Fifty Places to Run Before You Die: Running Experts Share the World's Greatest Destinations

by Chris Santella, Thom Gilligan (Foreword)

Chris Santella’s Fifty Places to Run Before You Die is a beautifully illustrated collection of the most exhilarating running courses in the world.

Foreword by Thom Gilligan

Featuring a balance of popular races (marathons, 10Ks, and endurance runs) and scenic trails off the beaten path, as well as interviews with accomplished runners and leaders of respected running organizations, this book divulges the details that make each venue unique—and plenty of tips for those who aspire to run there. Readers will discover events and courses both national and international, including the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc in France, the New York City Marathon, the Vancouver Sun Run, the Grand Canyon, the Dolomites in Italy, and the Great Ocean Road Marathon in Australia.

Fifty Places to Run Before You Die is an essential travel companion for runners of all levels seeking to conquer new terrain while breaking personal records.

Fifty Places
Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die
Fifty Places to Play Golf Before You Die
Fifty Places to Sail Before You Die
Fifty Places to Dive Before You Die
Fifty More Places to Golf Before You Die
Fifty Places to Hike Before You Die
Fifty Places to Bike Before You Die
Fifty Places to Ski & Snowboard Before You Die
Fifty Places to Paddle Before You Die
Fifty Places to Camp Before You Die
Fifty Places to Drink Beer Before You Die
Fifty Places to Run Before You Die
Fifty Places to Surf Before You Die
Fifty Places to Rock Climb Before You Die
Fifty Places to Practice Yoga Before You Die
Fifty Places to Travel with Your Dog Before You Die

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

Published March 20, 2018

Reviews

[Robert Yokoyama · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book describes some of the best running destinations and running destinations across the world and the United States. I love reading about how running brings people together like The Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC. I love to see all the landmarks in our nation's capital like the Lincoln Monument and the Pentagon. I would love to see the beautiful copper canyons in Mexico. The people there run in sandals made out of rubber tires. I enjoy the description of beautiful scenery of South Island in New Zealand. There are rain forests and snow capped mountains that I would like to see in person. Food and drink is another factor that would motivate me to travel to certain destinations. I would love to participate in the Crescent City Classic in Louisiana because it sounds like one big party with a lot of good food. I would love to participate in Harvest Stompede in Traverse City in Michigan just to run through the vineyards and drink some wine. I would participate in a beer mile classic to drink some beer. There is even a marathon held in Antarctica. It would be fascinating to travel there to see how difficult running there would be. I would love to see all the animals in Kenya and South Africa too. There is a marathon in Wales where people race against horses. I really like the photograph that shows a man racing against a horse in the book. I would love to participate in the Vancouver Sun Run because there is a division for people in wheelchair like me. Travelling is difficult because of my physical disability, and that is why I enjoy a book like this so much. This book takes me around the world in words and in pictures to the best running spots.

[Kaspars Koo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice try - I enjoyed reading about the races that were on my bucket list but I didn't know too much about them yet. And on some of the races that I have finished. I added 1 or 2 races to my bucket list after reading this.
Otherwise, I think the book was too broad in terms of the distance and type of race and too narrow in terms that it was focused mainly on the races in the US.
Also, the quality of each of the race description depended heavily on the person who offered the story (as the author did not write the stories himself, but rather compiled 50 stories from his friends).
And it really bothered me that couple of races did not have pictures. What happened there?
Anyways, that said I really did enjoy a couple of stories.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

A better title would be "Fifty Mostly Very Exotic and Wildly Expensive Races to Do Before You Die". There were some nice pictures and several entertaining essays featuring few runs/races I might actually do (The Big Bend Ultra, Bay to Breakers, the Marine Corps Marathon among them). But the Madagascar Marathon, the Big Five in South Africa, the Antarctica Marathon, um, probably not.

[Chad Manske · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are an avid runner with a taste for travel, this is a book for you and your running bucket list! Descriptions and illustrations of 50 interesting runs ranging from old, to long, to difficult, and even nearly impossible! A very entertaining read, made even better by the fact my daughter Madison gave it to me for Father’s Day last year!

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to amazing races all over the world. There the well known marathons but also some pretty exotic races in far flung places. If you enjoy running at all this will get you dreaming about all the possible adventures that are out there.

[Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not running marathons or much of any other distance any more at the age of 70, but if I was I would be eagerly consulting this neat book. The distances vary widely from 10 k to much longer, but the most attractive feature of these runs are the locations and the significance of the event. So if you want to run a race in Antartica or in Africa, through Paris, or crossing the Grand Canyon, check out this book.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

glorified coffee table book but with some interest to runners I guess