The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike's Elite Running Team

by Kara Goucher, Mary Pilon (Contributor)

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

In “one of the most important athlete memoirs of its generation” (Kate Fagan, #1 New York Times bestselling author), Olympian Kara Goucher reveals her experience of living through and speaking out about one of the biggest scandals in running.

Kara Goucher grew up with Olympic dreams. She excelled at running from a young age and was offered a Nike sponsorship deal when she graduated from college. Then in 2004, she was invited to join a secretive, lavishly funded new team, dubbed the Nike Oregon Project. Coached by distance running legend Alberto Salazar, it seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime.

Kara was soon winning a World Championship medal, going to the Olympics, and standing on the podium at the New York and Boston marathons, just like her coach had done. But behind the scenes, Salazar was hiding dark secrets. He pushed the limits of anti-doping rules and created what Kara experienced as a culture of abuse, the extent of which she reveals in her book for the first time. Meanwhile, Nike stood by Alberto for years and proved itself capable of shockingly misogynistic corporate practices.

The Longest Race is an unforgettable story that is “as interesting as it is important” (Molly Huddle, two-time Olympian) and also a crucial call to action. Kara became a crusader for female athletes and a key witness helping to get Salazar banned from coaching at the Olympic level. The Longest Race will leave you “motivated, empowered, and ready to take on the world” (Allyson Felix, Olympic gold medalist) as it reveals how Kara broke through the fear of losing everything, bucked powerful forces to take control of her life and career, and reclaimed her love of running.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Audiobook, Sports, Biography, Autobiography, Book Club

Audiobook

First published March 14, 2023

Reviews

[Emily Isaacs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Kara bares her soul in this book. And Alberto Salazar is an absolute piece of trash.

[Christina Nee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a phenomenal book - both heartbreaking and inspiring but a story that needed to be told.
Kara read the audiobook and while she is not the best speaker the words hit closer to home as her voice shook while she described some of the abuses she faced.

Anyways whether you read this or not - fuck Nike

[Abriel Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such mixed feelings about this book. It’s worth a read, but Kara Goucher ultimately comes across as inauthentic and hypocritical. It’s worth noting that she only whistleblows on the Oregon Project and Alberto Salazar once she was suspended by them during her pregnancy and leaves the team. The abysmal treatment of Goucher and other athletes by Salazar and others cannot be understated, but Goucher’s refusal to acknowledge this until it comes at personal (financial) cost is sad.
In the final chapter, Goucher admonishes readers to consider that Nike has bankrolled Salazar’s legal costs and continues to support him before spending our money on “swoosh” gear, but then a few pages later admits that she wears Nike gear for her NBC commentary work. Hypocrisy like this really undercuts her otherwise strong message of the terrible, abusive culture at Nike and beyond.
Although Goucher was very much a victim in this situation, she also perpetuated that harm and in a regretful continuation of white feminist narratives, continues to prioritise her own comfort over the pursuit of structural change and self reflection. This story is more than anything else a tragedy and not the triumph the author attempts to portray.

[Theresa Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down. Kara’s story is equally inspiring and horrifying. A must-read for any running fans.

[Natalie Kalin · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the one hand, I tore through this book. As a once competitive runner myself (nothing of course near Kara's level), I was intrigued by the elite world of running. The highs and lows of the salaries and contracts, the incredible facilities Nike offered, the constant string of injuries and surgeries both Kara and her husband endure. I was baffled by some of this information, and it kept me engaged.

That said, I found the writing simple and the transitions often times awkward. But the writing was obviously not the core of this book. Alberto Salazar is a pig of a man, and I'm glad he got what was coming to him.

BUT, that said, I can't help but feeling like Kara's handling of the situation she was in was extremely disappointing and difficult for me to read. I read this book shortly after completing "What is a Girl Worth?" by Rachel Denhollander, an expose on Larry Nassar. In Denhollander's book, she is only 15 years old when Nassar first sexually assaults her. That is already an extremely confusing and difficult age without adding on a doctor sexually abusing you. It's understandable how someone that young would be confused about what was happening.

Now, I'm not saying a woman EVER deserves to be sexually assaulted, but I found it astounding that Kara, as a grown-ass woman, did not immediately tell Alberto to stop when he first sexually assaulted her. WHY she would continue to be coached by this man, and not tell her husband, was so juvenile to me. She KNEW what he did was wrong. How could she not stand up for what was right, for her own body?

And THEN she didn't save other women from that same fate. When Mary Cain joined the Oregon Project, how was it not Kara's first instinct to do whatever was possible to stop Mary from joining?

Also, I found her handling of her pregnancy and the Nike project contract somewhat astounding. She had a written contract stating that if she didn't compete for 120 days, her contract would be void. She was surprised when they upheld that contract due to her pregnancy. Your job is to be an elite runner. If you had wanted something in that contract for your pregnancy, you need to write it in there. Contracts are not just null and void because you decided that's the case. I'm not saying Nike was completely in the right either, but contracts are there for a reason.

And, at the very end, Kara encourages readers to "think twice" before buying Nike apparel, while she continues to wear the swoosh for her new job at NBC.

Bottom line, Kara continues to talk throughout this book about morals, but I didn't see a single morale from her. She would do anything to keep that paycheck coming in the door.

[CatReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Conflicted feelings on this memoir. Kara Goucher is a well-known elite runner so it's definitely a choice that her first memoir is explicitly branded as a tell-all about her involvement with Nike's Alberto Salazar-led Oregon Project, rather than about her journey as an athlete (though the memoir covers both topics extensively).

I could not get behind Kara's notion that she was a clean runner as she describes how she took medical advice and drugs from people who were involved in Nike's dirty games for years. Ignorance might be an excuse for one time, but not for years. Kara was definitely complicit, a part of the dirty game she tries so hard to distance herself from in this memoir.

I'd recommend reading Win at All Costs: Inside Nike Running and Its Culture of Deception by Matt Hart for a different, more objective perspective on the Nike scandal.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oof, this is a tough one. Went through it pretty fast since I had it as an audiobook and could listen while commuting and doing chores, but I had to take a few breaks cause it is heavy.

I have so much respect for Kara's courage in telling her story and overcoming the, on the surface, irrational feelings of shame that a victim is often left with. I especially appreciate how she and Mary Pilon (I don't know who influenced the shaping of the words here) went about describing how the victim of abuse and manipulation feels and why. It's hard to explain to people who have never felt those feelings, but I think they did a very good job with it.

Many, many people, especially women, have said this, but while Kara's experience is in many ways unique, in many other ways it resonated far more with me than I am comfortable with. I really appreciate her writing this book and speaking out.

On the downside for me, I found the reading quite jarring which took away from the flow and experience for me. It is worst in the first 1,5-2 hours, but for at while I considered stopping the book because it was so distracting. I wish the publisher had given Kara some training here, because it is really powerful to have her tell the story in her own voice, literally.

Personally I also found the book a little heavy on Colt-content. This is purely personal preference, as I recognize that it makes sense to have the story of her child feature to this degree given how much motherhood means to her. I just found it a little boring.

Overall a very powerful book that's worth a read, but I'd say go for the book format if possible.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

there was a point when i was gonna give this book 3 stars on the grounds of mediocre storytelling, but then i remembered how much sleep i lost last night and the um slightly long "lunch break" i took today to finish the book, told myself to stfu, and came to my senses

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never want to wear Nike again 🤢

[Liz Cymanski · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow. I know I say this about every running memoir, but everyone should read this ... and then never buy anything from Nike again

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed a couple days to process this one. While I knew a lot of what Goucher shares in her book, there were some revelations that made it hard for me to process. As the only woman on Nike's Oregon Project at the time, Goucher was subjected to a sexist, misogynistic culture. Her coach verbally and sexually abused her. Nike made her come back to work 2 weeks after she gave birth to begin training for races. Goucher tells the story in an objective, unemotional manner that allows to reader to draw their own conclusions. I couldn't put this book down. I'm just so glad she was able to leave and once again reclaim the joy that running can bring.

There are plenty of companies that treat women well. Nike is not one of them. Spend your money wisely.

[Sherry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate giving this book a 2/5 but it was so boring. I know it is important to share the information about abuse in athletics and I absolutely do not downplay what happened to Kara. I think the book would have been much more powerful if she had a psychologist explain grooming and victim behaviors as she described her years with this organization and coach. As it stands, detail after detail of workouts and the races were repetitive and not interesting to me. Her story is important, but she could have used a more expert author to help her tell it.

[Leah Lorz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - 5 stars for the story, major hit for the writing and narration. First of all, the book is worth reading. Kara exposes the shady side of elite running. The amount of cheating, sexism, and lack of integrity in non franchised sports seems to be rampant. I’m sure Nike is not alone is many ways in being a shit company, especially towards women. Kara told a story that needed told, pointing out bad behavior is the only way to stop it from continuing. That being said, the writing was clunky and the narration by Kara compounded the problematic writing. Wish it had a better flow.

[Bridget Kruszka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met Kara Goucher at the Oiselle store in Seattle with Lauren Fleshman. And I remember thinking how lucky I was to be able to meet such a strong and medaled athlete.

To know all of the things she was going through at the time, all the gray clouds hidden in her eyes, is heartbreaking.

I followed Kara Goucher and all these stories in real time. It is so much worse than what the public knew.

And in conclusion, I still won't buy Nike and the patriarchy still sucks.

[Courtney Fortenberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I neglected my entire life to read this book in almost one sitting. Kara’s story is intense but also so important when we think about the sport of running. Also, I can’t buy Nike ever again.

[Bill Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some thoughts:
- Hard to put down. Something traumatic unfortunately happens around every corner in this book. Whenever she mentions a specific date you know some bad shit is about to go down.
- Must read for any running fan or Nike customer (so almost everyone…)
- It is weird that Alberto got a 4 year ban for doping, but Mo and Galen were never formally accused by USADA or WADA etc. How can the athletes not be punished if the coach has a doping conviction?
- Obviously Alberto is a terrible person and deserves his lifetime ban for his abusive behavior. But Nike defended him for a weirdly long time and paid his legal expenses? Why? I guess just because he was buddies with the higher ups? Seems like a big issue that Nike has so much power in US track and field. Have they apologized to Kara?

[Anastasija Tamule · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book, recommend for all runners and those who obsessed with Nike brand 🙂

[Colleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would have given this a higher rating for the importance of the story she tells about corporate greed and corruption and sexual assault and systemic sexism, but the writing is so bad, I just can't. I can also appreciate her wanting to tell her story "in her own words" but she should have just handed the reins to a professional instead of having a co-author who could only do so much damage control. It was bad, like reading a high school freshman's term paper.
I also hoped that hearing Kara's experience would soften me to her, whom I've always had mixed feelings about. But nope - I still don't particularly like her. One other reviewer had it exactly right that her selfishness kept her from truly having an impact (ie keeping Mary Cain and others from Salazar's abuse) because she chose to keep quiet for far too long. She utterly lacked the courage of her convictions and I have a hard time respecting someone like that.

[Scott Kummer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fantastic. Very eye opening about Nike, Coaching and the life of Kara. A must read memoir for people in the running space. I learned a lot and really enjoyed reading it. Really well written too!!!

[Jill]

I think this was more compelling as a talk I heard from her last year than as a book (more emotionally resonant and cohesive as a talk) but still love Kara! Recaps about her different races were fun to read. Love that Reputation album gets a random shoutout towards the end.

[Lindsey Hein · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Kara’s book and am grateful for her honesty and openness in talking about some very difficult situations she has lived through. This book was a quick read and very well done. Thank you Kara!

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start by saying how much I admire the bravery and persistence Goucher had to show in exposing the toxic environment at the Nike Oregon Project, largely at the hands of her former coach and abuser, but reinforced by the behemoth Nike corporation that continued to support this coach and take advantage of individual athletes as long as it meant winning and thus continued profits. Without her efforts, and the willingness of others to share their stories, there's no telling for how long this abuser and these cheaters would have continued to violate the trust (and bodies) of those they were ostensibly there to support; there is no telling how many more young female athletes might have been lured by promises of "being coached by the best". Her story, like so many others that share similarities, is heartbreaking.

I took a quick look at other reviews of this book and am flabbergasted by those that took aim at Goucher, saying how angry they were at how long it took her to speak out, to tell authorities of what she suspected (but had no proof of) and of what happened to her personally, or furthermore others questioning her motivations in doing so. It can be easy to make judgements from the outside, when we were not groomed, gaslighted, and torn down by the very person that you idolized and were taught to trust more than almost anyone, not to mention the fact that her family's livelihood depended upon her continued success as a runner and that seemed completely contingent upon obeying her abuser and the corporation for whom she had a contract with. There is no way to truly put yourself in her position and I certainly do not think it is responsible to criticize someone's timing or motivations when it comes to calling out cheaters and abusers.

What Goucher shares here is brave, not only because it's forcing her to relive terrible events, but also because she does discuss her own shortcomings, her own doubts, and her own regrets. Goucher is not trying to claim that she handled every situation perfectly. Goucher sharing her own doubts and being clear that there is much that she never knew and will likely never fully know seems genuine. In readily introducing these ambiguities into her narrative does this encourage readers to have doubts as well? Yes, I think so, but not in the cases of clear abuse. The murkiness is probably more around the extent of doping - who was doping, to what extent, and who knew. While certainly doping/cheating in the sport of running is important, to my mind it pales in comparison to very real emotional and sexual abuses. Of course, in this case the two go hand-in-hand, it was the aura of greatness that lured runners to a "win at all costs" narcissist and it was the continued backing of Nike that cemented the power of the predator who could then exact such control over his athletes.

I do think the writing itself can seem a little flat, it's attempting to report on the facts as Kara Goucher knows them. This is as much reportage as it is memoir and I think it comes off a bit stilted as a result. I listened to this as opposed to reading the physical book (as I usually do with non-fiction and particularly memoirs). Generally, I think there is value added when the book is read by the author or the person who lived the experiences, but I am not sure that was the case here - Goucher's narration was halting at times and while you could hear genuine emotion bubbling up at particular points, when it did come through it could be more uncomfortable rather than enlightening to listen to (not that it can't be both, but I do not think it was both in this case). Perhaps she could have been spared having to relive this again, this time reading aloud the written form Mary Pilon helped her to create. Pilon seemed to do justice with Goucher's story, which again could not have been easy to relay or piece together into what was a in the end a clear linear narrative, and she did an excellent job with the introduction narration.

Though the core of this story is focused on abuses of many types, both by individuals and the larger organization that supported them, there are many points of inspiration and positivity within. Goucher has accomplished so very much in her running career and these physical accomplishments are absolutely inspirational, as are those of other runners she talks about in her book, including Adam Goucher, Des Linden, Mary Cain, and Shalane Flanagan, among others. Goucher clearly loved her sport and still does, despite those that have tarnished it. Those moments where she was able to focus on the running itself showed through and I am glad she made a point of talking about her continued love of the sport, even after everything she has personally gone through, even though she may not be able to run at the level she once did, it is still something that brings her joy, and that is a beautiful thing.

“Whether you’re an elite or a first-timer, that’s the magic of marathoning, the recognition of your own potential that had been there all along.”

...

“Race day is fun, but training gives you moments of the extraordinary in the ordinary.”

...

“It destroyed me, but I loved the feeling of doing something like that again completely on my own terms.”

[Hannah Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

UM ok I could not stop listening to this. Kara’s story gripped me - from her childhood in Duluth (her grandpa is my favorite), to the ups and downs of her running career as the “golden girl” of the Nike Oregon Project, to the fallout with Nike and Alberto Salazar and her incredible bravery in finally speaking out and shedding light on the systemic issues professional female athletes face.

"[Running] has taught me how to move and how to be in my body. It has nearly killed me. It has saved my life. It's made me who I am. It's made me happy. I'm still in love with it. I always will be."

[Sam Vanspriell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real page turner! I kinda knew a lot of the story but at the same time didn't know any of it.

[Surbhi Jain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ugh. I’m disappointed with how much Nike I own now. It’s sickening how they treat all athletes but especially female athletes. Once again, a story of a strong woman trailblazing the way for others coming behind her. I’m glad she’s told this story so we can try to consciously choose brands with better morals.

On a different note - the content of this book was excellent. The actual writing left something to be desired.

[Mara Branoff-Wargo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED hearing about athletes I admired growing up and more insider information of the Nike Oregon Project. However, like much coming to light, I am extremely disheartened for female athletes and the way they still feel the inability to speak up to defend themselves and others. On one hand, I understand why she didn’t speak sooner. And I agree that the birth of a child shakes your thinking. On the other, I hope for a better future for my daughter and wish Kara was able to speak up sooner. Also- no thanks to Nike…. 🤮

[Lindsey Paulson · Rating 2 out of 5]

While Kara’s story is undoubtedly important to tell, it was difficult to read just a timeline of events and I felt like it painted her as morally grey. I would have loved more about her family life, childhood and college running.

[Bruce Ingersoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and tough story to tell, but she does it well and with dignity. Interesting to read after Lauren Fleshman’s book.

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve long admired Kara Goucher as she became a top world-level marathoner at the same time I was putting in my miles, building lifelong running friendships, traveling the country (and world) racing my own marathons, and following the women’s elite. Just three years apart, we are contemporaries (in age, not running talent!). I’ve been anticipating the release of her book, « The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike’s Elite Running Team ». My takeaways: 1. Kara is a force to be reckoned with who truly loves the sport; 2. Her husband Adam (also an accomplished pro runner) is as supportive as can be and an example for men everywhere; 3. The patriarchy and cover up at Nike runs deep — they give lip service to inclusivity while marketing and exploiting their female athletes and actively not supporting them. Just ask Kara, Allyson Felix, Mary Cain, and many others. Nike has a record of withholding pay (without notice) to pregnant athletes who continued to train and work for the brand during pregnancy (only recently have they reluctantly changed the terms of contracts with female athletes to prevent this, thanks to women like Allyson Felix). Nike knowingly and tacitly allowed illegal doping in their coaching programs, and provided cover for known sexual abusers. As consumers, we should think about supporting fitness apparel companies built by women that support women, two that come to mind: @oiselle @athleta

From the book:

However, Nike has allegedly spent millions of dollars defending Alberto [Salazar] across the various cases. The largest seller of athletic footwear and apparel in the world, spending all that money to keep my abuser active in the sport. Remember that the next time you see a Nike ad or consider buying shoes or clothing with a swoosh on it.

[hrrasmussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow. just, wow. what a toxic environment to endure, among a toxic system as a whole. i never knew quite the extent of Nike’s scandals (not even touching on their historical labor practices!) and it certainly has me grappling with the ways in which i support them. How can you parse the good from the bad with companies so large? Is that allowed? Capitalism enables and rewards bad behavior so long as it is good for the bottom line, and at the end of the day, protest becomes pretty fruitless because companies like this are essentially too big to fail.