In Search of Al Howie

by Jared Beasley

Al Howie’s monomaniacal pursuit of distance made him a legend. His demons made him human.

In the mid-1970s, Al Howie began showing up at the world’s longest footraces, sporting a wild mane of blond hair, a mangy beard, and white singlet that read “Hell’s Gate.” While most of the runners stretched and warmed up, Howie downed beer. When the gun sounded, he went out too hard, too fast—but won anyway. No one was surprised—Howie had run hundreds of miles just to get there.

Perpetually broke, Al Howie was part of a countercultural scene of hippie-vagabonds who stumbled into the golden age of multi-day racing. These dirtbag athletes ran hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles. But no one covered more ground than Howie. In 1991, he ran 4,474 miles across Canada in world-record time—72 days, 10 hours. Two weeks later, he entered a 1,300-mile race in Queens and broke the world record—his own.

Years later, Jared Beasley sets out to find this legendary runner. In Search of Al Howie takes readers on a surprising journey, uncovering bizarre aliases, fake IDs, and a multi-national kidnapping. Despite his unbelievable drive and athleticism, Al Howie is a man trying to outrun his own failure.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Biography

Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 10, 2026

About the author

Jared Beasley is a New York based author and journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Canadian Running, and Outside. Two of his articles were recognized among Runner’s World’s top ten stories of 2020, and he has been featured on podcasts such as Ultrarunner, Author’s Stories, Bad Boy Running, and The Shakeout Podcast. He writes a monthly column, “Detours of the Lost and Found,” for Ultrarunning Magazine.

His debut book, In Search of Al Howie, earned rave reviews and a Kirkus star for literary merit. Adventure Journal described it as a moving biography that recalls an unplugged era of human-powered adventure. Beasley has since contributed over 50 ultrarunning features to major media outlets.

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 I bumped up to 4. A heartbreaking story in a lot of ways, but a worthwhile read nonetheless

[Richard Lehingrat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reads like the long slow Saturday morning runs I used to look forward to. A great piece of sports literature. *****

[Rahul Chandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the book, but it was definitely a sad tale of someone who was definitely a running prodigy, but someone that struggled in every other area of life, and someone for whom when it started going bad, it deteriorated quickly. I can definitely sympathize with the people in his life that found him difficult and were eventually alienated from interacting with him, but considering his running accomplishments I can't help feeling that he deserved a better ending.

[Sam Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fascinating story. I’ve read many running books at this point and none have made me quite so baffled at the sheer scale of what someone can accomplish if they’re single-minded enough. I really enjoyed this book.

[Mike Kostka · Rating 4 out of 5]

The guy ran and won a 24 hour race while drinking one beer every hour for 24 hours. Enough said.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

"In Search of Al Howie" is likely only going to be of interest to ultra runners, though having said that, I think it might be a fascinating read for anyone wanting to see the price paid by an athlete attempting to be the very best at his sport. I read this shortly after finishing "The Last Dance," which was primarily about Michael Jordan's basketball career, and there were definitely some parallels between the two athletes. To be the best at his respective sport, each was blessed with physical talent, not just the talent needed for the sport but also the ability to avoid serious injury. Al Howie was an ultra runner who ran everything from the mile to marathons but was principally known for multi-day runs and a run across Canada. For training, he would spend entire days running through the woods and would often run hundreds, if not over a thousand, miles to and from races. Despite all this mileage, his worst physical ailment seemed to be some blisters and sunburn (although he was eventually set low by serious depression). Both Jordan and Howie appeared to sacrifice much else for their greatness. Both had families, with wives and children, and both had friends, but one has the sense that the relationships suffered or took a back seat to training for the sport. The author of "Al Howie" seems a bit bummed that not more people know of Howie, especially outside Canada. There were even numerous complaints that his trans-Canadian run was not better publicized and that multi-day events, in general, fell by the wayside, and it's true that endurance runners are fantastic athletes, but the sport itself is dull for non-participants who can't comprehend its difficulty. This is much different than someone sitting down to watch a two-hour basketball game. Howie appeared to excel in one area of his life: running. Though he spent time planting trees, he couldn't really hold a steady job. His relationship with his own family in Scotland was fraught, and he left for other countries in the Sixties--Turkey, Canada--without acquiring the proper papers, so he lived much of his life as an illegal immigrant. Even his name is a creation. Howie was married twice and had two children, from both of whom he eventually became estranged. As someone who values balance, I find it difficult not to judge such people as selfish. To his credit, Beasley wrote a very objective account of Howie, allowing readers to form their own opinions. I long thought the formula for athletic greatness was talent and work ethic, but after watching "The Last Dance" and reading about Al Howie, I would add a third component: competitive drive. Both Michael Jordan and Al Howie hated to get beat. All of us hate losing, but for them it went further, to a driving element in their lives. Even if we don't agree with all of their life choices, I think it's important to honor these figures. They are human. And even if I see some of their choices as mistakes, maybe they don't feel that way. Maybe they just weigh everything as the price paid to their sports. I can't help thinking about Howie's son, though, who was caught between a dad who only wanted to run all the time and a mother who was a hardcore drug user. He didn't really have a chance at a "normal" life. Overall, the author did a nice job with this life story. My biggest complaints were that Beasley's prose could occasionally become choppy, and I sometimes had trouble following the transitions of the book, which alternated between Howie's life and his run across Canada. Regardless of your feelings about Howie, I believe it's important for fans of running to know this figure and his accomplishments.

[Bennjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recounting the story of a distance runner, someone who plods out mile after mile, hour after hour is anything but glorious and captivating. Add the complexity of narrating the story of a super-endurance ultrarunner like Al Howie, and the task becomes nearly insurmountable. Yet, Beasley carefully and expertly crafts the story of an unknown/bygone era of running. Though he was not perfect by any sense of the word, Al Howie was a gift to the sport of ultrarunning. All running accomplishments, Canadian and North American records, and even World Records aside, his story captivates the reader in that it is a human story. It's believable. It's almost too real. Every reader has endured setbacks and obstacles and suffered consequences for their actions and choices. Al Howie's story resonates with readers from 10 to 100 because each of us has made a mistake and learned and grown from it. Al didn't accept the word "no". He was a fighter through and through. Beasley tells a story of a man who felt shame, scorn, and pride all at the same time. In a time before Dean Karnazes there was Al, running mega distances to and from races, putting up hundreds and thousands of miles as "warm ups", sacrificing personal health and relationships... for a cost.

I enjoyed this journey into the history of Al Howie, arguably Scotland's and Canada's finest ultrarunner. It is a must read for anyone that is a fan or student of the sport. "He was an oddball even among ultrarunners." Working in conversations and interviews with his widow , friends, crew and competitors of the decades he spent in the sport, Beasley articulates that Howie embodied the same thing that Terry Fox brought us - genuine empathy and feeling about something.

It seems that both Howie and Beasley argue that we all have a story to tell. And that sacrifices are what makes a story worth telling. The Spartan Tartan was a real life Forrest Gump, a man who lived, and loved, and gave everything he had to the sport. He ran not just because he loved it or was good at it, but because it defined WHO he was. It became part of him until his last day.

This is a must read for all runners and all readers who have ever had a dream, a passion, a goal, or a belief in something. Follow that feeling. You just might surprise yourself.

how fitting it was that his story starts and ends at Hell's Gate (and Hell Gate). he pushed the envelope through and through. Put his health and relationships on the line, and proved to the world that it's not about ability. It's about heart, determination, and bull-headed GRIT.

Bravo. Another biography for the ages. Can't wait to share this story with my runners.

[Christopher Kelsall · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Search of Al Howie is the story of a man who moved at near inhuman paces over unearthly distances. He appeared to have been driven by demons that pestered him in perpetuity until his death in 2016. Along the way, his mind seemed to drive his heart and legs to set ultra-running benchmarks that may never be eclipsed.

Or perhaps he was in a state of peace while running 1200 kilometres from Vancouver to Edmonton to race the Edmonton Marathon and then back again, both times traversing the Rocky Mountains. Or his 2300 km trek from Winnipeg to Ottawa to race a 24-hour ultramarathon (195K) and then back again. Or run across Canada, some 7200kms in 72 days; a seemingly impossible task.

Born in Scotland, he escaped during the birth of hippiedom in the 1960s to Southern Europe and eventually to Canada, where he lived most of his life as a Scot and not as a Canadian citizen. He eventually became a Canadian with the help of his wife Claudia.

Once a heavy smoker and for most of his life a heavy beer drinker, he accidentally happened upon his ability to run tirelessly, when after a row with his common-law wife, he headed out the door and raged through a 10-mile run and to his amazement was not tired at the end of it. And so began his prodigious life as an ultra runner and an enigma within the multiday running community, where eccentricity is the norm and normal is eccentric.

Read more: https://athleticsillustrated.com/book...

[Pascal Erb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm currently training for a marathon and found In Search of Al Howie both an engaging read and an inspiring one. The book is really well written, with a fascinating story that kept me hooked from start to finish. It goes really deep into the extraordinary life of ultramarathoner Al Howie, who pushed the boundaries of human endurance and showed us all just how much our bodies are capable of achieving.
Al's journey shows us that while our bodies can go further than we often believe, our minds need just as much care and attention.

I really enjoyed the subtle life lessons that were woven into the story. One thing that really stood out for me was the reminder that even top athletes can enjoy a beer now and then.

If you're a runner, an endurance athlete, or simply looking for inspiration, In Search of Al Howie is a must-read. It's not just about running; it's about the incredible potential of the human spirit when paired with determination and madness.

[Luciano Villegas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Al Howie was quite the interesting individual. His records and feats are downright incredible and stupefying. As was his running and ways about it. If it weren't for witnesses and photos, his story would be impossible to accept.

Read the book in less than a day. Recommend if you're a fan of the human body and want to read something truly unbelievable.

[Daniel Dumas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a journey. Canada’s cross-country running record holder is both protagonist and antagonist to a life on the run. The distances he accumulated were unbelievable. If you’ve got the runner’s itch, then this tale will suit you well.

[Caitlin Foisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an incredible story!!! Hard to believe the amazing feats of endurance Al accomplished. Very sad personal story. I would like to have learned more about the end of his life and what happened to his family, but understand the focus was on Al himself due to the circumstances.

[OldLeg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written book about a complex and impressive man.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard to believe the things he did. An incredible book on an extraordinary man that shows his struggles and triumphs throughout life.

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating story, poorly told.

[Stuart Sellers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found the jumping about in the writing a little confusing at times. Really interesting read, although ultimately quite a sad story.

[Michel B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very very interesting story - probably more so if you're a runner. I enjoyed it immensely. The author did a good job of telling Al Howie's story in an accurate and honest way. I thought I knew all the running greats. How tragic that the world seems to have missed this epic runner. Story appealed to me even more, given that I'm a Canuck.

Generally well written. Hops around a bit and not always done so very consistently/clearly (reason for the 4 stars rather than 5).

Many lovely pics.

Appendices are very cool and an awesome addition to this book.

[Brady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow - what a missed opportunity. 2.5 stars rounded up. I think this is a fascinating story that needed a better story teller. I realize there were limitations because of limitations with the protaganist, but there seems like there was so much more to tell, or a better way to tell it. This felt clunky and disjointed. And it seemed to focus on the facts and figures as opposed to the internal machinations or fortitude of the runner. Again, this was limited by Howie himself, but there were enough other runners who were helpful in the story that they could have helped fill in the blanks. It's really cool to know that someone can run 1,000 miles in 13 days, but I'd have loved more insight into what it really takes. Who knows, maybe it was in the book and I just expected more, but it felt lacking to me.