Many people marvel at the feat of the marathon, but few actually take up the challenge against mind and body. "I'm not fit enough" or "I haven't got enough time to do all that training" are classic responses that stop so many people from setting out and taking the first step towards a lifetime achievement, one which can never be taken away and one you never tire of telling people about. Yes, the marathon is a long way to run, jog or walk, let us not forget that, but author Richard Nerurkar--Great Britain's most successful marathon runner of the 1990's--is a man that has seen it, done it and got the medals to prove it. His insight can guide the novice from the end of the street to the finish line, 26 miles--and don't forget the 365 yards--later, while at the same time help the elite club runner find those extra few seconds that will give you a new personal best. As well as providing structured training schedules to follow, Nerurkar shares his own experiences with the reader to help you on your way no matter what your standard. The pages are crammed full of practical tips for the active mind and body and have all been put into practice so you be sure that despite the pain and suffering they work. There are no shortcuts to the marathon, but with the help of this book Nerurkar points you in the right direction. --Andrea Bullock
If you've read another book on getting in to marathon running then this one isn't going to give you much, if anything, more. Loaded with autobiographical anecdotes from mostly elite marathon runners I found it largely irrelevent for somebody contemplating their first attempt at 42.2km. Nerurkar makes up for some of his more indulgent choices however by providing some very interesting charts and tables on training plans and his writing style is largely clear and concise, only straying in to enexplained terminology on the rare occasion. There's a lot of options out there for the marathon trainee to choose from and this book should never be first choice, especially not as the first book they pick up.
Very useful guide. Lots of information for runners of all levels. A book I will definitely be referring to regularly when training for long distances runs.
Not very good. It's full of irrelevant anecdotes about how elite athletes train for marathons, the layout is cluttered and the advice is poor. Too often you see references to parts of the book you haven't got to yet.