My Life on the Run: The Wit, Wisdom, and Insights of a Road Racing Icon

by Bart Yasso, Kathleen Parrish, Amby Burfoot (Foreword)

Dubbed the "Mayor of Running," Bart Yasso is one of the best-known figures in the sport, but few people know why he started running competitively, how it changed his life, or how his brush with a crippling illness nearly ended his career a decade ago. With insight and humor, My Life on the Run chronicles the heatstroke and frostbite, heartache and triumphs he’s experienced while competing in more than 1,000 competitive races during his nearly 30 years with Runner’s World magazine.

Yasso gives valuable and practical advice on how to become a runner for life and continually draw joy from the sport. He also offers practical guidance for beginners, intermediate, and advanced runners, such as 5-K, half-marathon, and marathon training schedules including his innovative technique known as the Yasso 800s.

Recounting his adventures in exotic locales like Antarctica, Africa, and Chitwan National Park in Nepal (where he was chased by an angry rhino), Yasso recommends the best exotic marathons for runners who want to grab their passports to test themselves on foreign terrain. With the wit and wisdom of a seasoned insider, he tells runners what they need to know to navigate the logistics of running in an unfamiliar country.

Yasso’s message is this: Never limit where running can take you because each race has the potential for adventure.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Sports, Biography, Fitness, Health, Biography Memoir

288 pages, Hardcover

First published May 13, 2008

Reviews

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The whole time I've been reading this book, I've been IM-ing or texting my friend all the places where I would never want to run.

I would not like to run up (or down) Mount Kilamanjaro.

I would not like to run through a wildlife preserve in Nepal where rhinoceroses roam freely and are likely to chase you if they get the chance at all.

I would not like to run nude.

I would not like to run through Death Valley.

I would not like to run in Antarctica, particularly if my hosts tried to feed me penguin. *cries*

I would not like to run while being pulled along by a burro (not a mule - they're different).

I would...totally like to run in Italy. That's nice.

But I would not like to run in the Arctic.

Turns out, I'm not an adventure runner. *cue absolute lack of surprise from anyone who knows me* I'm not even an around-the-canyon-at-the-farm runner (there are wild boars there, and they'd just as soon gore you as look at you). I'm a roadside runner. A park runner. And when I want to get a little crazy, I might just be a well-kept nature trail runner. I mean, who knows what sort of flowers or shrubbery might be lurking on that trail? Pollen is a dangerous thing to me. But I'll leave the real adventure runs to the professionals.

But I did love his stories. I love how he talks about running. I love his passion. I love how much running means to him and connects him to others. It's so inspiring that I had to go out and walk/run (wow, it's been a long time) several times while reading it.

[CatReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bart Yasso (b. 1955) is a former marathoner who had a long career at Runner's World Magazine; he also coined and popularized the "Yasso 800s" as a training metric for marathon pacing.

Yasso's 2008 book My Life on the Run, cowritten with Kathleen Parrish, is mostly a memoir, but it also includes a section at the end on 5K/10K/half-marathon/marathon training guidelines and memorable destinations for running (again, keep in mind that in 2008, there was also still such a thing as printed travel books people would buy and take traveling with them and the era of the smartphone was just dawning, with widespread super high speed internet till years away). I'm not a runner myself, so I skimmed this last section.

The memoir portions of this book are filled with vivid anecdotes and (black and white, in the Kindle edition) photos from races around the world, written in an irreverent tone that feels familiar from other male athlete memoirs. I appreciated the personal arc - how running helped Yasso move away from substance abuse and toward a purposeful life, ultimately becoming a global ambassador for the sport. He comes across as someone who’s genuinely enthusiastic about connecting with others through running, and I can see why he was a beloved figure in the magazine world for many years.

One quote near the end stuck with me. Yasso writes:

"Can you imagine how grand this planet would be if everyone were a runner? Obesity? Not a problem. Depression? Never heard of it. Sluggishness? Get the hell out."

This reflects both the appeal and the limitation of his worldview. I’m glad running transformed his life, helping him gain structure, health, and motivation. But when someone’s entire identity is wrapped up in a single pursuit, it can lead to an overgeneralized lens on what works for others. Not everyone’s body, mind, or life circumstances are well suited to running, and that's okay. Admiring a sport and its practitioners doesn’t mean adopting the belief that it’s a panacea for all human struggle.

Further reading: running (with themes of rediscovery and transformation)
A Race Like No Other: 26.2 Miles Through the Streets of New York by Liz Robbins - about the 2007 New York City marathon | my review
Running Man by Charlie Engle
Reborn on the Run: My Journey from Addiction to Ultramarathons by Catra Corbett
Running with Raven: The Amazing Story of One Man, His Passion, and the Community He Inspired by Laura Lee Huttenbach
Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner by Dean Karnazes
Eat & Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness by Scott Jurek and Steve Friedman
Finding Ultra: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World's Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself by Rich Roll
Becoming Forrest: One Man's Epic Run Across America by Rob Pope

My statistics:
Book 245 for 2025
Book 2171 cumulatively

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really fun, especially for someone who runs a lot.

I was recently training for my second NYC marathon (which went well, thank you), and went to the Marathon Expo a couple of days before the race to pick up my racing number. They also had a lot of booths, including one for Runner's World, one of my favorite magazines.

This book was written by the man that some people call "the Mayor of Running." The stories are interesting, wacky, and fun. Some of the races seem completely insane to me, including the ultra-marathons and the marathon in Antarctica. Others are just entertaining, like the run in the nudist colony.

The stories are mostly separate vignettes, so they're great for reading in little pieces -- before going to bed, on a train ride, etc.

The book ends with several pages of training advice, which could be really great for someone who wants to run their first 5k, half-marathon, or full marathon. Or for an experienced runner, for that matter.

[Tiaan Stassen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quicker type of look through the life of the author, but with just enough info to keep you hooked. There are a lot of wild stories that kept me envious throughout this book (although some i would really not do in my lifetime). A good read for those adventurous types.

[Hideki Kino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bart Yasso's "My Life on The Run" is a fun read!

It is a shame that it took me so long to finish this book. I bought it in 2008, at the Philadelphia Marathon Expo (Marathon #3 for me). I finished it the morning of Marathon #89 (Maple Leaf Indoor Marathon), 3 years and 3 months later. In the meantime, I have seen and chatted with author Bart a number of times, and he even signed the book 3 times.

I enjoyed reading about how Bart was able to turn his life around from being a substance abuser to becoming an extremely accomplished athlete and magazine editor, and that he was able to help a bunch of inmates turns their lives around. It is also inspiring to learn that he's had to overcome bouts of Lyme Disease and the loss of his original running inspiration, his brother: George Yasso.

The book chronicles some of the running and travel highlights of the "Mayor" of the running community. It is fun to imagine accompanying him on some of his journeys, from adventures in Kilimanjaro to India to a nude race to Badwater 146 (11 mile longer than it is now), to Antarctica, to his & Laura's honeymoon in Italy.

The book will make you want to run more exotic destination marathons and incorporate your vacations around these races. I am also motivated to try out his Yasso 800's to see how hard I can potentially push myself. Let's hope this speedwork training works out!

[Jacques Bezuidenhout · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bart Yasso has experienced it all (almost).
He has some races / achievements behind his name most people can only dream about.

I did like the fact that I have one up on him. He mentions that it is a wish/dream of his to be able to run the Comrades Marathon here in South Africa. This will probable never happen for him, as he is on the older side now, and with his chronic lime disease, it is probably impossible. Having done this race, I feel a sense of achievement in comparison to his accomplishments.
That being said, I have zero ambition to do some of the things he has done.

With some of the other running books I've done like Finding Ultra, Revised and Updated Edition: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World's Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself the focused a lot on the bad things in the author's life. In this book they mentioned it, but the book was 99% positive.

I think it was a nice touch to have a "Part 2" to the book, that went into some training regiment and information on races around the world. This did make me a bit envious. As he describes some of the most beautiful races he has run and also the Bordeaux marathon in France, where you get wine tastings instead of water, paired with oysters and cheese.

I think Bart is one tough cookie. He has mental strength of note. Few people have a life story such as his. This is one inspiring person.

Book is thoroughly enjoyable and just the right length. As with most running books, it makes it extra special listening to them whilst running.

[Natalie Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty fascinating if you ignore his fixation on boobs

[Aubree R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting stories. More of a bunch of short stories than a cohesive autobiography. Writing was good, but not FANTASTIC hence the 4 stars. At the end, it provides training plans and marathons that Yasso suggests, which is kind of cool.

[Andrew Stuckey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bart Yasso worked at Runner’s World magazine for almost 30 years prior to writing this book. During that time he competed in something like 1,000 competitive races, including some of the most unique races in the world (Antarctica Marathon, Bare Buns Fun Run in Washington State, etc.). Hearing Yasso recount these experiences and learning about how many different types of race are available out there for runners is definitely fascinating. But I couldn’t help but think that it could have been much more fascinating. The descriptions of the races seemed to lack depth or insight or some combination of both. Yasso gives us the facts of the race, and some of insights on what he experienced during the race, but I never felt like I was there. And then there is the issue of the purported “wit.” I think the bottom line is that Yasso and I do not share the same sense of humor, because I found most of the “jokes” to be highly generic or obligatory. Phrases like “Marathon police,” or speculations on whether or not his friends managed to have sex in Antarctica just wasn’t bringing the laughter for me, and that’s a problem when you put the word wit prominently in the title of the book. Finally, I feel that I am being a little unfair to the book, as I did enjoy it and read it very fast. The biggest problem is that this is the third “Runner’s Memoir” I have read. The first was Murakami’s “What I Write About When I Write About Running,” and it was a little underwhelming. Then came James McDougal’s “Born to Run,” which is probably one of my all-time favorite non-fiction books. And now I have read “My Life on the Run,” which was again a little underwhelming. In the end, however, I would recommend this book to anyone who runs marathons. While not great, it is still a worthwhile read.

[Akif Aziz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is truly inspiring. It is about an epic running journey of Bart Yasso, who was an alcoholic-turned-runner. He is one of the best-known runner of all time.

There are many wisdoms and insights for both experienced and newbie runners. Bart has completed more than 1000 races all over 7 continents, therefore I must say that all these wisdoms and insights are priceless. And it makes me want to hit the road every time I read the book!

What I found most inspiring is the fact that running changes Bart's life and how he is so determined to change others' by running too. In Chapter 7, Bart told us how he trained a group of alcohol addicts in the rehabilitation center to run a 22-mile relay.

At the end of the book, he said, "As a runner, we each have a duty to accept the role as a mentor to a slower runner or a new runner or someone who doesn't think he or she can walk around the block, let alone finish a 5-K."

The man not only walk the talk, he runs the talk. Throughout his running career, Bart had changed the lives of many people. What about us, runners?

[Kelly Mogilefsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the interesting story of a most interesting runner. Bart Yasso's life and the role running has played in it could easily inspire anyone to achieve, and clearly it has inspired many all over the globe.

What impresses me most about Yasso, and, indeed, about most runners, is their openness. It is what makes running possible for a snail like me....Even for a guy who would always be at the head of the pack, Yasso believes that there is a place for everyone in the race. The book reflects that openness, combining with it stories of amazing runs in wild places with wonderful people. It is as much a testament to the sport as it is to the generous spirit of Yasso himself.

It would be a gift to meet such a man; the beauty of the sport, for me, though, has been that there are thousands of such souls who run. Yasso does a good job of honoring them as much as he does himself.

[Lisa Topp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to give this book five stars for pure entertainment value. I often interrupted my poor husband's reading to read excerpts that made me laugh out loud. Several times I was shaking my head, marveling at the 'no fear' lifestyle that Yasso embraced. Although not many runners will accomplish what Yasso did in his lifetime, through his stories and love of all things running, he expresses the message that all runners are part of the bigger running community, no matter how far or how fast they may run. He's incredibly encouraging and inspiring -if you ever have an excuse not to run, read what Yasso went through.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read. Bart Yasso, editor of Runner's World, and creator of the Yasso 800- the training tool I used to get me to Boston. He's a life long runner, so dedicated to the sport just because he loves it. He tells his story of how he got into running, how it saved his life from one full of drugs and booze. It gave him purpose, led him to his great job and his wife. He's lived a unique life, lives with a terminal illness and has traveled to crazy places and run races all over the world. This was a quick, light read, reminding me to run just for the love of the sport.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I worked with Bart at Runner's World so I knew some of this story, but not all the details. His story was a flashback of sorts for me to another time in my life when I, too, worked for Runner's World.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

GREAT read and totally inspiring! Yasso reminded me that running should be FUN above all else. He's been on some crazy adventures and got the stories to prove it. What an inspiration! I'm almost ready to sign up for a marathon...

Last 1/3 to 1/4 of the book has training plans for racing.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read! Yasso somehow manages to write about some amazing athletic feats without once sounding pompous or superior. In fact, he makes every event sound accessible to the average person, regardless of age or gender. I guess he's fulfilling his lifetime goal of bringing running to the masses.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, the subtitle is quite an exaggeration. I didn't find much wisdom or wit in this book. It's readable and pleasant, and Bart Yasso certainly had an interesting career and life, but it's a pretty pedestrian effort of a running book (pun intended). It's a bunch of tales of interesting events in his running life, such as the Badwater race in California and other "name" events, long bike rides, and scores of local races that he and "Runners World" magazine help to promote. Bart seems like a great guy, indefatigable and friendly, dedicated and serious. And the work of he and others at "RW" literally changed the culture of America for the better. So I'm glad to have a nice book by a nice guy. But there's nothing in it that is half as interesting as a good article in "Outside" magazine or even the better stuff of "RW." It's just an earnest, well-meaning set of diary entries.

It's like if you have a collection of running books, you'd want to add this to your library just to be complete. Or if you know absolutely zero and are intrigued by doing some 5K and 10K races and perhaps, eventually, a marathon, then this book is a nice place to start. But otherwise, you wouldn't want to pick it up.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very strange. Part of it consists of Yasso's self-told biography and running vignettes. Then it makes an awkward switch to his training plans. Then he has a section on his favorite not-to-miss races.

Aside from the peculiar assemblage of material, Yasso's personality (as expressed here) rubs both ways. It is easy to admire and like him, especially since he has done so much for the sport. But then the way he talks about women, women's running, and people of different ethnicities, nationalities, and religious groups feels awkward. For example, he write about how women like running not just for running but so that they can gab with one another. The social aspect of running is true for men and women but he only makes such comments about women. He also makes a lot of jokes about trying to get women topless and jokes based on stereotypes about other people. Yasso seems like a nice guy but its definitely jarring to read in this day and age, especially as a women.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable enough read, Yasso's writing is unfluffy, succinctly describing his history with running and many of the unique races he's run. It was peppered with occasional bursts of wisdom/philosophy and wit and many of the jokes made me laugh out loud, particularly in the chapter about the bare buns run.

I soaked up the bits about training runs, there's a very nice practical section at the end with detailed training plans. I was amused to have discovered this book roughly a week after first learning about the Yasso 800s.

I liked his closing thoughts.

"Running is about acceptance - of yourself and others." (Page 203)

"Running inspires creativity, relieves stress, and gives us insight into our ourselves and the world, making the human condition more tolerable.(Page 203)

"We run to dream, with our subconscious thoughts shaping the path of our lives.(Page 203)

[Rob McClintock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty light read, but Bart Yasso makes it very entertaining. As Chief Running Officer of Runner's World magazine, he traveled all over the globe representing the magazine and really serving as an ambassador for running. The book is a compendium of stories and experiences of the various races he ran and the people and crazy situations he encountered along the way. I enjoyed the stories and as I get older it serves as a great reminder to focus on the experiences we have along the way, not necessarily our race times. As he inscribed in my book, "never limit where running can take you." I have run a couple of international races in recent years, and this is a good inspiration to integrate more running into our travel plans.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who knew there were so many different kinds of races around the world? It definitely gives me motivation to want to try some of them out one day after reading Yasso's accounts of his travels! Yasso comes across as very genuine and down-to-earth in his writing and I have no doubt what you read is what you get with him, based on what I've heard about him in other books and magazines at Runners' World events. His attitude is inspiring and infectious. Anyone that enjoys running or even traveling will appreciate this easy-to-read memoir of sorts.

[Colleen Grande · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories, but he could have gone into a lot more detail. Seems like every story was "I didn't think I could do this race.... then I won it." Also, really don't love his blatant disregard for his health. I thought a big part of the book would be his recoveries from chronic Lyme's disease and it was just him being like "I had a terrible flare up. But I still ran a 2:45 marathon 6 weeks later" - so irresponsible. Someone like him should be encouraging people to find balance in their health and running.

[Jordan Dailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

When running the Little Rock half marathon in 2020 my wife stops this older man in the convention center and tells him she has run multiple races with him over the years. As we walk away she says, that’s Bart Yasso and I nod with no afore knowledge that I had just met a legend and one of runnings most influential advocates. Now having read his story I’m disappointed I didn’t do so prior to that meeting as I would have soaked up the engagement all the more. What a true inspiration and a testament to the power of running!

[bel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a spectacularly fast, fun, straightforward, light, emotionally evocative read. I blazed through it in a few short days. Yasso does a great job of presenting several life philosophies and personal lessons in a non pretentious way, wrapped inside a string of fabulous adventures.

Worth reading if a curious runner seeking inspiration, those seeking validation for their commitment to only road racing (I’ll pass on running with tigers!) but looking to live vicariously, or if you’re looking for a solid memoir from a very interesting, adventurous guy!

Will be rereading!

[Allison Sauntry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must-read for anyone who is passionate about running! I really enjoyed the author's philosophical musings on running, which echo what I love so much about the sport-- the camaraderie among runners, the fact that it's for everyone who wants to participate, the personal satisfaction. And since I'm incorporating the author's famous "Yasso 800s" into my latest marathon training plan, it was cool to read how he came up with those. Loved it!

[Sanjeev · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring book. Reading Bart's hilarious exploits wanted me to start running (which incidentally I have done). Bart taps into the primal reasons for running and the addictive joy that runners get from doing something that is so natural for humans - running. Although it is something that we seem to have forgotten. Thanks, Bart!!

[Chris Marella · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short decent memoir of Bart Yassos life. Writes about some of the cooler more unique races he’s done in his career and speaks to some of the personal challenges and obstacles he’s faced, which every runner will at some point in life. Also has some training schedules for different distances in the back

[JK · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kind of book you aren't really reading because of the quality of the writing or the text. Written just well enough to let the main point of it, Yasso's myriad of crazy and fabulous and interesting running stories, shine.

[Djjazzpants · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about running and one of its most loved figures. Would be good for any runner, someone looking at running or someone wondering why runners do what they do or even someone just looking for a book filled with a bunch of good stories told by their oddball uncle.

[Michelle Perin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book not only inspired me to keep running, but to push myself, improve and see loves of new places. I knew destination runs were a thing, but this book cemented how I need this in my life. Very inspiring although the 6 minute miles made me want to throw up just thinking about them.