The Marathon Makers

by John Bryant

In the space of 24 hours in July 1908, dramatic events came to a climax at the first London Olympic Games. The marathon distance of 26 miles 385 yards set at that time has since been accepted worldwide and this thrilling account of heroism, ambition and scandal tells for the first time the story of three remarkable men whose destinies collided in the battles that overshadowed these Games. It is a tale that stretches from rural Italy to the battlefields of the Boer War; from Ellis Island to Broadway and beyond to explore the foundations of the modern sporting and marathon movements and celebrate the strength of the human spirit.

363 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2008

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

Reviews

[Kevin Brubaker · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the hands of a great writer, disparate stories can be woven together into a compelling literary tapestry. But in lesser hands, this technique results in something more akin to a child's first attempt to weave a potholder out of old socks. Sadly, this book is in the latter category.

All the facts are present for a compelling story about the characters that came together around the marathon at the 1908 London Olympics. And because the author is himself a runner, he includes information about pace, distance, and strategy that runners who read books like this are looking for.

With a better writer -- or, perhaps, editor -- this could have been a wonderful book. But unfortunately Bryant tackled a project beyond his abilities. To cite just one example, the sentence announcing the death of the book's protagonist is buried in the middle of a longer paragraph. Many events are told out of order with spoilers that only confuse the reader. And as soon as I found myself engrossed in one character's story, he'd switch to follow another character. In the end, it was hard to care much about any of them.

[Trinity Buckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating, and I not only learnt a lot about the humble beginnings of the marathon, but also about the characters of those who formed it.

[Talinehay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting book about the first marathon runners in early 1900s who ran the marathon as part of the first Olympic Games.