Johanna Garton is a lifelong runner and lover of endurance sports. Having run over twenty marathons as well as working as an immigration lawyer, Garton’s unique position led to the development of her most recent book, All in Stride: A Journey in Running, Courage, and the Search for the American Dream. Check out this book as well as her recommendations for books that are not only about running, but the broader world of sports, athletes and the mindset it takes to achieve extraordinary things.
All in Stride: A Journey in Running, Courage, and the Search for the American Dream by Johanna Garton
This sports biography tells the story of professional distance runners Elvin Kibet and Shadrack Kipchirchir. From their humble beginnings in rural Kenya to becoming U.S. soldiers and professional athletes. Their story intertwines with Samantha Schultz’s, exploring their struggles with cultural adjustments, pressures of professional sports, and personal challenges, shedding light on the broader context of athleticism, identity, and resilience.
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American women distance runners are having a moment. As with so many sports, it’s taken several generations to catch up to the accomplishments of men, but it’s hard to argue with the fact that American women are now competing on a level that surpasses their American male counterparts. With the Olympics at our doorstep, here are ten books that showcase the history of women in American distance running, both the stories of trailblazers, along with a look at what’s left to achieve in the sport.
Marathon Woman: Running the Race to Revolutionize Women’s Sports by Kathrine Switzer
A pioneer in championing women in sports, Kathrine Switzer’s story is a compelling and always timely read. Her 1967 run at the Boston Marathon launched a movement in women’s distance running that has spanned decades. In this memoir, we see what lead to that point, and the many hurdles Kathrine needed to overcome in her quest to create more equity for girls and women on the run.
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Long Run to Glory: The Story of the Greatest Marathon in Olympic History and the Women Who Made It Happen by Stephen Lane
Joan Benoit’s gold medal in the first women’s Olympic marathon at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics proved a tipping point in American women’s distance running. The women in the race were both fierce competitors and allies in the fight to prove women could run the distance. The stories of these women and of Joan’s journey in particular are a fascinating peek into how far women have come in the years since that gold medal run.
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Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory by Deena Kastor
In a sport which can be largely a battle of the mind, Olympian Deena Kastor has led the way in teaching others how to reshape challenges. Her memoir is a glimpse into the world of a champion who focuses just as much on the mentality of the sport as on the physical. Her lessons are so practical that they transcend running and are a gift to anyone looking to pursue a more positive mindset.
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Bravey: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas by Alexi Pappas
A deep dive into the highs and lows that share space with each other in the quest to athletic greatness. Alexi narrates her life and losses, her journey with mental illness and the ways she has reclaimed her story. With humor and grace, she finds paths to become her authentic self, shut down the haters and create a movement for young women and girls to do the same.
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How She Did It: Stories, Advice, and Secretes to Success from Fifty Legendary Distance Runners by Molly Huddle and Sara Slattery
In a world that can be fraught with pitfalls for young female runners, Molly and Sara lay out the stories of those women who have paved paths in the sport. This wide-ranging collection of stories from groundbreaking women in sport is a readable and important overview for both those runners just entering the sport, as well as those seeking to reboot their running with the wisdom of the greats.
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The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping and Deception on Nike’s Elite Running Team by Kara Goucher
From her early beginnings in Minnesota, to her harrowing experience with Nike’s secretive Oregon Project, Olympian Kara Goucher pulls back the curtain. Her stories are shared with honesty and candor, rich in details and chilling in their descriptions of sexual abuse and power. Kara has built a career which has taught the value in using one’s voice, and in standing up for one’s principles and this book is a great contribution to the genre.
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Choosing to Run: A Memoir by Des Linden
A beloved Olympian, Des narrates her beginnings in running as set against the backdrop of the 2018 Boston Marathon, a race run in near tsunami like conditions for the participants. It’s a refreshing and fast-paced story that showcases her love for running and her desire to seek new challenges to better herself and the sport she adores.
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Good For a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man’s World by Lauren Fleshman
Since its release in 2023, Good for a Girl has been lauded as a triumph in sports writing, and with good reason. Lauren’s powerful narrative about her youth and journey into professional distance running has struck familiar notes with young female athletes who’ve seen themselves in her story. The book both sucks readers into her world and challenges them to create better ecosystems for girls in sports.
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Up to Speed: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes by Christine Yu
With a dismal 6% of sport science research focused on girls, Christine’s book was long overdue. In striking narratives and powerful research, she lays out the challenges facing girls and female-bodied athletes. From the misperceptions of Title Nine to the seemingly smaller issues that become barriers for entry into sports (here’s looking at you, sports bras), Christine’s book will leave you looking at sports in a new light.
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Running While Black: Finding Freedom in a Sport That Wasn’t Built for Us by Alison Mariella Désir
Weaving her own narrative together with a historical overview of running, Alison paints a powerful picture. The reader will never again look at the sport of running as one which “only requires a pair of shoes” as it inspires to find new ways of opening and including all races and genders.
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This guest post was written by Johanna Garton.
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