How do you tell the story of a race that symbolizes New York City’s vitality, diversity, and charm? Here, Richard O’Brien offers more than forty definitive articles from over the years that capture the color and excitement of one of the world's most beloved annual events. In this rich run through the decades, readers will revisit all of the results, relive all of the highlights, and share the road again with all of the marathon’s unforgettable figures, including Fred Lebow, Grete Waitz, Bill Rodgers, Germán Silva, Meb Keflezighi, Mary Keitany, Shalane Flanagan, and so many others. With special sections highlighting the race’s volunteers, spectators, celebrities, and more, as well as an introduction by New York Road Runners Chairman of the Board George Hirsch, the book celebrates the marathon’s first fifty years with a thrilling selection of photographs. Like the stories of everyday women and men overcoming obstacles to complete the race, these curated images capture the inimitable charge of running the New York City Marathon, while providing a compelling visual tapestry reflecting a half century of cultural change. The images not only show how running gear and hairstyles changed from the early 1970s to the present, but they also reveal the ever-dynamic political and cultural climate of New York City. This beautifully designed, heavily illustrated coffee-table style book is the perfect gift for any fan of this fifty-year-old race!

A quiet, aging teacher decides to run the NY Marathon. Along the way, he transforms into the man he always wanted to be.

An elite, competitive runner gives advice on every aspect of the New York City marathon, from how to enter and where to stay, to the best training guides and non-runners' spectator guides.

When 39,195 competitors thunder over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to begin the thirty-eighth running of the famed New York City Marathon, they experience one of the most exhilarating moments in sports. But as they cross five towering bridges and five distinct boroughs, carried 26.2 miles by the cheers of two million fans and by their own indomitable wills, grueling challenges await them. New York Times sportswriter Liz Robbins brings race day to life in this gripping saga of the 2007 Marathon, weaving the unforgettable stories of runners into a vibrant mile-by-mile portrait of the world's largest marathon. The professionals pound out the suspense in two thrilling races. Paula Radcliffe, the women's world record holder from Great Britain, returns with new resolve after having given birth nine months earlier; Gete Wami, her longtime rival from Ethiopia, tries to win her second marathon in just five weeks; and Latvia's Jelena Prokopcuka desperately hopes for her third straight New York title. If the women's race plays out like a mesmerizing chess game, then the men's race quickly turns into a high-speed car chase. South Africa's Hendrick Ramaala, eager to recapture glory at age 35, surges to lead the pack as Kenya's Martin Lel and Morocco's Abderrahim Goumri stay within striking range. While the professionals offer insight into the intense, often painful experience of being an elite athlete, the amateurs provide timeless stories of courage and obsession that typify today's marathoner: Harrie Bakst, a cancer survivor at 22, who is a first-timer; Pam Rickard, a 45-year-old mother of three from Virginia, who is a recovering alcoholic; and 65-year-old Tucker Andersen, who has run the race every year since 1976. Enlivening the history of the New York City Marathon with stories of such legends as the late Fred Lebow, the race's charismatic founder, and nine-time champion Grete Waitz, A Race Like No Other provides a curbside seat to the drama of the first Sunday in November. Feel the anxiety at the start in Staten Island. Listen to gospel choirs in Brooklyn and the accordion in Queens. Bask in the delirious sound tunnel of Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hit The Wall in the Bronx. And overcome agony in the last hilly miles before arriving in Central Park—exhausted yet exhilarated—at the finish line.

Fred Lebow was a dreamer, the kind of dreamer who pursued his dream and made it a reality. And the world is still reaping its rewards.” So begins this inspiring chronicle of a humbly born Holocaust survivor who parlayed natural marketing smarts—and vision—into a major position in recent American sports. He started the New York City Marathon, an event that transformed footracing from an elite, austere sport into a wildly applauded, attainable pursuit for all. Forging a path across the city’s five boroughs, the marathon covers a daunting 26.2-mile course. Ron Rubin’s fascinating book tells how Lebow popularized the race. With a stroke of marketing wizardry he turned it into the world’s largest block party: a gritty mixture of urban theater and kindly entrepreneurship. This event has honored the spirit of the moment, imbued competition with joy, and celebrated play. It put winning within the realm of every man and woman and became a race for all runners. Lebow mainstreamed the notion of marathoning into popular culture; some half-million Americans now participate in the events. Equally significant, the book describes how Lebow scored his greatest personal victory by running in the marathon he created after being diagnosed with brain cancer.

The story of visionary American running coach Bob Larsen's mismatched team of elite California runners who would win championships and Olympic glory in a decades-long pursuit of "the epic run." In the dusty hills above San Diego, Bob Larsen became America's greatest running coach. Running to the Edge is a riveting account of Larsen's journey, and his quest to discover the unorthodox training secrets that would lead American runners to breakthroughs never imagined. Futterman interweaves the dramatic stories of Larsen's runners with a fascinating discourse on the science behind human running, as well as a personal running narrative that follows Futterman's own checkered love-affair with the sport. The result is a narrative that will speak to every runner, a story of Larsen's triumphs--from high school cross-country meets to the founding of the cult-favorite, 70's running group, the Jamul Toads; from his long tenure as head coach at UCLA to the secret training regimen of world champion athletes like Larsen's protégé, Meb Keflezighi. Running to the Edge is a page-turner . . . a relentless crusade to run faster, farther.

Inside a Marathon gives readers an all-access pass into the mind of a coach and an athlete as they work together to prepare for one of the world's most prestigious races, the New York City Marathon. Follow along from two different perspectives as Scott Fauble and Ben Rosario share all of the highs and lows over the course of the 18 weeks leading into NYC. Fauble and Rosario take an unprecedented dive into what exactly goes into professional marathon training, and they tell a compelling story along the way. With 50+ black and white photographs this edition also includes a chapter on the 2019 Boston Marathon where Fauble ran 2:09:09 and finished in seventh place.

“A meditation on the creative process . . . a reminder that even the brightest creative minds face challenges when making consistently great work.” —Wired From award-winning artist and author Christoph Niemann comes a collection of witty illustrations and whimsical views on working creatively. Taking its cue from his New York Times column Abstract Sunday, this book covers Niemann’s entire career and showcases brilliant observations of contemporary life through sketches, travel journals, and popular newspaper features. The narrative guides readers through Christoph’s creative process, how he built his career, and how he overcomes the internal and external obstacles that creative people face—all presented with disarming wit and intellect. Enhanced with nearly 350 original images, this book is a tremendous inspirational and aspirational resource. “A frank and inspirational look at the trials and tribulations of a life spent producing artworks that have been seen the world over.” —It’s Nice That

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.”