arms race / fashion show which unfortunately overshadows the purity and benefits of running for running’s sake.

Fantastic

A book I thoroughly enjoyed and will listen to many times again. Perfect balance of theory and practical with relatable examples to improve running technique. If you’ve any interest in running a must read

solid

interesting hypothesis to improve your running form. we'll see if it works as I tested out on myself.

happy that I read the book

a great book with lots of food for tought. tnx for the author. cheers

Learned a lot about running biomechanics.

Through narration of many runners' stories from around the world, the book eloquently explains the key ingredients to running beautifully and practical things that runners can do to improve their biomechanics.

A must read for runners.

This book is a must read for runners.
However, it’s lessons apply to concepts of daily life for anybody who cares about athletics, health, wellness, or just feeling alive.

After 6 years of running...

...this book really hit the right chord in my head. Information provided apart, this is also a great novel, very pleasant to hear, how else, on my long runs... This was a great choice and I'm happy with it! Never give up!