Surviving the Toughest Race on Earth (Hardcover)

by Martin Dugard (Author), Dizinno (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Set in such exotic locales as Borneo, the Andes and Madagascar, the Raid Gauloises?the world's toughest "adventure race," according to the author?challenges athletes to run, bike, swim, kayak, hike and even parachute through, into and across some of the hottest, muddiest and downright most unpleasant terrains on Earth. The multiday event is so grueling that even navy SEALs have been known to drop out before finishing. Journalist Dugard, who has competed in the race twice and finished once, records his experiences of the race and of his writing life outside it in this briskly told report. Unfortunately, Dugard spends more time musing over his personal journey to the race (recounting his leap from the corporate world to that of journalism in expansive detail, for example) than delving into the mindset of the "extreme athlete" in the heat of competition. Runners and extreme sports enthusiasts will no doubt relate to Dugard's exacting descriptions of the race and its hardships. However, coverage of the event's evolution (from obscure competition conceived in 1989 to televised media event) and of the sponsorship troubles and in-fighting Dugard had to contend with on his own "team" does little to make up for the relative paucity of participant reportage. For all the buildup, Dugard's account of his first race is too brief, and that of his second does little more to capture the armchair adventurer's imagination. Photos by Tony DiZinno, not seen by PW.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Just when it seems like the Tour de France or the Hawaii Ironman, the ultimate in endurance sports, can't be surpassed, someone thinks up the Raid Gauloises and the Eco-Challenge, "adventure races." For several days, in remote corners of the world such as Madagascar, teams of five navigate rugged terrain by hiking, mountain biking, orienteering, whitewater rafting, and camel or horseback riding. Dugard, who has written for Sports Illustrated and Outside, captures the power of group dynamics and the brutal lows of competing in sometimes close-to-death situations in this sport. When prerace instructions include how to survive a crocodile attack by shoving your hand down the crocodile's throat to open a valve that lets water into its lungs, one knows this competition is anything but ordinary! Anyone who believes that "life is a journey, not a destination," will surely enjoy this book, which also chronicles Dugard's departure from the corporate world to write full-time. One drawback: the lack of course maps. Brenda Barrera

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 234 pages
• Publisher: Mcgraw-Hill (January 20, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070181292
• ISBN-13: 978-0070181298
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,301,441 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Passion For Living, December 19, 2000

By	Michael Dorausch (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Surviving the Toughest Race on Earth (Paperback)

There is a message in this book much greater than that of finishing the Raid Gauloises. It's the journey that's important, not so much the finish.

If your looking for a how-to book on adventure racing, this may not be for you. However, if your looking to read the story of one man's accomplishments and how those accomplishments relate to adventure racing, this is certainly a book to read.

The author takes us through his experiences of adventure racing both on and off the course, sharing the essence of his human spirit.

It's a story of dreams that became a reality. A story of teamwork, discipline and friendship. A story of love for one's family and a passion for life.

Thanks Marty and enough with the ibuprofen, that stuff will kill you.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Intro To Adventure Racing, December 22, 1998

By A Customer

A friend gave me this book just 2 weeks after we had completed our first adventure race and I quickly blew through it. It was a real joy to read. Dugard takes the reader along for the ride and attempts to give some insite to, not only the races, but why someone would actually want to attempt one, and how the race dominates the participant's life.

Assuming the reader is interested in the sport, the information contained within is tremendously valuable, because the vantage point is not that of a Discovery Channel commentator or a Race Spokesman, but a participant, slogging through the ordeal.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative and Sometimes Inspiring, October 13, 2000

By	"finchsnotes" (Albuquerque, NM USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Surviving the Toughest Race on Earth (Paperback)

This book is really two stories within one. The author starts by telling how he changed his life by taking a chance and pursuing a dream. It is a story of a corporate professional who grows disillusioned with his job, and spends his days daydreaming about a more exciting and fulfilling life. Taking a leap of faith, with the support of his wife, the author decides finally to pursue his dream as a free lance writer. We follow the author's adventure first as a correspondent for a new sport, and then listen as the author is drawn into the sport as a participant. The author is very informative when it comes to describing the adventure race experience. If you have ever wondered what an adventure race entails, and what motivates people to undertake such an endeavor, this book is for you. If you are stuck in a deadend job and dream of doing something different, then you may want to read this book as well. The editing could be better (I often times wondered if the author used the same editor on "Survivor"), but this is only a small distraction from the material contained in the book.