The Running Book

A book about the joys and pleasures of running, the highs and lows of life, the history and landscape of Ireland, and so much more.

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‘Sensational! John Connell has done it again’ – Dean Karnazes

From the award-winning, No.1 bestselling author of The Cow Book

In The Running Book, John Connell vividly describes a marathon through County Longford, Ireland, where he lives and farms. Because running is as much about the mind as the body, the book is about more than the physical experience. What John sees on his journey prompts him to contemplate a wide range of things: he’s as likely to think about local Irish history, the legacy of colonialism in Australia or the story of Haile Gebrselassie as he is to remember his own past runs in Arizona or Ibiza.

After a mental health crisis, John found the simple act of putting one foot in front of another helped him to regain his sense of self and better appreciate the world around him. At its core, The Running Book is a life-affirming read about the nature of happiness – and how for one man it came through the feet.

‘Takes the theme of running and opens it out into something much wider’ – Irish Times

‘Read The Running Book and you see life in every route you run; past, present and future, life is for running’ – Sonia O'Sullivan

‘Every runner will find something poignant that resonates within this book’ – Paula Radcliffe