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The Long Run: Steve Prefontaine, Frank Shorter, Joan Benoit, Grete Waitz, and the Decade That Made the Marathon Cool
Not yet published
Expected 14 Apr 26A dramatic narrative telling the story behind the running and marathon boom of the 1970s and early 1980s, featuring the stories of Steve Prefontaine, Frank Shorter, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Grete Waitz, and many others, and how a generation of runners turned a formerly obscure distance into a national obsession
On September 3, 1970, the New York City Marathon was run for the first time. One hundred twenty-seven runners paid a $1 entry fee. The race was won by a Long Island firefighter who came to the starting line straight from his overnight shift. Only one woman competed. All but one runner was a New York resident.
Fifty-four years later, nearly fifty thousand runners finished the same race. Nearly half were women. More than three times as many runners applied, and over two million spectators watched. Today, runners from all over the world run the NYC Marathon, and many others like it. Marathons are inclusive, fully global, and still exploding in popularity.
How did we get from there to here? As Martin Dugard, long-time runner, running coach, and #1 New York Times bestselling author explains, it was thanks to four very special runners who changed the way America, and the world, saw running. The Long Run will celebrate these athletes—Frank Shorter, Steve Prefontaine, Joan Benoit Samuelson, and Grete Waitz—and many more, sharing stories of the specific races and social movements that transformed running from a niche sport to a national obsession. It is a story with big characters, enormous moments, and a historical arc that has never been completely explored. The Long Run will reveal how the sport of running, and the race, that we all know and love became iconic--and how “finishing a marathon” became a top bucket-list goal for runners and non-runners alike.
On September 3, 1970, the New York City Marathon was run for the first time. One hundred twenty-seven runners paid a $1 entry fee. The race was won by a Long Island firefighter who came to the starting line straight from his overnight shift. Only one woman competed. All but one runner was a New York resident.
Fifty-four years later, nearly fifty thousand runners finished the same race. Nearly half were women. More than three times as many runners applied, and over two million spectators watched. Today, runners from all over the world run the NYC Marathon, and many others like it. Marathons are inclusive, fully global, and still exploding in popularity.
How did we get from there to here? As Martin Dugard, long-time runner, running coach, and #1 New York Times bestselling author explains, it was thanks to four very special runners who changed the way America, and the world, saw running. The Long Run will celebrate these athletes—Frank Shorter, Steve Prefontaine, Joan Benoit Samuelson, and Grete Waitz—and many more, sharing stories of the specific races and social movements that transformed running from a niche sport to a national obsession. It is a story with big characters, enormous moments, and a historical arc that has never been completely explored. The Long Run will reveal how the sport of running, and the race, that we all know and love became iconic--and how “finishing a marathon” became a top bucket-list goal for runners and non-runners alike.
336 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication April 14, 2026
1 person is currently reading
3510 people want to read
About the author
Martin Dugard
54 books417 followersMartin Dugard is the New York Times #1 bestselling author of the Taking Series — including Taking Berlin (2022) and Taking Paris (2021).
Book Two in the Taking series is titled Taking Berlin, covering the final nine months of World War II in Europe. Taking Berlin goes on sale November 1, 2022.
He is also the co-author of the mega-million selling Killing books, the bestselling non-fiction series in history: Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy, Killing Jesus, Killing Patton, Killing Reagan, Killing England, Killing the Rising Sun, Killing the SS, Killing Crazy Horse, Killing the Mob, and the upcoming Killing the Killers.
Other works include the New York Times bestseller The Murder of King Tut (with James Patterson; Little, Brown, 2009); The Last Voyage of Columbus (Little, Brown, 2005); Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone (Doubleday, 2003), Farther Than Any Man: The Rise and Fall of Captain James Cook (Pocket Books, 2001), Knockdown (Pocket Books, 1999), and Surviving the Toughest Race on Earth (McGraw-Hill, 1998). In addition, Martin lived on the island of Pulau Tiga during the filming of Survivor's inaugural season to write the bestselling Survivor with mega-producer Mark Burnett.
Book Two in the Taking series is titled Taking Berlin, covering the final nine months of World War II in Europe. Taking Berlin goes on sale November 1, 2022.
He is also the co-author of the mega-million selling Killing books, the bestselling non-fiction series in history: Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy, Killing Jesus, Killing Patton, Killing Reagan, Killing England, Killing the Rising Sun, Killing the SS, Killing Crazy Horse, Killing the Mob, and the upcoming Killing the Killers.
Other works include the New York Times bestseller The Murder of King Tut (with James Patterson; Little, Brown, 2009); The Last Voyage of Columbus (Little, Brown, 2005); Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone (Doubleday, 2003), Farther Than Any Man: The Rise and Fall of Captain James Cook (Pocket Books, 2001), Knockdown (Pocket Books, 1999), and Surviving the Toughest Race on Earth (McGraw-Hill, 1998). In addition, Martin lived on the island of Pulau Tiga during the filming of Survivor's inaugural season to write the bestselling Survivor with mega-producer Mark Burnett.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 10, 2025
What a trip down memory lane. I did my first marathon in 1994 and spent a lot of time reading books about the marathon greats and the history of the marathon. This book put a fun twist on some old stories about the legends in this great sport. It made me feel like all the old books I read just told the facts. In this book, you get more of the personal stories and first hand accounts. Dugard does a great job describing the events (both victories and defeats), so wonderful that you could almost feel like you were there watching them unfold.
Personally, after 111 lifetime marathons/ultra marathons I still get nervous every time I wait at the start line and overwhelmed with emotion as I cross each finish line. This book was a wonderful book to read as I train for my next adventure.
Personally, after 111 lifetime marathons/ultra marathons I still get nervous every time I wait at the start line and overwhelmed with emotion as I cross each finish line. This book was a wonderful book to read as I train for my next adventure.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Running as a sport has had a long and interesting history. The marathon event is the premier race, testing an athlete’s endurance and mental fitness. This book by Martin Duggar’s, a marathon runner himself, tells the interesting period from the 1970s where the marathon became more popular for both runners and spectators.
The story actually starts in ancient Greece. The legend of Pheidippides running to tell the people of Athens about the victory at the battlefield of Marathon is a great story, but Dugard shows why that myth doesn’t hold up. The story of why the length of a marathon is 26 miles and 385 yards also is questioned as Dugard explains that the legend of the extra 385 yards being added so the finish line is directly in front of Queen Mary’s box doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. These stories along with others make this early part of the book very interesting.
However, it gets even better when Dugard starts writing about the great runners named in the subtitle of the book. Steve Prefontaine was THE MAN for running in the early and mid-70s as his popularity soared before his tragic death in 1975. Frank Shorter’s gold medal for the marathon brought that race home to millions of American viewers. Joan Benoit Samuelson and Greta Waitz were early pioneers in breaking the glass ceiling (wrongly constructed by the AAU and officials of the Boston and New York City Marathons) for women running long distances. Each of these athletes’ stories are fascinating and make for great reading. It should also be noted that Dugard writes about those two marathons and important milestones for them such as when the New York City Marathon became a run through all five boroughs.
Whether you’re an experienced marathon runner, a runner who settles for shorter distances or even a non-runner, this book is sure to be one that a reader will want to add to their shelves.
I wish to thank Dutton for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
The story actually starts in ancient Greece. The legend of Pheidippides running to tell the people of Athens about the victory at the battlefield of Marathon is a great story, but Dugard shows why that myth doesn’t hold up. The story of why the length of a marathon is 26 miles and 385 yards also is questioned as Dugard explains that the legend of the extra 385 yards being added so the finish line is directly in front of Queen Mary’s box doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. These stories along with others make this early part of the book very interesting.
However, it gets even better when Dugard starts writing about the great runners named in the subtitle of the book. Steve Prefontaine was THE MAN for running in the early and mid-70s as his popularity soared before his tragic death in 1975. Frank Shorter’s gold medal for the marathon brought that race home to millions of American viewers. Joan Benoit Samuelson and Greta Waitz were early pioneers in breaking the glass ceiling (wrongly constructed by the AAU and officials of the Boston and New York City Marathons) for women running long distances. Each of these athletes’ stories are fascinating and make for great reading. It should also be noted that Dugard writes about those two marathons and important milestones for them such as when the New York City Marathon became a run through all five boroughs.
Whether you’re an experienced marathon runner, a runner who settles for shorter distances or even a non-runner, this book is sure to be one that a reader will want to add to their shelves.
I wish to thank Dutton for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Man, I really hate running. I love this book, though! Martin Dugard tells the story of how America started its love affair with the marathon, jogging, and getting outside.
If you are familiar with Dugard's previous books, then I don't need to sell you all that much on this one. Dugard resurrects names you never knew before or maybe forgot, while reframing names you definitely heard before. It just so happens that we are talking about long distance runners. I was struck at how Dugard's short, action oriented sentences come off differently in this narrative. In his World War II books, his rat a tat sentence structure made you feel the adrenaline rush of battle. Here, the same flow actually feels like it slows down the story to make it feel like you are out for a leisurely jog.
Normally, my favorite parts of Dugard's books are the utterly bizarre facts he finds and presents to the reader. For instance, do you know why the marathon is as long as it is? It takes an actual investigation to find the culprit or I should say culprits. However, this particular facet of myth-busting came back to bite me personally. It turns out my favorite dorky history fact is a myth. I'll never forgive him.
That all said, I found the best part of this book to be Dugard's personal story. This isn't a memoir, but Dugard is a runner and the sport was a major solace to him in his youth. He provides just enough personal insight to allow the reader to connect with the runners we may not have a personal connection to. Steve Prefontaine is probably the most recognizable name in the book, but almost everyone else is probably only known to the most hardcore runners. In summary, you don't have to love running (and I certainly don't) to really like this book.
(This book was provided as an advanced reader copy by NetGalley and Dutton Books.)
If you are familiar with Dugard's previous books, then I don't need to sell you all that much on this one. Dugard resurrects names you never knew before or maybe forgot, while reframing names you definitely heard before. It just so happens that we are talking about long distance runners. I was struck at how Dugard's short, action oriented sentences come off differently in this narrative. In his World War II books, his rat a tat sentence structure made you feel the adrenaline rush of battle. Here, the same flow actually feels like it slows down the story to make it feel like you are out for a leisurely jog.
Normally, my favorite parts of Dugard's books are the utterly bizarre facts he finds and presents to the reader. For instance, do you know why the marathon is as long as it is? It takes an actual investigation to find the culprit or I should say culprits. However, this particular facet of myth-busting came back to bite me personally. It turns out my favorite dorky history fact is a myth. I'll never forgive him.
That all said, I found the best part of this book to be Dugard's personal story. This isn't a memoir, but Dugard is a runner and the sport was a major solace to him in his youth. He provides just enough personal insight to allow the reader to connect with the runners we may not have a personal connection to. Steve Prefontaine is probably the most recognizable name in the book, but almost everyone else is probably only known to the most hardcore runners. In summary, you don't have to love running (and I certainly don't) to really like this book.
(This book was provided as an advanced reader copy by NetGalley and Dutton Books.)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What a wonderful book! Yes, it’s a microhistory of the marathon and running in the U.S. but Dugard’s voice is delightful. It feels as if you are keeping pace across 26.2 miles with him telling you stories as you keep pace. The facts are illuminating but the asides are just as insightful. Too often historians/biographers are afraid to share their joy and enthusiam about their subject but Dugard enjoyment comes through and only adds to the reading experience. Although a two-time Chicago marathoner, this book would be of interest to any sports fan, Olympic fanatic, or couch-to-5Ker. Plan to buy copies for the runners in my life.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews