I work a lot with teenage track runners and while many of the girls are inspired by Autobiographies by athletes like Kelly Holmes, Jess Ennis or Chrissie Wellington I struggled to find some that teenage boys felt they could really relate to. So a quick shout out on twitter and here is a list of Running Autobiographies from Male athletes. I’ve stuck to track and marathon rather than fell running, adventuring etc as there are just so many of these wonderful books. Maybe that will be the next list…
Alberto Salazar, 14 minutes – https://www.amazon.co.uk/14-Minutes-Alberto-Salazar/dp/1609619986
Bill Adcocks, The Road to Athens – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Road-Athens-Bill-Adcocks/dp/0954789601
Bill Jones, Ghost Runner – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ghost-Runner-Tragedy-They-Couldnt/dp/1845966066
Brendan Foster – https://www.amazon.co.uk/BRENDAN-FOSTER-Brendan-Foster/dp/0434269115
Carl Lewis, Inside Track – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inside-Track-Autobiography-Carl-Lewis/dp/1476777918
Charlie Spedding, from last to first – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-First-Charlie-Spedding/dp/1781312222
Colin Jackson, Autobiography – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Colin-Jackson-Autobiography/dp/0563521422
David Hemery, Another Hurdle – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Another-Hurdle-David-Hemery/dp/0434326305
Haile Gebrselassie, The Greatest (not an autobiography but good enough to ignore that fact!) – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Greatest-Haile-Gebrselassie-Story/dp/1891369482
John Parker Jnr, Once a Runner (a novel but from the perspective of a high school runner) – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Once-Runner-John-Parker-Jr/dp/1416597891
Linford Christie, An autobiography – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Linford-Christie-Autobiography/dp/0091741793
Meb Keflezighi, 26 Marathons – https://www.amazon.co.uk/26-Marathons-Learned-Identity-Marathon/dp/0593139836
Michael Johnson, Slaying the Dragon – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Slaying-Dragon-Small-Steps-Great/dp/0060392185
Mo Farah, Twin Ambitions – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Twin-Ambitions-Autobiography-Olympic-champion/dp/1444779583
Rob De Castella, Deek – https://www.amazon.com/Deek-Making-Australias-Marathon-Champion/dp/0002173174
Roger Bannister, First Four Minutes – https://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Four-Minutes-Roger-Bannister/dp/0750935308
Roger Black, How long’s the course – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Roger-Black-How-Longs-Course-ebook/dp/B00CA3WGEI
Ron Hill, The long hard road (part 1 & 2)- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Long-Hard-Road-Nearly-Top/dp/095078821X / https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0950788236
Ryan Hall, Run the Mile you are in – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Run-Mile-Youre-Hall-Ryan/dp/0310354374
Sebastian Coe, Running my life – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Running-My-Life-Autobiography-Winning/dp/1444732528
Steve Ovett, An Autobiography – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ovett-Autobiography-Steve/dp/0002181193
