The Olympic Marathon [Paperback]

David Martin (Author), Roger Gynn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 8, 2000

No Olympic event can rival the rich history and grand spectacle of the marathon. Created for the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 as a commemoration of the legendary run by the Greek messenger Philippides, the race has endured like no other, producing a century of awe-inspiring competition and unforgettable stories.

The Olympic Marathon brings the high drama and rich details of the past 24 Olympic marathon races to life in a way no other book ever has. This definitive resource, written by world-renowned Olympic marathon experts David Martin and Roger Gynn, goes beyond statistics to offer readers a vivid chronicle of the athletes and their memorable marathon performances.

Fans will relive the compelling moments that have made the Olympic marathon legendary: Spiridon Louis winning the first modern Olympic marathon in Athens in 1896, Emil Zátopek's dramatic triple-gold performance in 1952, Ethiopian Abebe Bikila winning a gold medal while running barefoot, Joan Benoit Samuelson earning her place in history as winner of the first Olympic women's marathon in 1984, and many other fascinating stories.

For each race, The Olympic Marathon provides the following:
-A summary of the geographical setting and political climate surrounding the Olympic Movement

-A course map and detailed street description

-A step-by-step narrative of how the race was run

-Biographical sketches of the top three finishers

-A “Looking Ahead” section, which summarizes marathon highlights leading up to the next Olympic marathon
Generously illustrated, often with rare and never-before-published photos, a pictorial glimpse is provided into the contemporary atmosphere and dynamics of each race. Plus, for readers who want complete statistics on each race, the book provides a comprehensive appendix. Included are chronological and alphabetical race results for all men and women who participated in the event and listings of the fastest men's and women's Olympic marathon performances.

The Olympic Marathon is the authoritative book on the race that has captured the imagination of the world. It's a one-of-a-kind resource that every fan of running and the Olympics will treasure.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Sprinkle liberal marathon doses of physiology, psychology, counseling, coaching, training, and research; then add the world's most authoritative statistics and most reliable history. The product that emerges is Professor David Martin and Roger Gynn's The Olympic Marathon, the most compelling, commanding volume ever published on this classic event."
Stan Saplin
Historical Editor
Track & Field News
"A truly great and inspirational work. More than any event, the marathon symbolizes the Olympic movement because the race, unlike any other Olympic event, had the same origins as the Olympic Games themselves. With love and respect, Martin and Gynn tell the story of the runners and their races. This book will be an inspiration to anyone who has ever thought about running a marathon. For those training for a marathon, follow this prescription: read one race account every day before running. Repeat as necessary."
Tom Derderian
Author of Boston Marathon: The First Century of the World's Premier Running Event
"I expected a very good book, given the recognized prestige that David Martin enjoys among the athletic universe in the world, but the book bettered any expectations. It is a real jewel, both for the literature and the history of world athletics."
Cesar Moreno
Member, International Amateur Athletics Federation Council
Technical director, 1968 Mexico City Olympics Marathon

Review

“Sprinkle liberal marathon doses of physiology, psychology, counseling, coaching, training, and research; then add the world's most authoritative statistics and most reliable history. The product that emerges is Professor David Martin and Roger Gynn's The Olympic Marathon, the most compelling, commanding volume ever published on this classic event.”
Stan Saplin
Historical Editor
Track & Field News

“A truly great and inspirational work. More than any event, the marathon symbolizes the Olympic movement because the race, unlike any other Olympic event, had the same origins as the Olympic Games themselves. With love and respect, Martin and Gynn tell the story of the runners and their races. This book will be an inspiration to anyone who has ever thought about running a marathon. For those training for a marathon, follow this prescription: read one race account every day before running. Repeat as necessary.”
Tom Derderian
Author of Boston Marathon: The First Century of the World's Premier Running Event

“I expected a very good book, given the recognized prestige that David Martin enjoys among the athletic universe in the world, but the book bettered any expectations. It is a real jewel, both for the literature and the history of world athletics.”
Cesar Moreno
Member, International Amateur Athletics Federation Council
Technical director, 1968 Mexico City Olympics Marathon

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Human Kinetics (May 8, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0880119691
• ISBN-13: 978-0880119696
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,293,605 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book for Runners, September 29, 2001

By 

Doulos (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Olympic Marathon (Paperback)

If you are a runner (especially a marathoner) you have to get this book. It goes through every marathon in Olympic history, giving each race history, events, course, statistics, etc. It is very thorough, while pacing itself to get in all the Olympic marathons into a single volume. And, it was written in an interesting and readable manner.

The competition and sport of the races themselves give a great basis for an exciting read.

If you are doing a research project (like I was) this was the only book I would recommend - or, at least the first book. I could not find a book anywhere that showed the 1960 Rome Olympic course. Martin and Gynn had it. In fact, their race course map was better than the map a friend obtained for me from the Italian Olympic Library (Federazione Italiana Di Ateletica Leggera).

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, encyclopedic, and detailed historical review., December 22, 2000

By 

Dr. Dan Benardot (Atlanta, Georgia USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Olympic Marathon (Paperback)

The authors, Martin and Gynn, have put together an unbelieveably detailed review of every Olympic Marathon in the modern era. The detail provided brings the excitement of each successive Marathon alive. The Olympic Marathon is, perhaps, the most grueling Olympic event, and the comprehensive coverage of each race makes the reader feel as if it's taking place before their very eyes. Read this book and you'll get a sense of the drama of the event, the personal history of the runners, and the historical setting of each race. The authors have even reconstructed old Olympic documents to trace the paths each Olympic Marathon took. The information in this book is truly encyclopedic, and the authors have given us with a wonderful sense of what this race is about. This book is a gem.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Description of The Olympic Marthons through 2000, Men and Women, April 26, 2009

By 

Daniel Hurley (Chesapeake, VA.) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Olympic Marathon (Paperback)

Well done decent capsules on the Olympic Marathons up through the year 2000. The book contains very good descriptions of the contenders and the races as they unfold. Also contains a great collection of pictures such as Ron Clarke, who ran the 5K and 10K (medaled), leading the Tokyo marathon, finishing 9th. Beside the descriptions of the runners, the author includes the top finishers splits so you can see how they parried over the miles, includes a list of the top 10 finishers and the post race career of the gold medalist. The women of course join in 1984 when their first Olympic marathon comes into play. The stories, list of splits and finishers is just a great reference and the race descriptions are pleasant to read. One picture is so fitting and reminiscent of the seemingly bronze place finisher at the 2008 Olympics slipping to fourth in total helplessness on the last lap; there is an early picture of the leader of a race on the track running in the second lane on a curve while being passed on the inside by one and then a second runner, relegating the leader to bronze on that last lap and he appears, like the Ethiopian in 2008, to be defenseless.