Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall is the story of one man’s epic adventure to answer the question of why his foot hurts and why others can run so well.

Confined by Mexico’s lethal Copper Canyons, the ecstatic Tarahumara Indians have sharpened the capacity to run many miles without rest or injury. In an arresting account, grant winning writer and regularly harmed sprinter Christopher McDougall decides to find their insider facts.

All the while, he takes his readers from science labs at Harvard to the sun-heated valleys and freezing tops across North America, where steadily developing quantities of ultra-sprinters are stretching their bodies to the edge, and, at last, to a climactic race in the Copper Canyons that pits America’s best ultra-sprinters against the clan.

McDougall’s inconceivable story won’t possibly draw in your mind yet move your body when you understand that you, surely we all, were destined to run.

Christopher McDougall Books

About the Tarahumara

The Tarahumara word for themselves, Rarámuri, means “runners on foot” or “those who run fast” in their native tongue according to some early ethnographers like Norwegian Carl Lumholtz. The Tarahumara people had widely dispersed settlements which lead to them developing a tradition of long-distance running up to 200 miles in one session to reach other villages to communicate as well as hunt. The runs would take them around two days as they traversed through their homeland of rough canyon country.

The Tarahumara would use huaraches, a traditional form of minimal footwear similar to sandals, when running which has brought about much discourse as well as the rise of the barefoot running movement.

About the Author

Trained as a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press, Christopher McDougall covered wars in Rwanda and Angola before writing the international bestseller, Born to Run. His fascination with the limits of human potential led him to his next book, Natural Born Heroes. McDougall also created the Outside magazine web series, Art of the Hero.

Born to Run has been optioned to be made into a feature film with Matthew McConaughey attached.

Other Books You May Like

Natural Born Heroes: Mastering the Lost Secrets of Strength and Endurance by Christopher McDougall: This one sees Christopher travel to the Mediterranean, where he finds that the mysteries of antiquated Greek legends are still alive on the island of Crete, and fit to be released in the muscles and psyches of casual competitors and aspiring heroes all over the place.

Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness by Scott Jurek with Steve Friedman: Jurek is a dominating force in ultrarunning and, in this book, he opens up about his life and career as a champion athlete with a plant-based diet and inspires runners at every level.

Once a Runner: A Novel by John L. Parker Jr.: The undisputed classic of running novels and one of the most beloved sports books ever published, Once a Runner tells the story of an athlete’s dreams amid the turmoil of the 60s and the Vietnam war.

Born to Run Podcasts

The Morning Shakeout with Christopher McDougall: This conversation sees the author and podcast host talking about his books, as well as running, writing, storytelling, community, competition, and a lot more.

I’ll Have Another with Lindsey Hein Podcast: Lindsey interviews “one of the most authentic and easiest people” she’s ever talked with in tis episode as they discuss his books, running, parenting, and more.