The Man Inside the Machine: The Approved Biography of Steve Edwards, One of the World's Most Successfull Multi-Marathon Runners

by Helen Summer, Steve Edwards

Steve Edwards was born with a deformed left hand and was bullied throughout his childhood as a result. He also has a congenital blood disorder that directly compromises athleticism. Yet, despite these obstacles, he has become one of the world’s leading multi-marathon runners, having run over 700 official marathon races in the fastest ever average finish time. Known in marathon circles as ‘The Godfather’, he is revered for his machine-like performances, running marathons consistently in an average finish time of around 3 hours 15 minutes, at the rate of one every 14 days for almost 30 years. But what of the man inside the machine? Who is he? What drives him to race a competitive marathon so frequently? To train day in, day out, year after year, whilst working full time and maintaining a family home? Where does his discipline and dedication come from? How does he deal with injury, illness, varying weather conditions and the short recovery period between so many races? When Steve started running marathons in the 1980s, there were so few official races in the UK that he had to drive hundreds of miles just to run one, catnapping on ferries or in cars – before running 26.2 miles. Occasionally, he also ran into trouble – but it was all part of the adventure! ‘The Man Inside The Machine’ answers all the above questions, while Steve’s personal story of a less than ordinary man who became so much more, will warm and inspire runners and non-runners alike. ‘His misadventures are the stuff of legends!’ – The Daily Telegraph ‘Edwards is the marathon marathon man.’ – The Independent ‘The man who knows all there is to know about running 26.2 miles.’ Runner’s World

463 pages, Paperback

Published April 3, 2016

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this. It's interesting to hear what motivates other people and the problems they have faced.