The Looniness Of The Long Distance Runner [Hardcover]

Russell Taylor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 2002

This book charts the attempts of a totally unfit 39-year-old Londoner to run the ulitmate distance: the 26.2 miles of the New YOrk Marathon.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Who would guess that a book on training for a marathon could not only be highly entertaining but even howlingly funny? Taylor, a thirtysomething London journalist, decides to enter the New York City Marathon and write a book about it. Given that his most recent running experience was at a school sports day in 1971, he's got a long way to go. Taylor's self-deprecating, sardonic writing style turns what could have been tiresome descriptions of his training regime and his first few races into laugh-aloud prose. His transformation from novice jogger to hard-bodied marathoner wins him a 7,659th-place finish (out of 32,000) in the NYC Marathon and will have readers suffering (and laughing) right along with him through the preparations. Although it bogs down occasionally (there's not much that's funny about nutritional supplements or runner's nipple), Taylor's book is ultimately both amusing and eye-opening and will appeal to a wide range of readers--even those whose running experience is limited to sprinting for their morning bus. Emily Melton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

Taylor is a humor writer. . . and he puts his talent to prodigious use in documenting his odyssey-by-foot. . . -- New York Newsday, August 4, 2002

Who would guess that a book on training for a marathon could not only be highly entertaining but. . .howlingly funny? -- Booklist, October 1, 2002

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Carlton Books (October 28, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1842225685
• ISBN-13: 978-1842225684
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,141,168 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Never runs out of steam..., September 19, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Looniness Of The Long Distance Runner (Hardcover)

'Looniness' might be a book about an unfit Londoner but the writing is anything but! This very funny author had me in more stitches than the one I got when I last attempted to run a marathon.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing, humorous and just fun to read, September 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Looniness Of The Long Distance Runner (Hardcover)

Well, there are lots of books nowadays in the market about how one swims, runs, bikes .....to regain lost championship, for his/hers lost brother.. to just almost everything and I have honestly read at least 15 of them.
What makes this book different is that it is written by a British author and it is refreshing to read about the sarcastic British humor about being a runner, for example : the long distance runner is always the first one discovered dead body ... I kept giggling and laughing throughout the whole book.
One problem - if you are an average american like me who masters the most between two to three thousands words, there are a lot of new words to be discovered in this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars conjugal bliss at last !, March 24, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Looniness Of The Long Distance Runner (Hardcover)

This book is great for anyone after some serious conjugal bliss ! It was only by reading this book that my eyes were opened to the possibilities of meeting my soul mate in the 3 mile queue for the toilets before the start of the Menai Straits half marathon. The subtlety with which Mr Taylor alludes to the exquisite trials of nipple burn pronation and crotch chaff belies his deep appreciation of his subject. Mr Taylor's neo medicinal interest in vomitorial and lavatorial systems provides a regular evacuation of humour throughout the novel - Bronwen and I will be eternally indebted to him !