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