In Marathon Quest, Guiness World Record holder Martin Parnell gives honest and often humorous insight into why an ordinary man would attempt to do something extraordinary, with no assurance that he can succeed.

"In this spellbinding book, journalist Ed Caesar takes us into the world of elite marathoners: some of the greatest runners on earth. Through the stories of these rich characters, like Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai, around whom the narrative is built, Caesar traces the history of the marathon as well as the science, physiology, and psychology involved in running so fast for so long. And he shows us why this most democratic of races retains its brutal, enthralling appeal--and why we are drawn to test ourselves to the limit, "--Amazon.com.

Second Windis the story of an unlikely athlete and an unlikely heroine: Cami Ostman, a woman edging toward midlife who decides to take on a challenge that stretches her way outside of her comfort zone. That challenge presents itself when an old friend suggests she go for a run to distract her from the grief of her recent divorce. Excited by the clarity of mind and breathing space running offers her, she keeps it up — albeit slowly — and she decides to run seven marathons on seven continents; this becomes Ostman’s vision quest, the thing she turns to during the ups and downs of a new romance and during the hard months and years of redefining herself in the aftermath of the very restrictive, religious-based marriage and life she led up until her divorce. Insightful and uplifting,Second Windcarries the reader along for the ride as Ostman runs her way out of compliance with the patriarchal rules about “being a woman” that long held her captive and into authenticity and self-love. Her adventures — and the personal revelations that accompany them — inspire readers to take chances, find truth in their lives, and learn to listen to the voice inside them that’s been there all along.

Forever at the Finish Line tells the remarkable and inspiring story of Daniel Mitrovich, a runner from San Diego who had a goal of putting a life-size statue of New York Marathon founder Fred Lebow in Central Park. New York’s parks commissioner Henry Stern said “It will be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than to put a statue in Central Park.” It would not be easy for someone who lacked financial backing and who wasn’t even a New Yorker to make this happen. But with the faith and blessing of Fred Lebow, the support of his family, and his own personal determination, he knew it would happen. His journey involved crossing the continent many times, securing the support of some of the most famous runners of our time, including Joan Benoit Samuelson, Grete Waitz, Alberto Salazar, Bill Rodgers, and Carl Lewis. He would ultimately gain the endorsements of some of the most powerful political people of our time: presidents George Herbert Walker Bush and William Jefferson Clinton, Governor Andrew Cuomo, US senators Alan K. Simpson and Al D’Amato, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, and thirteen members of Congress. Daniel Mitrovich’s personal story will show you that if you pursue a dream with the right intent you will be “Forever at the Finish Line.”

If you give a mom a marathon, she'll hit a wall. It happens to all marathoners, not just mothers. Still a new runner when that first happened in 2007, Michelle has now run more than 140 additional 26.2-mile races. But for Michelle, those races mean much more than a collection of medals and a spreadsheet of race times. All those races and training times have helped her become a better, more confident person, friend and − most importantly − mother. Come along with Michelle as she explains how running races in Australia, Iceland, and even the deck of a cruise ship has helped fuel her on her family's journey. Keywords: Biography, Memoir, Sports, Travel, Family, Goals, Kids, Marathon, Mom, Running, Boston Marathon, Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, Shamrock Marathon

“Inspiring reading.” —The Wall Street Journal “One of the scariest things about running a marathon for the first time isn’t the distance, the muscle pain, the chafing, or the blisters. It’s not knowing what’s going to happen. That’s why this disarmingly honest collection of first-time accounts is so refreshing.” —Runner’s World UK First Marathons is the collected stories of 37 runners, told in their own words, describing the experience of running their first marathon. Everything is covered, from the early flickerings of desire, all the way to full-blown obsession—the training, the food, the emotions, every mile of this incredible journey. First Marathons is the best instruction book you will ever find, because you learn from the heartfelt life experience of others. Illumination and inspiration are on every page. These runners are old and young, fat and thin, men and women. Some are famous (like Grete Waitz, Ted Corbitt, and Bill Rodgers), and others are just ordinary people—all of whom have achieved something truly extraordinary. Their collective message: anyone can run a marathon; everyone should. It will change your life forever.

Features instructions for runners of all ability levels on preparing for a marathon, including training schedules, advice on diet, defensive running strategies, and tips for staying motivated.

Author of the best-seller "Marathon – You can do it!", Galloway now offers together with his wife a state-of-the-art book on the highly popular half-marathon distance especially for women. Jeff's trademarked run-walk-run method has helped hundreds of thousands of average people to get off the couch, train for marathons and half-marathons without injury and has helped veterans to improve times. This book offers a step-by-step program for women that starts with setting up your training each week. Jeff and Barbara will show you how to select a realistic goal, and which workouts are needed to prepare for various performances. The book is loaded with tips especially for women on how to stay motivated, eliminate aches, pains, and injuries, with the minimum training needed to enjoy other aspects of life.

Especially in tough economic times, running offers an affordable and positive way to relieve stress and gain a sense of accomplishment. Marathons and—more than ever—half-marathons are the ultimate achievement for runners and have experienced an unprecedented boom in the last several years. New hunger for reliable information on marathon and half-marathon training, as well as new technologies that have revolutionized ordinary people's ability to train intelligently, means the time is right for a new edition of longtime Runner's World contributor Hal Higdon's classic guide to taking the guesswork out of preparing for a marathon, whether it's a reader's first or fiftieth. At the core of the book is Higdon's clear and essential information on training, injury prevention, and nutrition. With more than 25 percent new material, this fourth edition of a running classic is a must-own for both longtime runners and those new to the sport.

A new edition of a sports icon's memoir, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Kathrine Switzer's historic running of the Boston Marathon as the first woman to run. In 1967, Kathrine Switzer was the first woman to officially run what was then the all-male Boston Marathon, infuriating one of the event's directors who attempted to violently eject her. In one of the most iconic sports moments, Switzer escaped and finished the race. She made history-and is poised to do it again on the fiftieth anniversary of that initial race, when she will run the 2017 Boston Marathon at age 70. Now a spokesperson for Reebok, Switzer is also the founder of 261 Fearless, a foundation dedicated to creating opportunities for women on all fronts, as this groundbreaking sports hero has done throughout her life. "Kathrine Switzer is the Susan B. Anthony of women's marathoning."-Joan Benoit Samuelson, first Olympic gold medalist in the women's marathon