Mulcahy Conway Associates

Why We Run

Everyone can run. It is the simplest of sports, requiring only a pair of trainers and the open road. Its simplicity is part of its beauty. But why do we do it? Obsessive amateur runner Robin Harvie wants to understand what makes him run mile after mile, venturing far from home into remote places, and into the solitude of his own mind, pushing himself to the limit and beyond. Is it to break out of the clutter of his everyday life, into a freedom in which he has only himself to rely upon? Is it to affirm his own will, conquering his fatigue? Is it a fundamental instinct, inseparable from what it is to be human? In examining the lure of long-distance running, Robin speaks to famous runners, explores the literature of running and recounts his own experiences. His feats of running culminate in an effort to run the Spartathlon, retracing the 150 mile journey from Athens to Sparta made by Philippides in 490BC.

Part memoir, part meditation, Why We Run is a compelling, rich and haunting account of what it is that makes us take to the road and learn what we are made of.

Reviews

Where the book truly excels is in its depiction of Harvie's internal landscape. He largely shuns training tips and inspirational advice in favour of a true memoirist's tone, exploring the reasons why he runs - grief, ambition, boredom - with an almost brutal honesty. These passages are as moving as they are illuminating . . . this is a memoir for anyone who has ever dreamed about reaching the outer limits of what they're capable of and, as such, it should be enjoyed by an audience far wider than just those who head home this evening wearing a medal.

Independent on Sunday

There is much to enjoy in this erudite, literary memoir.

Observer

Every runner has a story, and Robin Harvie's is one of the most remarkable I've ever encountered. Why We Run is brilliantly written, deeply emotional, raw and honest. Robin scrapes away the superficial dermis and offers a rare glimpse into the mindset and motivation of a long-distance runner.

Dean Karnazes, Ultramarathoner and NY Times bestselling author

An astonishing memoir - wholly unlike any other writing about 'running' and 'obsession' that I have encountered. It is both eloquent and rawly emotional - candid to the point of pain, illuminating, and finally very touching. It will make all who read it, who are drawn to running, feel stirrings of true excitement, if just a bit tinged with dread! For Robin Harvie is a 'real' runner--and a 'real' writer, and though competition is not the point, as the memoirist makes clear, in this case he is an uncontested winner.

Joyce Carol Oates

An intensely personal journey, woven with memoir, philosophy, history and pain, Robin Harvie's debut is by turns compulsive, challenging and ultimately rewarding - a magnificent literary marathon in itself.

Philip Hoare

His journey is undeniably a compelling one.

Independent