Want to be inspired?
“Running Stories” is a collection of 88 short stories by runners of all ages and abilities, from beginners to elite athletes, about why, where and how they run. The stories themselves will inspire you, and another huge plus is that all revenues go to The Running Charity – an organisation helping young homeless people improve their lives.
The book is available now on Amazon (UK and Amazon country sites around the world) and from many other retailers including Waterstones, Hive and Blackwell’s for £8.99. The eBook is £5.99 on Amazon.
About the book
Maybe you know someone who is thinking of starting to run, or perhaps just wondering what this running business is all about. Or you could already be a runner but need something to keep you motivated in these colder winter months. We suggest that purchasing a copy of “Running Stories” will be a much better investment than buying a pair of any of the new ‘run-faster’ shoes.
The stories in this collection convey a range of emotions – humour, heartache, empowerment and achievement. Some will make you laugh; others may make you cry, but more often from a runner’s sheer determination to overcome adversity rather than sadness itself. A favourite line has to be “I am 93 and for 92 of those years I did not show any interest in running” – who could fail to be intrigued? We also loved the story of Celestine, who grew up in Nigeria, running in the London marathon and being concerned by supporters shouting “Come on Black man” for mile after mile – until he turned around and saw a runner in a Batman costume close behind him.
We found it interesting how running becomes important to people when they’re facing their own or another’s mortality. Angela started running in memory of her father; Anne found that running helped her through her chemotherapy. Running is such a life-affirming thing to do. Of course, people get so many different things from running – making friends, keeping fit, travelling the world, or pushing themselves to achieve. One thing the book shows is that whoever you are, whether a beginner or an elite athlete, you can almost certainly achieve more than you think.
We loved reading about running from so many different perspectives, while at the same time knowing that just buying the book is doing good. “Running Stories” made us feel so grateful to have running in our lives and proud to be able to consider ourselves a part of this positive, uplifting community.
We’d like to thank authors Jerry Lockspeiser and Andrew Roberts for accepting our own story for inclusion in the book. We’ve included a link to a short promotional video here, and wish the book every success.
(We’re on page 108!)
