Customer Reviews

The Olympic Marathon

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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).

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.

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.

I have known David and Roger since the 70's and have other books by them. They love running foot races and it shows. You can count that this will be the best researched and well written book. I was not disappointed. I dug in and read the book over a couple of weeks. If it is not in this book then it is an unproved rumor.