A collection of classic athletics and running books over the years
Picking your favorite athletics or running books is like trying to name your best movies or #1 sports moments of all time. There are a lot to choose from, and of course everyone’s taste is different. So, in no particular order, here are 10 recommendations.
The Complete Running Book By Jim Fix
This 1970s classic inspired the original running boom, even though the author famously died of heart failure while running at the age of 52. It’s the original “how-to” book that provides advice on all aspects of running.
Knowledge of running By Tim Noakes
Much more comprehensive than Jim Fixx’s The Complete Running BookIt’s hard to find a more definitive book on sports than Tim Noakes’. It covers everything from injuries and physiology to training and diet in brilliant detail.
Sebastian Coe, born to run With David Miller
Coe later released several other autobiographies, but this one remains the original and the best as it chronicles his rise from teenage talent to multiple world record holders.
The first four minutes By Roger Bannister
The story of the greatest feat of athletics in history is told by the man who did it. Turns out Sir Roger can write a bit, too, and his quest to run the first four-minute mile comes to a glorious end.
Train hard, win easy By Toby Tanser
If you want to read about how top athletes train, this is one of the best.Published in 1997 by a Kenyan author, it covers in detail the training programs of Kenyan militiamen such as John Ngugi and Paul Tergat.
The official history of AAA England’s centenary By Peter Lovesey
Published in 1979, Lovesey’s magnificent hardback has stood the test of time as it chronicles the history of the world’s oldest athletics governing body and the athletes associated with it.
British athletics’ all-time greats By Mel Whatman
One of the former editor’s retirement plans AW: when he compiled definitive career summaries of the best British athletes, from Walter George and Alf Shrubb to Denise Lewis and Paula Radcliffe.
Coe & Ovett files by AW
A nice little book, it’s basically a series of reproduced magazine clippings covering Coe and Ovet in their heyday, and overall a great read.
Photo by Mark Shearman
Running Afraid – How Athletics Lost Its Innocence By Duncan McKay and Stephen Downes
If you read this book, you’ll realize that issues like doping and corruption have always plagued athletics. deep on the bottom.
Mechanics of athletics By Jeff Dyson
Many of the principles of athletics, such as jumps, throws or hurdling techniques, have remained unchanged over the years, and Geoff Dyson, the father of British athletics coaching, covers them all in amazing detail in this 1962 book, accompanied by excellent illustrations.
READ MORE. The Life of Roger Bannister and The Coaching Chronicles of Mike Fleet
Ultra marathon man by Dean Karnazes
A global bestseller, it’s easy to see why this ultramarathon runner’s story dances from page to page in a fun and inspiring way.
ATFS annual
Put together by the Association of Track and Field Statisticians, it is meticulously compiled and packed with several interesting features every year in addition to pure statistics.Following the death of long-time editor Peter Matthews, it is now edited by Richard Hymans and Stuart Mazdon and supported by World Athletics. :
Born to run By Christopher McDougall
A classic running tale and the book that inspired the barefoot running movement, the joy of running leaps from every page.
READ MORE. Review of the book The Norwegian Method
The 50 Greatest Marathon Races of All Time By Will Cockerell
Like many of the books on this list, it’s now a little out of date, but still a great read and historical resource. 2 mile runs.
A World History of Athletics By Roberto Querchetani
Published in 1964 by the doyen of athletics writers and statisticians, who died in 2019 at the age of 97. Definitely one of my most treasured books.
A runner’s testament By WR Loader
This little-known classic from the 1960s captures the spirit of the sport in beautiful style, detailing what it means to run. “I mean, really run.”
» Jason Henderson has written for AW since 1997 and wrote the official London 2012 book on training for athletics field events, published by Carlton Books and also Collision Course, Mary Decker and Zola Budd’s Olympic Tragedy, published By Birlinn.
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