9 Speedwork for older runners

The book that launched a million barefoot runners, Chris McDougall’s account of the Tarahumara is running literature at its most exhilarating. McDougall’s quest to discover the secret of ‘natural running’ leads him on an epic adventure, complete with a roll call of colourful characters, including ultrarunner Scott Jurek and sandal-wearing eccentric Barefoot Ted.

RW’s Rick Pearson says: ‘It’s become fashionable to slag off Speedwork for older runners, due to some of the slightly dubious claims it makes vis-à-vis humankind’s capacity to run long distances while eating chia and wearing minimalist footwear, but there are precious few books that have inspired more people to run as this one.’

The obscure Northern sport of fell running is the subject of this much-loved book by journalist and author Richard Askwith. It’s a split format, with chapters focusing variously on the sport’s stars and the author’s own fell-running ambition: to complete the notoriously difficult Bob Graham Round in the Lake District. Does he manage it? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

RW’s Rick Pearson says: ‘Askwith is arguably running’s finest writer, and this is his finest book: a hymn to the ecstasy and agony of fell running, complete with interviews with the sport’s under-the-radar stars. Not just one of running’s best books, but one of the best books about sport, full stop.

David Epstein’s book is an absolute classic of sports science writing. Incredibly readable, it’s full of stories that illustrate the clash between nature and nurture and examines the pervasive idea that it’s practice (10,000 hours of it) that makes perfect. He does this all with a brilliantly light touch, travelling from Kenya’s Rift Valley to Jamaica via Alaskan huskies and meeting individual athletes and telling their stories en route.

In 2011, runner and writer Adharanand Finn spent six months in Iten, Kenya, in a bid to uncover the secrets of some of the fastest people on earth. Was it running barefoot to school? Or the fact they are born and train at high altitude? The book ends with Finn putting his research to the test by running his first marathon, across the Kenyan plains.

There are surprisingly few novels about running. Or perhaps it’s not that surprising - talk of splits and blisters and yet more splits doesn’t necessarily make for great prose. But John L Parker’s cult classic is a wonderful read. The plot - inspired by the author’s own experience as a college athlete - follows the career and exploits of Quenton Cassidy, a middle distance runner at a fictional university.

Ethiopia is one of the power houses of distance running but unlike its neighbour and great rival, Kenya, little has been written about its running culture. Michael Crawley’s excellent debut redresses the balance, offering a fascinating insight into the often-unorthodox way in which the country’s athletes train. Crawley, a 2:20 marathon himself, spent 15 months living and running with Ethiopia’s best runners, and the result is a book full of interesting insights and new understanding.

RW’s Rick Pearson says: ‘Crawley immersed himself in Ethiopian running culture, and it tells in a book that is almost impossible to put down. The insights he offers into Ethiopian training philosophies, diet and racing strategies are fascinating, and it’s shot through with a reverence and appreciation of a running culture that’s created so many greats.’

A wonderful insight into the heart of the UK running scene, David Chalfen's account of his life and how running became so intertwined in it, is a real ode to the sport, offering a peak behind the curtain into the world of amateur and elite running and coaching.

The story of how Nike became a global powerhouse might sound a little dry, but not in the hands of Nike co-founder Phil Knight. His story of how he went from borrowing money from his parents to sell imported shoes out of the back of a van, to dominating the sportswear scene, is surprisingly haphazard and yet totally compelling.

Diana Vyshniakova / EyeEm The Guardian Speedwork for older runners, Jog On, is a memoir inspired by this feature. Described as a love letter to running – in which she honestly and openly describes how she used running to battle anxiety and depression – Jog On shows how something as simple as putting one step in front of the other really can empower you.

RW’s Alice Barraclough says: ‘Reading Bella Mackie’s book confirmed everything I already knew about the link between running and mental health – that running, whether you’re gently jogging a 5K, or heading out for a long run, has the ability to make you forget about everything else, even if just for a moment. Our bodies are capable of so much more than our minds allows us to believe.”