I was a little sceptical when I first picked up this book, as the quote on the front was from a radio presenter rather than a running coach or an elite runner. But I gave it a chance, and quickly I was hooked!

This book is well put-together, with nice imagery, easy to read paragraphs and a layout that simplifies the science and training behind marathon running.

Brewer’s book covers the specifics of the marathon and what role it plays with your body; how your system breaks-down over the miles and how the race effects your internal organs. Very in depth stuff!

That’s what I loved most about this book; it doesn’t hold anything back and tells you to the point. It’s chapters range from the explanation of a marathon, training for one and what equipment you need.

There is not a step that this book does not cover. If you’re interested or thinking about entering a marathon I can definitely recommend giving this a read first, as a comprehensive guide. It makes you think in the bigger picture rather than ‘oh I’m going to run 26.2 miles’

Towards the end of the book it even covers the depths of ultra marathons, using the marathon distance as a stepping stone to these ‘crazy’ distances!

A perfect touch at the end of the book is training resources, in this small chapter it covers things like ‘100 ways to go 1% faster’, Training plans and some useful tables like pace charts.

I recommend this book to any and all runners, it was one of my favourite ever reads as I’m a bit of a research geek when it comes to races, if you’re on the verge of entering a marathon, this book will persuade you to do so!

You can pick-up a copy of Run Smart on Amazon

 

 

Last updated on March 2nd, 2021.