26.2 Miles to Happiness: A Comedian’s Tale of Running, Red Wine and Redemption

by Paul Tonkinson

The hilarious trials and tribulations of stand-up comedian Paul Tonkinson as he attempts to beat the much lauded 3-hour mark at the London Marathon. With a supporting cast of fellow comedians, this is a warmly written and wonderfully honest adventure-through-sport that will both entertain and inspire. .

***WINNER OF THE TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2021 -
SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT BOOK OF THE YEAR
***


'
Utterly joyous!' - Bryony Gordon


'The best book about running I have read' - Nick Cohen, The Critic


'The funniest book about running I have ever read. In fact it is the only book about running I have ever read, but it is
HILARIOUS!' - David Walliams

'...insightful, inspiring and
laugh-out-loud funny !'
- Michael McIntyre

'Pain. Hope. Misery. Joy. All the big stuff.
Excellent.' - Dara Ó Briain

'This book is
funny (which I expected) and concerns running (ditto), but it is also
exceptionally moving and profound . Don't be it's not really about completing a marathon.
It's about life and all its joy and weirdness . Recommended to all.' - Miranda Sawyer


'Very good book ... very funny, very insightful, very inspiring' - Chris Evans, Virgin Radio

'
Fabulous book ' - Radio 2


The hilarious trials and tribulations of stand-up comedian Paul Tonkinson as he attempts to beat the much lauded 3-hour mark at the London Marathon. With a supporting cast of fellow comedians, this is a warmly written and wonderfully honest adventure-through-sport that will both entertain and inspire.

Along the way, we are introduced to the characters helping Paul with his quest. Celebrity names such as Bryony Gordon, Russell Howard, Roisin Conaty and Vassos Alexander pop up with wit and wisdom, alongside an alpine adventure to the Mayr Clinic with Michael McIntyre that pushes Paul to the limit.

256 pages, Paperback

Published January 4, 2022

Reviews

[Owen Chengun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just excellent! It perfectly depicts the highs and lows of running a marathon and running as a hobby, with some very funny bits. Towards the end when we’re getting closer to finding out whether or not he was going to hit sub 3 was captivating, couldn’t put the book down. A testament to the quality of writing.

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not find this book laugh out loud funny at all. But I did enjoy it. A successful combination of autobiography and training journal that explores different motivations for marathon running written by someone who is clearly a nice blokd. And it even made me think perhaps one day I should run a marathon.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never wanted to put this down… not once 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼
Completely encapsulates life as a runner and spoke my thoughts better than I could myself. A real good laugh. Will no doubt read this over and over again

[Trinity Buckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect blend of running his target marathon and his life and background. I enjoyed it immensely.

[Lorcan O'Toole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable and easy read with lots of laugh out loud moments but also plenty of Paul’s thoughts on why people run this ridiculous but achievable distance.

[Owen Farr]

Very funny yet at the some moments poignant and reflective. A great account of training for and running a marathon without being overly technical or ‘dry’. Highly recommended!

[Piotr Michalski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant book. Very funny, I couldn’t wait to go through another chapter. And I was gutted when finished as I wanted to read more.

[Joe Parish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just brilliant, funny and so hard to put down. Would recommend to any avid runner or simply reader.

[William Dales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and gives a very good insight into what goes on whilst training and running a marathon.
I could resonate with the book a lot!

[Seaside Sparkles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally invested in this book to see if the 3 hour mark would be broken. A great insight into running but also life!

[T Guy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sub 3hr - a 2026 dream or a potential reality?