The Road to Sparta

Reliving the Ancient Battle and Epic Run That Inspired the World's Greatest Footrace

By: Dean Karnazes

Narrated by: Robert Fass

Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

The Road to Sparta is the story of the 153-mile run from Athens to Sparta that inspired the marathon and saved democracy, as told - and experienced - by ultramarathoner and New York Times best-selling author Dean Karnazes.

In 490 BCE Pheidippides ran for 36 hours straight from Athens to Sparta to seek help in defending Athens from a Persian invasion in the Battle of Marathon. In doing so he saved the development of Western civilization and inspired the birth of the marathon as we know it. Even now, some 2,500 years later, that run stands enduringly as one of greatest physical accomplishments in the history of mankind.

Karnazes personally honors Pheidippides and his own Greek heritage by recreating this ancient journey in modern times. Karnazes even abstains from contemporary endurance nutrition like sports drinks and energy gels and eats only what was available in 490 BCE, such as figs, olives, and cured meats. Through vivid details and internal dialogs, The Road to Sparta offers a rare glimpse into the mind-set and motivation of an extreme athlete during his most difficult and personal challenge to date.

©2016 Dean Karnazes (P)2016 Tantor

Critic reviews

"This is a remarkable and inspiring memoir that will have casual and serious runners cheering." ( Publishers Weekly)

Great story !

Enjoyed every single chapter, narration and detail like If I lived through the story. Perfect choice of words and vocabulary. Stars 5 out of 5 and would recommend it even to everyone.

Great book to listen to on the run! 😅

Loved this book! Very insightful, and encouraging! Just a great book to listen to on the run!😅

Interwoven runs with history

Not my favorite story about running but still a good one. I like the interwoven story of the original marathon. If you read Natural Born Heroes, the format is very similar.

The story is not as motivating as his previous works, but I was entertained!

Grateful for Practical Poetic Arete

It has been said that fools may learn from personal experience. Yet, the wise learn from the experiences of others. This audiobook engages you with a vivid adventure in a champion’s path with Greek history, virtue, passion, philosophy, the divine, family, food, grit, and excellence. Another generous gift from beloved, Karno. I would recommend this book to anyone active in personal growth and development.

Captivating

This book kept my attention the entire time. The reading was on point and captivating. Excellent personal story that captures history needing to. e told.

Dean does it again!

For someone with as much talent, determination, and intelligence, I find Dean to be very likeable due to his humility and personality. Every book and story I read about Dean is captivating and insightful. I especially like how he blended Greek history with his personal goals and his family lineage. This is a very fun book to listen to. Thanks Dean!

Loved this story.

Makes me want to find out more about Greece during this time in history and learn more.

Interesting story, but wordy

I bought this book, interested to learn more about Sparta. It was a little wordy, and at times pacing was too slow. This audio recording would have benefited greatly with a professional narrator and some abridging.

Great listen

As a runner who started ultra running 5 years ago, this read was inspiring. Definitely kept me entertained on the 3+ hour long runs.

Great read!

Better than I was expecting. Loved how history was intertwined with the present day events and race. As a finisher of 10 marathons, I truly appreciate what these athletes go through, and can't image how the ancient runners did these "Ultras". Thank You Dean!