Untethered: The Comeback Story of One of The Longest Fastest Runs In History

by Dave Proctor

If you want a fairy tale ending, read Snow White. If you want to know what it’s like to dream big, fail hard, get up again, and feel crushing defeat even as you finally taste victory—UNTETHERED is for you.



Four years after his 2018 Trans Canada run crashes and burns, four-time champion ultrarunner Dave Proctor returns with a fierce resolve to conquer 7000+ kilometres, a 30-year-old record and his own personal demons.



This raw yet frequently hilarious real-life adventure takes you on a wild rollercoaster of grit, willpower, sacrifice and suffering, punctuated by the steep mountain roads, terrifying near-misses, crushing fatigue, fraying relationships and fleeting joy that were his life for 67 days, 10 hours and 27 minutes—followed by a devastating aftermath.

338 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 12, 2023

Reviews

[Laura Moore · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing read. I love ultra running, and I’ll soak up every detail I can. However there usually some growth? Lessons learned? Nope.

Full paragraphs on how his brother didn’t put enough electrolytes in his water or meat in his sandwich and one sentence on how he got so angry he couldn’t remember whether or not he hit his girlfriend. Not exactly the story of self development and growth I was looking for.

This book reads as if he is upset he didn’t get the attention he was looking for during his run and now has to tell his story to anyone who will listen, editors be damned.

I think everyone should read this book and look at the relationships in it. His kids didn’t even answer his call the night before he finished his race. He seems to only care about the people who tell him how wonderful he is.

Also, it’s disgusting to leave your poop out on the roadside, clean up after yourself.

[Scott Kummer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome re-telling of an unfathomable journey across Canada and the destruction and pain that accompanied it. A once in a generation performance and story.

[Molly Wynen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An honest recounting of a remarkable run. The journal style was a bit boring to read at the beginning but as the run became more complicated and intense so did the storytelling. I enjoyed reading Dave’s girlfriend’s perspective and felt his sharing of what came AFTER was very brave and important to the story.

[Ronald Poon-affat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Untethered is one of those rare books that meets you exactly where you are — physically exhausted, mentally frayed, but still stubbornly moving forward.

Reading it on the final leg of the Disney four-day running festival felt uncannily well-timed. As I head into the last day, knowing that today ends with a full 42 km, Proctor’s reflections on discomfort, self-doubt, and the quiet negotiations we conduct with ourselves resonated deeply. This is not a book about heroics or bravado. It’s about persistence, humility, and the deeply human moments that occur when forward motion becomes a choice rather than an instinct.

What makes Untethered so powerful is its honesty. Proctor doesn’t romanticize suffering; he contextualizes it. He shows how endurance is less about strength and more about clarity — understanding why you keep going when stopping would be easier and perfectly rational. That framing stayed with me on every tired step.

For anyone in the midst of a long challenge — athletic or otherwise — this book doesn’t shout motivation. It quietly steadies you. And sometimes, especially on the last day of a long race, that’s exactly what you need.

[andrew c. fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look into the mind of an ultra-endurance athlete.

This story is more than a running book. It captures the journey and spirit of ultra-endurance athletes, who will sacrifice themselves and everyone around them for a self-imposed mission. Well written and well paced it exposes these sacrifices as well as endurance motived life advice that non-runners will find interesting. You definitely feel Dave’s sense of accomplishment, as well as his struggle to recover from a physical and psychological rabbit hole.

[Jill Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short version - Worth the read. It’s simple to follow and interesting, but the author is definitely a runner, not a writer. Read it for the adventure and the journey, not the profound writing. Anticipate feeling like you’re in an ultra- it can be clunky and quite fragmented and random at times. Read and reread the last chapter. If you’re not from Canada, have a map handy.

[Peter Waterman · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the run was insanely fast I found the book to be rather slow and repetitive.
I appreciate Dave sharing his mental health battles and using the book as a platform to reduce the stigma. As a runner I know how important running and the routine of running is to my own mental health, and that it is always a work in progress.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like running and want to find the motivation to get into the sport or if you want to run an ultramarathon, I highly recommend this book for inspiration.

[Jesse Kitteridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

A blow-by-blow account of Dave's battle on Highway 1. Loved every page of it.

[Tori James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great motivation

It's a story that makes me feel as though I can do whatever it is I set my mind on.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted more of story and less of a day to day recap of how the run went.

[Dafne Valle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is real and raw and I loved because of it. Crossing the second largest country in the world and break the record time could never be a fairy tale.

[Stuart Sellers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this as a travelogue across Canada and an extraordinary accomplishment, but found the author somewhat annoying.

[Phillip Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5: An incredible tale of perseverance both before and after a fastest known time effort to cross Canada on foot.

[Shawn Seitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent story about his run across Canada and the subsequent emotional role.