Running With the Legends: Training and Racing Insights from 21 Great Runners

by Michael Sandrock

Read Running with the Legends and become a training partner, student, friend, and fan of some of the greatest runners ever. You'll be informed, inspired, and entertained by the programs, prescriptions, and personalities in this book. Who better to learn from than the best?

Legends is more than a collection of biographies. It provides the closest and most complete look at how running and runners have changed from the great Emil Zatopek in the '40s and '50s to the superlative Uta Pippig in the '90s. It does so by detailing the development, training techniques, coaching, competitions, motives, and perspectives of 21 all-time great runners. Author Michael Sandrock, one of running's most prolific writers, draws upon his own 25-year running career and his extensive interviews and research to provide special insights throughout the book. Sandrock knows what runners want to know, and here he shares a wealth of information that's sure to satisfy with each sentence and sidebar. The runners selected range from the imposing short distance speedster Alberto Juantorena to the determined long distance marathoner Joan Benoit Samuelson. And because running greatness is not limited by political or geographical borders, runners from 17 countries are represented in the book. From special tips you can use to incredible feats that will inspire you, Running with the Legends is full of material to enhance your own running and your appreciation of those who have set the standard for excellence.

592 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1996

Reviews

[Alexei · Rating 5 out of 5]

21 interesting, different & inspirational stories about great elite runners from 1950s to 1990s. Starting with Zatopek and ending with Morcelli.
Michael Sandrock did really great job of collecting these stories, editing them and presented them in entertained way!
Reader will get to know about how these athletes loved their athletic career. About why they chose running & competing. About hard earned victories, joy of progress, terrible defeats and unexpected setbacks.
Almost all of them are different kind of journeys to the top.

*Personal thoughts
After finishing each person's chapter, there was a feeling of gaining a new friend
These athletes struggles and achievements gave me confidence and enjoyment in my own jogging!
There wasn't any "bad" chapter at all, every person's story was interesting

[MariKate E · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me over two years to finish this book but it was well worth the wait. The wait that each chapter is a separate biography of each athlete is conducive to being able to pick up and put down the book as needed (busy class schedule, etc.). I really enjoyed learning more about running history and the training techniques of these pioneers of the sport. I would love for someone to write a second version of this book in ten years or so, containing bios of athletes that are competing today. Hopefully we would get an even male-to-female ratio in the second version of the book!

[Joshua Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in 1995, it's basically 21 short biographies of the best distance runners up to that point in time. At almost 600 pages, it's a bit long, but a good read for those who follow the sport. I wish he'd write a follow-up to cover the legends in recent history like Keninisa Bekele, Haile Gebrselassie and Paula Radcliffe.

[John Mignosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. I reread chapters of it frequently for inspiration.

[JDK1962 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Good, but very long, and because the nature of the profiles did not vary (recent incident -> upbringing -> race career highlights in lots of detail -> training -> current activity), the 21 chapters tended to blend together. Also, the fact that this is an older book made it feel...well...out of date. Still, being someone who lives and runs in Boulder, it was fun reading all the Boulder references...plus it gave me some training ideas.

[Richard Mayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most motivational and comprehensive books on running - I would recommend it to anyone, particularly a young person, interested in running. It has portraits of many of the greatest athletes of all time from the immortal Zatopek to the Nouredinne Morceli. Highly recommended.

[Mike]

Incredible Book on what it takes to be the best in the world