The Road Runner

by Ben Evans

500 runners. 13.1 miles. Five athletes fighting for victory. The Road Runner is a breathless account of a single running race along the banks of the River Thames. Through the course of thirteen chapters, it depicts intense battles, vivid characters and occasional humour, as Evans competes with the calculated Fabien, the manic Patrick, the arrogant Cornelius and the spiritual Dwayne, for victory. Viewed from inside the mind of an elite athlete, it provides a uniquely human perspective on the challenges faced by the modern runner, and the strange mix of determination and inner peace that comes with pushing the body to its physical limits. A homage to the power of the human spirit, the sentiments of the story will appeal to sportsmen and women of all abilities, and anyone looking to take on a challenge and see how far they can go.

151 pages, Paperback

Published July 11, 2018

Reviews

[Steve Swindon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book which really captures the essence of running and what it is like to participate in a race. Whilst I am nowhere near the standard of runner than Ben and the other characters are, I could really relate to the thought processes and changing experiences he went through as the race progressed. I really liked the insertion of journal entries in each chapter which was a clever way to change the pace (no pun intended) of the story and convey the whole running experience. Once I started this I could not put it down. Highly recommended to runners and non-runners who want to understand what drives runners to push themselves as hard as they do.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok

Well written and a good story. Found it a little too elite runner for me. But can't fault the writing style, the story or how it unfolded. Recommend to higher level runners.