Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen Paperback – March 29, 2011

"A hidden tribe, superathletes, and the greatest race the world has never seen"Thought provoking - Entertaining - Motivating - A must read for runners and non-runners alike!Once I started reading this book I could not put it down. It has been a while since I have sacrificed night time TV watching for a book, but this one became an addiction. I devoured it in two days and was raving about it non-stop afterwards.I must admit that after reading the first few chapters I was questioning whether this was a fictional book. I am not that familiar with the ins and outs and personalities within US running circles. This coupled with high tales of the Tarahumaran Indians and a reclusive gringo gone grunge in the deadly Copper Canyons going by the name of Caballo Blanco just threw me for a six. As I eased into the story however I realized that what the author Christopher McDougall was doing was representing every character and their story. If something didn't make sense, it wasn't meant to as there more was to come and loose ends would be tied when they needed to be. He did an outstanding job of not only weaving a magnificent tale but also intertwining tidbits and findings about running science, history and anthropology.For the reader each character comes alive and you empathize and sympathize with them during their part of the journey. You also begin to question everything that you think you know about running that has been fed to you by the big brand names. Do I need stabilizing shoes to minimize injury or does the shoe in fact cause the injuries? Will running over twenty miles kill my joints or will it set me free?This book has also been the catalyst for a miracle... my husband has started to run and has been enjoying it. Now, he hasn't read the book (yet) but he has spent a few hours on and off with me discussing a lot of the pertinent issues and findings brought up in the book. I think the enthusiasm and excitement I displayed along with the gleam in my eye as I shared this tale convinced him (or at least tweaked his curiosity) that there was some sense behind running.This book has inspired me to believe that I was in fact born to run. Oh - and that I want a pair of Vibram Five Fingers (or the like) for Christmas (please Santa).

WOW! On so many levels. How do you learn from a book that starts in a dirty mexican town with an intrepid sports magazine writer looking for 'Caballo Blanco' (white horse) and follows the writer, a ghost runner with a hazy background, and other crazy and charming (and sometimes, stinky) ultra-runners in a journey that ends in the greatest running race the world has never seen. NO that wasn't a typo, it is called the Greatest Race the World has NEVER Seen.I asked my brother for advice after years of not running due to injuries. Injuries that keep you in Podiatrists offices and the office of the greatest "running Orthopedist" in the lower Central States. All say: "damn genetics, I don't care what your brother runs - take up swimming" I don't think so... I was a bit intimidated at first. My brother, an "ultra-distance runner" (50+ miles) told me to read this book, in fact he put it out there for the world to see on FB. So I got the book. AMAZING... it is a great and easy read that kept my interest from beginning to end. Mr. McDougall keeps you entertained with a great story and inserts running advice and motivation into every page. As well as a host of very different characters (based on real life). He puts in the book- his struggles, and the latest studies on barefoot running and his journey from a 5K runner who hurts - and ends by becoming a participant in the first Copper Canyon Run that Never Was.Along the way we find and follow Caballo and the sports writer as he searches out The mexican tribe of 'lost runners' buried deep in the Sierra Madre's canyons, and we learn about the Tumahara Indians who live on a sparse diet and live every moment as though we are meant to be running mammals, like a panther. Finally, at the end of the book, we find out the story behind Caballo Blanco.A story that will only increase interest in him (Caballo) since his disappearance while running in New Mexico in March 2012. This is written now (then) so we have no idea of the future for Caballo Blanco. Only his past - and MORE importantly - his current.If you want a motivational book - get this one. If you want a great book to read - get this one. If you want advice on running or adaptation of the human body over the last million years (give or take)- GET AND READ THIS BOOK.This is not just a book for runners, there is something to be found in it for everyone. A little difficult to follow, at first, you will be absorbed in the story by the end of 2 chapters.