Born to Run
Page turning
Awe-inspiring
Unforgettable

Born to Run Ein vergessenes Volk und das Geheimnis der besten und glücklichsten Läufer der Welt

Originell, faszinierend, abenteuerlich: ein Journalist auf der Suche nach dem letzten Geheimnis des Sports Seine Passion: das Laufen, sein Beruf: das Schreiben. Christopher McDougall suchte eine Antwort auf eine vermeintlich einfache Frage: Warum tut mir mein Fuß weh? Wie er sind Millionen von Hobbyläufern mindestens einmal im Jahr ernsthaft verletzt. Nach unzähligen Zyklen des Dauerschmerzes, der Kortisonspritzen und immer neuer Hightech-Sportschuhen stand McDougall kurz davor, zu kapitulieren und die Diagnose der Mediziner ein für alle Mal hinzunehmen: „Sie sind einfach nicht zum Laufen gemacht.“ Stattdessen hat sich der Journalist weit abseits der kostspieligen Empfehlungen von Ärzten und Ausrüstern auf eine abenteuerliche Reise zu den geheimnisvollsten und besten Läufern der Welt begeben. Eine Reise, die McDougall in die von Mythen erfüllten Schluchten der Copper Canyons in Mexiko führen sollte, wo ein Volk lebt, das sich seit Jahrhunderten unter extremen Bedingungen seine Lebensweise bewahrt hat. Die Tarahumara verkörpern den menschlichen Bewegungsdrang in seiner reinsten und faszinierendsten Form. Laufen über lange Strecken ist für sie so selbstverständlich wie atmen. Was wussten sie, was McDougall nicht wusste? In seiner Reportage geht er den vergessenen Geheimnissen der Tarahumara nach. Er verbindet lebendiges Infotainment über neueste evolutionsbiologische und ethnologische Erkenntnisse mit zahlreichen, inspirierenden Porträts von Menschen, die sich – egal, ob sie zum Spaß das Death Valley durchqueren oder einen Ultramarathon in den Rocky Mountains absolvieren – eines bewahrt haben: die Freude daran, laufen zu können wie ein Kind. Einfach immer weiter. Denn in Wahrheit, so McDougalls Fazit, sind wir alle zum Laufen geboren.
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Reviews

Photo of Chris Farrell
Chris Farrell @1pairofshoes
5 stars
Apr 22, 2024

This was the best book I have read in 2017. It has been on my reading list for a couple of years, but, I managed to pick up something else first. My mistake. I have been a consistent, long distance runner for 2 and a half years. I learned as much about myself as I did about the Tarahumara.

Photo of Michael Knepprath
Michael Knepprath@mknepprath
5 stars
Apr 4, 2024

I had already started to run more frequently, but this book inspired me. It's a real life adventure story - I highly recommend you read it!

Photo of Abigail Swallow
Abigail Swallow@abigail
3.5 stars
Oct 13, 2023

Fantastic book in terms of the story and adventure in it all. Could have done with less about the theory behind the runners and more on the characters of the story. Definitely veered into some sketchy scientific territory sometimes but overall still quite enjoyable.

+3
Photo of Kash B
Kash B@xhikari
5 stars
Jul 1, 2023

Not only a great story, there's a lot to learn here, biomechanics of running, even down to a rough idea of diets and an understanding of the elusive group of Tarahumaras 

+5
Photo of Tuago
Tuago@iagomr
1 star
Apr 13, 2023

Couldn't digest the author's character who seems to think he knows it all. The stories also seem very exaggerated.

Photo of Lord Aragorn
Lord Aragorn@lordaragorn
4 stars
Feb 19, 2023

Entertaining read about ultra runners. Enjoyed reading about the colorful characters and the book is motivating me to run

Photo of Maddie
Maddie@maddie
5 stars
Dec 27, 2022

Lovely story interspersed with interesting studies and details about the evolution of humans and how our bodies function.

Photo of Ben Radford
Ben Radford@ben_radford
4 stars
Dec 24, 2022

This is a great read for those who can identify to any degree with the benefits and pleasures of running. Having run two marathons to date gave me a bit of an appreciation and perspective for the ultra running community and culture. McDougall's writing is light, humorous, and entertaining yet he offers an in depth look at the history and anthropology of running and it's utility to our society.

Photo of Julia Rivera
Julia Rivera@jriver23
2.5 stars
Nov 22, 2022

Starts off unbearably slow, also what is it about white men who feel the need to profile these kinds of stories? Whatever, I guess. The last like 30% of the book was compelling. I enjoyed learning about the different runners and the race itself. I probably wouldn't recommend it though.

Photo of Rin Dav
Rin Dav@erinllsm
5 stars
Nov 10, 2022

Honestly re-inspired me to appreciate and learn to fall in love with running again.

+2
Photo of Stephanie Honour
Stephanie Honour@stephonour
5 stars
Nov 4, 2022

"i want to run!" is exactly the phrase this story will send spinning through your mind. it's motivation for all the runners out there who are tired of running. not only does it throw around some pretty cool notions about sneakers versus barefoot running, but it also unveils a neat twist on the evolution of the running man (formerly understood to be the evolution of man, in my memory). this is a must read for runners!

Photo of Ahmed Salem
Ahmed Salem@salem309
5 stars
Sep 6, 2022

I came to this book with one goal. I want to have quick speed tips and tricks for my non-existent Running skills. HOWEVER .... This book has shifted my mind totally toward the activity of Running. Running is not a tool you are using to get fit or enhance your body shape. It is something evolved with us through hundred of thousands of years. It is something like sleeping, thinking, reproducing and other out of box features of human beings. We are animals crafted to run. Actually we are the best running animals over this planet. It is not optional any more to be start training to be a Marathon runner :) ABSOLUTELY RECOMMENDED

Photo of Terry Thomas
Terry Thomas@tenthnazgul
4 stars
Aug 12, 2022

Born to Run is for barefoot running what Rich Dad, Poor Dad was for investing: a game-changing book that introduces the topic in an accessible way. It talks about things that, once you read them, seem obvious and self-evident. It makes you realize that you've been following the herd in some aspects of your life in very counter-productive ways. It makes you want to both just get started (managing your money better/ditching bad, overpriced running shoes) and learn more about the subject. (Of course, once you do learn more about the subject, you realize that the authors have over-simplified many aspects.. But the core of the message remains fundamentally true.) Written in punchy, unputdownable prose, chock-full of stories about inspiring superhuman runners along with information for the average person, this is a must-read for any runner.

Photo of Emma Friedheim
Emma Friedheim@emrosemary
5 stars
Jun 24, 2022

I know I’m late to the party but I finally got around to reading this and LOVED it. A fascinating story filled with such colorful characters...and good running inspiration :)

Photo of Liz
Liz@elfabs
4 stars
Jan 28, 2022

Wow!!!! Makes me want to run again barefoot and then research everything this book mentions. Very interesting and it's true too!!!

Photo of Melody Izard
Melody Izard@mizard
4 stars
Jan 10, 2022

Entertaining, inspiring, funny, informative. Loved it. It's the story of the authors interest in discovering more about our natural ability to run (uh huh, oh yeah we do all have a natural ability to run) and he sets out to learn more about the Tarahumara - an indian tribe in Mexico who have an uncanny ability to run for miles and miles up and down canyons while smiling. He sets up an ultra marathon with a cast of interesting ultra-marathon characters and in between telling us about the race he gives us interesting running facts.

Photo of Erin Noel
Erin Noel@erinhnoel
5 stars
Jan 9, 2022

When I picked up this book, I thought I might get a little inspiration to do the one activity I do not enjoy, but it is so much more than a book about running. It's a beautifully crafted story of a motley crew coming together to participate in the world's first mixed gringo and Tarahumara tribe ultra-marathon through the Copper Canyon in Mexico--a place most people do not survive. Each of the runners share a common passion, pure enjoyment and down right spiritual zen-like state of running. They run with heart, breaking records and defying the human body's natural limitations without even trying to.

Photo of Rob Erekson
Rob Erekson@roberekson
5 stars
Jan 1, 2022

I can easily say that this book changed my life. I had just about given up on running entirely due to recurring shin splints that I just couldn't seem to get rid of. While at the park running one day, I got into a conversation with a guy that recommended this book to me. Having previously heard of the book, I knew it was something I'd be interested in, so I purchased it immediately, planning to read it on vacation in a couple weeks. Little did I know it wouldn't make that long! Once I started reading the book, I couldn't put it down until I finished reading it. This book gets a lot of credit for fueling the barefoot running movement. While the book doesn't really come out and advocate barefoot running, it does recommend not running in thick-soled running shoes with large heel drop measurements. The main thing I took away from Born to Run was why to run. Every time I read the book, I wanted to get out and run. So how did this book change my life? It helped me learn the proper running technique, so I no longer got shin splints from running. More importantly, however, it taught me to love running again, and why to love running.

Photo of Elizabeth Garza
Elizabeth Garza@pocketedition
5 stars
Dec 31, 2021

What a funny, engaging, and engrossing read! I 100% believe you do not have to be a runner or even particularly like running to enjoy this book. But, if you ARE a runner, this book will make you just want to strip down to your skivvies and RUN FOREST RUN. It was fascinating and so inspiring to read about this group of indigenous people that just love to run for the sake of loving to run. And as the reader learns more about the Tarahumara they also learn about ultrarunning culture here in the US and some of the stars of this very small niche (though it has been growing since the publication of this book and still growing I'm sure) in sports. It was so inspiring and fascinating to learn so much about how we humans are meant to run, it's just we've gotten away from enjoying just being able to move our bodies like we once used to. Lastly, the writing is fantastic! I have a hard time reading some sports-nonfiction because sometimes the writing is just not that good. This is fine since I know being a great writer is not these people's top priority. But it was so nice to read a sportsbook with really good writing because it makes the reading experience so much more fulfilling.

Photo of Shantesh Patil
Shantesh Patil@shantesh
5 stars
Sep 17, 2021

If a book could inspire you to run this is it

Photo of Carolina Lopes
Carolina Lopes@carolina
4 stars
Sep 5, 2021

Books about running are officially the best thing to listen to while running

Photo of Carlo Zottmann
Carlo Zottmann@czottmann
5 stars
Aug 5, 2021

A great, inspiring, interesting and eye-opening book.

Photo of Les Reynolds
Les Reynolds@lreynolds
4 stars
Jul 29, 2021

Well told and eye opening. Makes me want to run (and I hate the slog).

Photo of Patrick Arminio
Patrick Arminio@patrickpy
5 stars
Dec 23, 2024
+2