The 27th Mile: How to Smooth the Rough Transition Out of Your Running Years

by Dimity McDowell

From a former contributing editor at Runner’s World, a narrative-driven prescriptive book on reckoning with the end of an athletic journey—and what comes next.

On January 18, 2020, Dimity McDowell unknowingly went on her last run. The deceleration of her running career began three years before that, following a medical visit which ended in the assessment that she should not run anymore. She should have quit then and there. But running is not like other hobbies; the sport anchored major parts of her identity, including her career, self-image, and mental health. This is true for so many runners (who are about 50 million Americans participate in some form of running or jogging). And many of them will have to grudgingly hang up their sneakers at some point.

This is the story of anyone who lives and breathes the pavement—and has to give it up. The 27th Mile focuses on the time when running—or any other physical pursuit that anchored your daily life and self-identity—is no longer a healthy choice because of injury, chronic pain, or illness.

While The 27th Mile is anchored in Dimity’s personal journey, as one of the founders of the popular website Another Mother Runner, she taps into her vast network to share stories from others who have been there, as well as expert advice for empathy and wisdom to help guide readers to the next chapter of their athletic identity.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Memoir

261 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 24, 2026

Reviews

[Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written by a woman that I’ve never met in real life, but whom I feel like I know from the many happy miles I’ve had while listening to her and her former business partner’s podcast for the many years that I ran. While that podcast and business are no more, she continues to virtually coach and cheer on runners and walkers (and me!), and everything in between. I’m currently fully engaged in her Many Happy Miles strength/mobility/cardio program, and am feeling stronger than I have in a long time.

Dimity beautifully expressed the last ten years of my life in this book. I haven’t run during most of that time, constant injuries sidelined that. Having been a runner for about 15 years, it’s been a huge and painful transition, mentally and physically. I’ve managed to stay mostly injury free by walking, hiking, and doing yoga, but, man, I’ve missed running. I’ve started picking up the pace again, but have accepted that running will probably never be my primary workout again. This book completely validated my feelings about that and really helped me put it all in perspective.

If you’re chronically injured and looking down the road at what the future holds for you movement wise, or heading into menopause and not loving the way your body and mind are feeling, pick this book up.

My only complaint is a small one. I know Dimity’s voice so well having listened to it for many years, so I was mildly disconcerted by the narrator of the audio version. I immediately recognized Dimity’s words, but the narration really threw me off. The narrator did a perfectly fine job, but I would much rather this had been read by the author. I asked Dimity about it before the book’s release, and she told me she didn’t pass the voice test. 😂😂 Don’t know if she was kidding, but I would much rather have heard her voice. Small nit, though. It certainly didn’t take anything away from the book.

Happy reading, and I hope your future is filled with purpose and movement for all the years of your life. This is a great starter guide for doing just that.

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 27th Mile: How to Smooth the Rough Transition Out of Your Running Years

Description: Former contributing editor at Runner’s World and author Dimity McDowell’s narrative-driven prescriptive book on reckoning with the end of an athletic journey—and what’s next.

Why I picked it: I’m a runner in my own 27th mile, always seeking inspiration and practical tips for the ongoing quest to stay strong, fit, and connected to adventure.

Where I discovered it: Another Mother Podcast/Community

Quick Take:
I devoured this book in just two days. It’s equal parts memoir, advice, and community. I loved reading about the author’s journey—how she started running, how it shaped her life, and how she navigated the difficult, unexpected moment when she had to accept that her running days were behind her. The book blends her story with those of other women, offering a thoughtful roadmap for the “27th mile” and empowering readers to set new athletic, fitness, and wellness goals for the next chapter of life.

As a 27th miler myself, I found this book deeply accessible and affirming. I stopped running in 2016, right after what I considered to be my perfect marathon. I dabbled in a few shorter events (hello, Tough Mudder) before officially hanging up my shoes in 2018. Nearly a decade later, I still think of myself as a runner and sometimes wonder if I should try again.

This book helped me make peace with 30 years of running—reminding me that life after running can be just as rewarding, and that it is okay to look back on something I loved with fondness rather than sadness/loss. The pages are filled with ideas for future challenges outside of running - including a few I'm interested in training for. A wonderful, grounded, and encouraging read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are no books on the market like this one! There are books on all kinds of running related topics, there are books on grief and loss in a multitude of forms. But I have yet to encounter a book designed to walk through the grief and loss that comes when you can no longer run. I have often felt silly feeling such big feelings over the loss of something like running. This book validated my big feelings! I am now almost 6 years “off the road” from running, and I really wish I had this book back when I decided I needed to stop. If you’re finding yourself clocking less miles lately, feeling more aches and pains than joy in running, or just trying to figure out if it’s time to hang up your sneakers - this book is for you!!

[Amanda Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any runner who has ever been injured and every runner over 30 might want to cry at times reading this because we’ve all pondered “am I done”? It’s a worthwhile read at any point to understand what might be coming, to support a friend or to validate what you internally already know to be true.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of great info!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coming out in February, thanks to the publisher for the arc for review.

Short review: a great resource for anyone going through a change in their fitness life. Whether you (or a friend) are a runner, swimmer, biker, triathlete, weigh lifter, hiker and are going through a transition this is a great book to pick up. Dimity offers her own perspective, but also brings in other’s point of view, including psychologists and experts in the field, and regular ole’ runners like myself. Can be read all at once, or pick through it out of order as needed.

Dimity is a former runner and athlete and partner in a successful company for women runners that offers training, nutrition programs, and holds events. That’s where I first ran (pun intended) across Dimity from Another Mother Runner. I used their training programs for years, attended events and made many virtual connections through their programs. Little did I know, during some of that time Dimity was going through her own struggles of not being able to run. She talks about it in this book, how she managed her own disappointment with her body, performance and impact on her career. Her personal experience is essential to this book, she’s been through this transition, from runner to - non-runner herself, and knows the heartache and disappointment personally.

The chapter on adjusting friendships and losing the community of running friends really hit home for me. That’s why I think this book can apply to so many people that have something in their life that can bring so much joy and community, and then lose it when it doesn’t work for them anymore. Dimity interviews other’s and offers advice on different ways to navigate the hardest parts of this. She considers mental health, fitness, community, competition, family and even social media and aging. I think it’s a very well rounded view of the challenges of transitioning from identifying as a Runner to whatever comes next for any of us.

Great read and congratulations to Dimity on her book.

[Terzah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm an old fan of Dimity McDowell from back in the days when she and Sarah Bowen Shea started Another Mother Runner. I've loved how she writes about running and womanhood in a voice that actually achieves the over-used phrase "keeping it real." This book is no exception.

As I've embarked on my 50s (I'm a year or so older than McDowell), I've found myself plagued by one thing after another that keeps me from training as I did in my 30s and 40s. Some running women barely register menopause as a blip. Several women of that age in my running group have just gotten faster. But that hasn't been the case for me. Menopause and the attendant hormonal changes and sleep disruption it brought have slowed me down to the point that the races I ran 10 years ago (even the "bad" ones) seem like something that happened to someone else. I regularly get the question "Do you still run?" The answer is yes, I've never stopped. I've just been on a cycle of not sleeping, getting injured and then having to come back--and each comeback has found me a little slower than I was before. It's as bad in its way as puberty was for me--that was another transition that seemed effortless for some girls but not for me. That was acne and weight gain and feeling alienated from my body. This is hot flashes and insomnia and weight gain and feeling alienated in my easily injured, increasingly fragile body.

It's been so hard because, for two decades, I've relied on running as a magic pill for both physical and mental health. It's not always reliable for me now, though I'm hanging onto it with both fists. McDowell understands all of that, and more. She actually has had to stop running completely. And this book offers a road map for how to contend with that. I really hope it doesn't come to that for me. But if it does, her advice is a road map. I'll be better able to handle it because she handled it first.

[Sarah Lavender Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great resource for injured as well as retiring runners. I wrote a full review on my newsletter here: https://sarahrunning.substack.com/p/l.... An excerpt:
You might wonder, as did I, is there really a whole book’s worth of material to explore about the end stage of one’s running? Yes, it turns out, there is!
Even if you don’t want to “go there” mentally to consider a future date when you can’t run, I recommend you do, because our running years likely do have an end point. And, you might cope with a run-stopping injury eventually.
She surveyed some 60 women who are former runners, along with a good number of experts in the fields of sports psychology, coaching and training, and physical therapy. With their input and case studies, she wrote sections that cover:
- how to decide whether and when to stop running for good, and the stages involved with reaching that decision
- how to process the grief from letting go of your routine and your identity as a runner (including writing your own running obituary—and she provides a great personal example)
- how to shift and expand your identity as a runner to an athlete in other realms, and develop new interests and friendships—the phase of the metaphorical 27th mile
- how to manage runner-friendships when you can’t run, and how to stay involved with the running community as a non-runner if you choose to do so
- how to love and accept your body as is, especially as you age and if you put on weight
I hope you'll read my full review at link above.
Thank you, Dimity, for putting this book into the world!

[Ultra Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a coach and a long-time runner, I was intrigued by Dimity McDowell’s “The 27th Mile.” Would it be the definitive guide for what comes next? We spend decades working on running more, running better—but we almost never talk about the retirement when it's forced on us by our bodies. 

McDowell hits on something very real here: the non-physical consequences of losing our sport. When our social life and mental health are tethered to the Sunday long run, losing them isn't just a physical setback; it’s an identity crisis. The book validates a unique grief and pushes us to stop trying to "fix" and start accepting a new baseline.

While the book is a bit repetitive, I enjoyed how McDowell interweaves personal experience with stories from other retired runners. But the catalog of physical breakdowns, followed by replacement sports and hobbies that barely scratched the itch, scared me off more than it helped me. 

I think this book is for you if you're already on your way out of running. It's a soothing read showing you that you're not alone, and that mourning your training log is a normal process that only we runners truly understand.

In gratitude to Grand Central Publishing for the Advance Review Copy.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where are you on your own running/athletic journey? If you are facing the end and wondering what to do, this book is for you! If you are in your own heyday and think things will never end, this book is for you! If it has long past but you still miss it, this book is for you! Seriously, anyone (male or female) facing those changes and challenges that come with an aging athletic body can find some humor and peace in these pages. Dimity (whose voice you hear in your head if you listened to the Another Mother Runner podcast) is the world's best cheerleader! Throughout the book she provides a realistic yet enthusiastic view of what can come next for the reader. It was strange to both see myself past, present, and future in the pages of the book. And, to complete the communal hug, there are stories and quotes from several others throughout the pages reminding the reader that while we are all on the same road, it runs different for all of us!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.

[Danielle Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came to running in my early 30’s as a way to help me lose some much needed weight and to help process a husband who had been suddenly injured in a car accident. I bought Dimity and her co-author’s earlier books about running while trying to figure out how to start running since I was a complete novice and non-athlete.
I have followed Dimity and her company, Another Mother Runner, for over 10 years and she and the community helped me become a better runner and helped me walk through life together with them.
This book is an excellent next step in Dimity’s career as an author and as a runner as it outlines what to do when running no longer serves you-whether it’s from injury, health, or for so many other various reasons. She walks us through what you may be feeling and how to deal with it as you decided to leave running behind you and what the next step could be for you.
She speaks to experts and various runners of all ages and backgrounds on what caused them to decided to leave running and the ways in which they have filled their cups since doing so.

[Mary Gersemalina · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the first books I've read about dialing back if and when our bodies push against us. Most of us will reach a time when we will need to change the focus of our running activities/athletic pursuits. We will slow down, we may even need to stop. The 27th Mile does a good job laying out how identity can be easily tied to what we do, and she shares how hard it can be when what we do has to change -- whether due to injury or other life circumstances. It's hard! McDowell tells us that we are not alone, that grieving these changes or feeling otherwise emotional is normal. Still, there is always something new on the horizon when we are ready.

While this is a thoughtful and emotionally honest book, it is somewhat repetitive. Perhaps this is because McDowell is trying to show a diversity of experiences.

Recommended for those who are seeing their athletic identity changing, and/or want to read about how others have experienced this time and managed it.

[Jayme · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the author and creator of Another Mother Runner book and community, this was a book that I needed to be written. It addresses a topic that is often not talked about - the grief of having to retire from running. For many, running is such an ingrained part of our identity and it does so much for us not just physically but mentally and emotionally. I love Dimity's vulnerability in sharing her own story but also the story of 50 women she interviewed. It provides validation for the strong emotions that come along with having to give up running as well as very practical advice for moving forward and finding other ways to receive the various gifts running gives. I waited months to have this book in my hands and I was not disappointed. Will definitely be giving as gifts to others that hit this point in their running journey.

[Cyndie P · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully supportive guide to navigating life without running. Giving permission to grieve something that truly feels like a loss. While also helping navigate exploring that next athletic adventure. Knowing it might take time and knowing there will be some trial and error and knowing nothing will ever quite feel like running. It's just nice to know there are so many other women navigating this same life experience.

[Jill Wilde · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a former runner that ran for one reason in the beginning (to get in shape after children) but continued doing it for many years after (friendships) this book was great. I have had to cut back for various injury related reasons and know eventually will need to completely stop. I loved the stories other women shared of their journey.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the good fortune of meeting Dimity and Sarah on the bus after the 2007 Nike women’s marathon. I have read their books/articles in the past. This book perfectly puts into words what running does for the mind, heart and soul. I am still running, but feel like my days are running short (pun intended) and will take what I’ve learned from this book with me, when I transition to the 27th mile.