Here are four great new running books, plus two all-time classics that should be on your reading list this fall.
There have been a lot of great running books through the years with great storytelling, practical training advice, and inspirational narratives. Some of our favorites through the years are Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen (Christoper McDougall), Running Rewired: Reinvent Your Run for Stability, Strength, and Speed (Jay Dicharry), Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory (Deena Kastor), Running with the Legends (Michael Sandrock), Once a Runner (John L. Parker, Jr.) and How She Did It: Stories, Advice, and Secrets to Success from Fifty Legendary Distance Runners (Molly Huddle and Sara Slattery).
But this summer has brought a host of new ones that you’ll want to immerse in as your fall marathon training heats up and the cooler weather signals the start of cross country season. We highlight four great new running books below, plus two all-time classics that remain timeless in running lore.
By Keira D’Amato with Evelyn Spence
American runner Keira D’Amato has a story like no other. In her memoir, D’Amato shares the story of her unexpected return to elite running after leaving the sport in her 20s due to injury. In her early 30s, she was a military spouse and new mother navigating postpartum depression, weight gain, and the demands of raising two children largely on her own. At that point, even a ninety-second run felt out of reach. Yet she kept going.
Six years later, at 37, she astonished the running world by setting the American women’s marathon record (2:19:12, since broken by Emily Sisson)—an achievement almost unheard of for someone juggling parenthood, a real-estate career, and family life. Rather than follow the conventional athlete’s path of single-minded dedication, D’Amato found strength in embracing joy, balance, and variety. With humor and humility, her memoir encourages readers to pursue fulfillment over external validation, showing that true success emerges when we redefine what it means to make a comeback.
D’Amato broke the mold in professional running by forging a path very different from the norm. Traditionally, elite female athletes dedicate themselves to sport first, then shift to careers, and eventually start families. Keira reversed that order. She married her high school sweetheart, welcomed two children back-to-back, launched a career in real estate—and only afterward reignited her competitive running career. Yet it’s not just her unconventional timeline that will resonate with so many. Keira challenges the stereotype that success demands unrelenting seriousness and an all-or-nothing mindset. Instead, she shows that joy, balance, and variety can be powerful drivers of achievement.
D’Amato’s story suggests a different formula for greatness: one where humor, fulfillment, and embracing life beyond sport are not distractions, but the very things that fuel extraordinary results. At an age when many athletes are winding down their careers, she is only beginning to hit her stride. She’s eager to share the lessons behind her unlikely journey—not just to inspire, but to guide others toward their own fulfillment. Her message is clear: happiness is worth chasing, bold dreams are worth daring, and it’s never too late to reconnect with the truest version of yourself.
Don’t Call it a Comeback is an inspiring read for anyone who loves running, been committed to a multi-pronged life, has discovered or rediscovered running later in life, or finds perspective about how life works and knowing that everything you want and need is still right in front of you.
By Sean Brosnan with Chris Lear and Andrew Greif
In Beyond Fast, coach Sean Brosnan tells the story of how he transformed Newbury Park High School into a cross-country powerhouse. When he arrived in 2016, the program had not reached a California state championship in more than two decades.
Despite being new to the high school coaching scene, Brosnan—a former All-American runner—brought fierce determination and lessons learned from world-class mentors. He made a bold promise to his athletes: if they gave him complete commitment, he would deliver a state title within four years. Instead, the team exceeded even his vision, capturing three consecutive national championships, setting records, securing NCAA Division I scholarships, and sending runners to the Olympic stage. With the commitment and training of runners like Nico Young, Colin Sahlman, Leo Young, Lex Young, Aaron Sahlman, Jace Aschbrenner, and Jeff Wilson, Brosnan not only revolutionized what high school training looks like, but he also launched several runners into collegiate and international success.
This book takes readers inside that remarkable rise, chronicling the sacrifices, challenges, and breakthroughs that fueled their success. With honesty and energy, Brosnan shows that the greatest barriers in sport—and in life—are often the ones we create ourselves.
By Doug Mayer
Illustrated by William Windrestin
This compelling graphic novel illuminates both the appeal and the physical and psychological turmoil of running day and night for a week through some of the wildest terrain on earth–and what universal lessons about life, suffering and love are learned along the way. The Last of the Giants, created by writer Doug Mayer and illustrator William Windrestin, is a bold graphic novel that blends fiction and reality and reimagines the Tor des Géants—a 200-mile ultramarathon through Italy’s Aosta Valley Alps.
The story follows Sam Hill, who returns for a third attempt at the race, propelled by searching questions about endurance, suffering, and self-discovery. As he pushes forward, Sam battles exhaustion, hallucinations, and surreal encounters with figures ranging from scientists to a Buddhist nun. Shadowing him is a dragon—an embodiment of his ego—that forces him to confront the deeper struggles within. Blending elements of fiction with documentary-style detail, the book captures not just the physical strain of ultrarunning but also its psychological and spiritual dimensions. Its innovative design even reverses direction midway—first read left-to-right, then right-to-left—mirroring the disorientation of the race itself and immersing readers in the extremes of the ultrarunning experience.
Mayer is a three-time finisher of “Tor,” as it’s known in ultrarunning circles, and is also the author of The Race that Changed Running: The Inside Story of UTMB, the definitive book about the world’s biggest and most competitive trail running race, as well as the entrepreneur behind the successful Run the Alps running tour company based in Chamonix, France.
The Last of the Giants is a stunningly beautiful book—both in how it is illustrated and how the story is told—a fascinating read and coffee table accoutrement that will continue to be appreciated years after you buy it.
Shannon Yewell Weil
Ultrarunning’s Buckle Fever: Origins of the Western States Endurance Run is a book that chronicles the moment in 1974 when Gordy Ainsleigh dared to run 100 miles alongside the Tevis Cup horses. His audacious feat ignited a movement—and redefined the limits of human endurance. It became more than a race. It became a rebellion against doubt.
Buckle Fever traces the legendary roots of the Western States Endurance Run back to the 1955 Tevis Cup Ride—an audacious 100-mile horseback challenge conceived by visionary Wendell Robie, who awarded silver buckles to riders finishing under 24 hours In 1974, Ainsleigh defied convention by completing the trail on foot during the Tevis Ride, finishing in 23:42, thus earning the first runner’s buckle and inspiring a new era of ultrarunning. The following years saw others follow his path—Ken “Cowman” Shirk in 1976 and Andy Gonzales in 1977, the latter becoming the only sub-24-hour finisher that year.
Robie, joined by a founding group known as the “Gang of Four,” formalized the Run as a standalone race in 1977, transforming endurance lore into a celebrated fixture in trail running. The Western States 100 has been called the Boston Marathon of ultrarunning, and even as the sport has globalized since the early 2000s, it remains one of the pinnacle events in the sport. This is a must-read book if you have been curious about running beyond the marathon or if you’re already immersed in ultrarunning.
By Haruki Murakami
In this reflective memoir, acclaimed novelist Haruki Murakami intertwines his life as a writer with his passion for long-distance running. Beginning with his decision to leave the world of jazz clubs to focus on writing, Murakami explains how running became both a discipline and a metaphor for his creative process. Through training logs, recollections of marathons in Boston, New York, and Athens, and even an ultramarathon in Japan, he shares the mental and physical challenges of endurance sport.
Running, for Murakami, is not just exercise but a way of shaping character—teaching resilience, focus, and acceptance of limitations. His prose drifts between meditative reflections and candid self-assessment, capturing the solitude of both the road and the writing desk. Ultimately, the memoir explores how routine, perseverance, and quiet determination sustain both artistic and athletic achievement, offering readers a contemplative look at what it means to endure and create.
This book was originally viewed as a crafty, abstract narrative for serious marathoners, but it has continued to be a favorite among any runner who has spent six months, six years, or most of their adult life training for marathons.
By Chris Lear
In this 2003 cult classic, Chris Lear delivers an immersive, journal-style chronicle of the University of Colorado men’s cross-country team during their grueling 1998 NCAA season. With rare behind-the-scenes access, he introduces readers to coach Mark Wetmore and star runner Adam Goucher as the Buffaloes navigate both triumphs and tragedy. The narrative unfolds from summer altitude training into the apex of fall racing, blending rigorous workout descriptions, team camaraderie, and emotional depth.
The season is marked by high stakes: Goucher’s quest for a cross-country title, the team’s pursuit of its first national championship, debilitating injuries, and the heartbreaking loss of teammate Chris Severy. Amid adversity, Lear captures the athletes’ resilience and collective spirit, offering a compelling portrait of collegiate running’s physical and psychological demands. The result is a powerful, inspiring sports narrative—both a love letter to the sport and a testament to human endurance.
If you’ve ever run cross country at any level or are part of a racing team or a running club, you’ll appreciate the camaraderie, passion, and commitment that oozes from this book.
Have other favorite running books you want to recommend to readers? Tell us about it in an email to support@sixminutemile.com.
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