To the Limit: The Meaning of Endurance from Mexico to the Himalayas

by Michael Crawley

The author of Out of Thin Air, winner of the Margaret Mead Award 2022, journeys through different cultures to find out the meaning of endurance. In a world where we are having to work harder than ever before, where talk of 'burnout' is everywhere and where pressures increase in many areas of our lives, some of us are turning to endurance sport and extreme challenges. Pushing human limits has even become enmeshed with pushing technological limits, a cultural obsession fed by a multibillion-dollar technology industry led by the likes of Fitbit and Apple. To the Limit asks why this might be and what kind of meaning we attach to our ability to endure.Michael Crawley immerses himself in various endurance cultures and asks what makes enduring together meaningful to people. He learns how Nepalese runners face different challenges depending on their location up a mountain, from those in the lowlands and 'middle hills' to Sherpas from the Solu Khumbu, and observes Tarahumara ultrarunners' ability to cover extreme distances on highly technical terrain. But he also delves into the history of Dance Marathons, six-day pedestrianism races in Madison Square Gardens and the unique Enhanced Games.To the Limit explains why enduring with others can help fostering social connections and bringing people together, and argues that endurance might change the way we think about the natural world and our place in it.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports, Travel, Audiobook, Health

272 pages, Hardcover

Published November 19, 2024

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was an interesting meditation on a wide range of endurance sports and physical challenges. I appreciated his view as an anthropologist, but I wish the text felt a bit deeper and more focused.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an anthropological take on endurance running across the globe. It addresses the crossroads of endurance and new data-driven world and what that means for the historically community-focused world of endurance.

I really appreciated some of the unique perspectives of Michael Crawley. As an anthropologist, I felt like the information he was sharing throughout the book is some of the most in-depth narratives on endurance cultures that are often significantly misunderstood. I think he did an excellent job in not trying to oversimplify these cultures and the ways in which they approach not only endurance, but every day life.

And yet I found myself wanting more depth out of this book. I feel like it at times lacked organization and perhaps a clear focus.

Nonetheless, as a lover of anything endurance related, this book did not disappoint. As a whole, it is an incredibly thought-provoking read. And offers a significant call to action.

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both enlightening and philosophical in nature, Michael Crawley explores what it is to endure. My interest was piqued because I am often around endurance runners and I have ZERO comprehension of why or how people choose to do this. I was hopeful someone might be able to put it into perspective for me. I was surprisingly impressed with the ability to explain the meaning from other’s experiences. I genuinely appreciated the view from other cultures and how they explained and told stories to capture the meaning and purpose of endurance. I loved the reinforcement of the need for others in persevering and the benefit of not trying to do it alone. The insights on personal tracking devices was enlightening as well as what is required of professional athletes.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

[steve hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone who loves endurance challenges.

Michael’s first book was wonderful on Ethiopian marathon running, so evocative and intelligent, but this one is better, more scope, more analysis and some really interesting insights into human behaviour around endurance, but still with a pleasing smattering of personal anecdotes, interesting characters and descriptions which made the first book so unique. Wonderful!

[Clara MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re a runner, cyclist, climber or endurance athlete, definitely read this book.

Things this book made me think about (slight spoiler warning although I think what I’m about to discuss is also described in the blurb):

⭐️ Our obsession with running gear and trackers. In the West we’re obsessed with things like plush shoes, running vests, GPS tracking etc. VS you’ve got professional runners in Kenya and Ethiopia who run barefoot and don’t use anywhere near our level of kit or tracking. It makes you think if actually, all this gear has made our bodies far less resilient in endurance sport? And now we’ve become more dependent on good gear?

⭐️ Tracking variables obsessively to the point we are out of touch with our body. Watches provide things like HR, V02 max etc. It made me realise that actually I don’t really know what well what each of my running paces feels like (unless they’re drastically different obviously) without looking at my watch. Has my watch made me less in tune with my body?

⭐️ Social media means now people can post like athletes until they actually are. So many fitness and lifestyle influencers have blown up to the point they make a career from social media, and now their sport has become their career, consequently they have so much more time to invest etc to the point they actually reach athletic level, and all because of social media unlocking the ability to give sport the time and dedication it takes to get good. And these people are sent free nutrition products etc which makes it even easier to reach performance goals. But this isn’t something everyone can do. So don’t compare yourself to what you see online, because a lot of people get free race entry, nutrition etc.

⭐️ The privilege in our pain. The kind of ‘pain’ or ‘discomfort’ we experience in endurance sport is a privilege. The fact we even get to do such cool events. But specifically the authors talks about participantion in an ultra-marathon in Nepal he takes part in. He’s struggling and is using his hydration vest etc. But then he realises there are literal mothers and families around him who are so chronically dehydrated they are suffering from things like dehydration-diarrhoea. It REALLY puts into perspective what we perceive as a ‘struggle’ in our sport.

⭐️ Climate change and sport. E.g. the food consumption that goes into fuelling, the meat industry and people paying £££s to travel across Europe for races that drastically increases carbon footprint. It seriously made me think about how I get to my next race or where I book it.

The only reason I didn’t give this book 5 stars was because I did really enjoy it, but there were some small parts I lost interest in. But that’s probably because I’m a very average runner (despite my love for running) and therefore I don’t understand all the techy stuff.

[Francis Tapon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Crawley's "To the Limit: The Meaning of Endurance from Mexico to the Himalayas" is a comprehensive exploration of endurance sports (especially running) and their cultural significance across various societies.

It delves into the motivations behind participating in strenuous activities like ultra-marathons, long-distance cycling, and mountain climbing.

Crawley, an anthropologist and a 2:20 marathon runner, examines what drives individuals to engage in physically demanding pursuits.

He poses critical questions about whether these activities represent a quest for freedom or merely reflect societal pressures related to productivity and competition.

The narrative is enriched by Crawley’s experiences and insights gained from running alongside different cultures, mainly focusing on groups such as the Tarahumara in Mexico and Sherpas in the Himalayas.

Themes
- Cultural Significance: The book highlights how endurance sports can foster community and alter perceptions of nature and our role. Crawley emphasizes the joy of collective movement, whether traversing the Lake District or navigating challenging trails in Nepal.
- Social and Spiritual Dimensions: It investigates broader social implications, exploring how endurance can connect people and be a vehicle for personal growth.
- Anthropological Perspective: By viewing endurance through an anthropological lens, Crawley provides readers with a unique understanding of how these activities are perceived in different cultural contexts.

Its engaging narrative and insightful discussions about the nature of endurance are perfect for someone only moderately interested in the subject.

"To the Limit" is enlightening for anyone interested in endurance sports, anthropology, or the deeper meanings behind human physical challenges. Through his journey, Crawley celebrates the spirit of endurance and invites readers to reflect on their motivations and connections to these activities.

He ends with a chapter on climate change, which is a non sequitur.

I liked the book.

[Noelle Marshall · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Trail running is also a way to leave Nepal and represent Nepal to the world, which is a big motivation for a lot of the runners here. I’ll be at a dream that can be hard to realize.”

Title: To the Limit
Author: Michael Crawley

⭐️⭐️

This is a nonfiction book about endurance running/endurance in general.

The author explores what endurance running, and endurance athletes mean for many other countries. He touches on things like regulations, opportunities, access to events, accessibility, and money and how they all work together to help or harm athletes who want to be part of bigger running events in the world.

While I like situations in which people are pushed to their extremes, I personally lean more towards survival situations. This book was interesting in that, there are things that each culture brings that sometimes can’t scientifically be explained as far as their abilities go for having more endurance or endurance sports. Overall, I believe this is a very niche book. If you are into running or ultra marathoning, you might enjoy this book. For me it just didn’t hit. I wasn’t really interested. The author quoted a lot of other materials and people so I feel like you could read the book Born to Run and get some of the same information that he was regurgitating into this. It was a short book so I listened to it in a day.

[Hunter Marston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crawley has once again hit it out of the park with another stellar book subtly mixing anthropological fieldnotes with polished and easy-to-read prose. He even finds a way to weave in Emil Durkheim's notion of collective effervescence in a discussion of Ethiopian running culture. Midway through the book there is a really interesting comparison of attitudes and practices surrounding doping. He suggests highly paid athletes in the Nike Oregon Project have an innate advantage over Ethiopian runners who frequently compete without a salary or professional management and struggle to navigate World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) and safe sport prohibitions. He also devotes a fascinating chapter to professional athletes' relationships to social media. This was a thoroughly enjoyable and enriching read!

[Rauno Villberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heard about this on a cycling podcast and glad I checked out the full book, short and sweet.
Interesting insight into different cultures (and how they live & run) with good sociopolitical analysis included, shines a spotlight on how African and Western athletes' record-breaking performances are treated quite differently by the media at large.
Not a runner myself - nor have I cycled for quite that long as the runners in this book have ran for in one go - but that didn't much limit what I got out of this; my experience from cycling fills the gaps and the knowledge of endurance sports carries over, not to mention that there are some bits here dedicated to cycling too.
Could have gone more in-depth at points, but overall, really enjoyed it.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little bit of everything, but not enough of anything. I could have read an entire book about his time in Nepal, but was left wanting with only two chapters. Although the author is an anthropologist he doesn't commit fully to an academic exploration of endurance, instead sprinkles it in while leading us through a meandering journey that left me ultimately unsatisfied.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I expected, but very interesting anthropological perspective on running and endurance worldwide. Challenges other narratives like Born to Run that, according to the author, disregard the social aspects of endurance cultures in favor of capitalistic ‘this one trick’ thinking.

[Mark Deaner]

Interesting book book especially if your and endurance athlete. It inspired me to read Born to Run.

[Rachelh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for the writing 2.5 stars for the audiobook. Might as well have used a computer voice as lack of emotion and pronounciation is jarring.

[Stuart Sellers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice look through an anthropologists lense at various endurance based cultures around the world. Particularly enjoyed the chapters on Nepal which I knew little about.

[Megan Rosol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to on my long run. It was interesting, topical, and it distracted me from focusing on the discomfort.

[Kacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Lewis Burrowes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Ta0paipai · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I found most intriguing and valuable was the “why” of ultra-endurance participants.