Running For Their Lives
The Extraordinary Story of Britain's Greatest Ever Distance Runners
1st Edition
Published on 5. April 2012
384 pages
978-1-4090-1964-0 (ISBN)
Description
In 1928 two extraordinary Englishmen competed in an unprecedented event - a transcontinental road race across America that required them to run an average of 40 miles for 80 consecutive days.
Despite being separated by class, education and age, Peter Gavuzzi and Arthur Newton became close friends and formed a successful business partnership as endurance athletes. They raced in 500-mile relays, in 24-hour events, in snowshoes and against horses; and they became the stars of a craze for endurance events that swept across depression-era North America and the most famous long-distance runners in the world.
However, history has forgotten these two men, and in Running for Their Lives - in a story peopled with remarkable characters, unimaginable feats and tragic twists of fate - they only now receive the recognition they so richly deserve.
Despite being separated by class, education and age, Peter Gavuzzi and Arthur Newton became close friends and formed a successful business partnership as endurance athletes. They raced in 500-mile relays, in 24-hour events, in snowshoes and against horses; and they became the stars of a craze for endurance events that swept across depression-era North America and the most famous long-distance runners in the world.
However, history has forgotten these two men, and in Running for Their Lives - in a story peopled with remarkable characters, unimaginable feats and tragic twists of fate - they only now receive the recognition they so richly deserve.
Reviews / Votes
A poignant account of unrecognised achievement -- Bryon Rogers * Spectator * Well-researched and entertaining... Whitaker's real achievement is to resurrect for recognition the careers of two genuine British sporting heroes * Times Literary Supplement * Remarkable * New Statesman * A timely reminder of the best that the sport can achieve * The Sunday Times * Astonishing * Reader's Digest * These men were monumentally strong. They were not just sporting heroes but heroes in terms of human endeavour -- Peter Radford Whitaker paints a compelling picture of a world in which the virtues of old-fashioned professionalism and decency overcome class and race barriers... engaging, surprising and...affecting -- Alexander Larman * Observer *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Vintage Publishing
File size
1,71 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-4090-1964-0 (9781409019640)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Mark Whitaker
Running For Their Lives
The Extraordinary Story of Britain's Greatest Ever Distance Runners
Book
04/2013
Yellow Jersey Press
€19.20
Shipment within 10-20 days
Person
Mark Whitaker is a broadcaster and historian. After a first career as an academic, during which he taught in both London and Tunis, he joined the BBC in 1990. He was a reporter for BBC2's sports documentary series On the Line, and from 1994 to 2002 was a regular presenter of File on 4 on Radio 4. He then became a founding partner of the independent production company Square Dog Radio, which is named after a beloved Bernese Mountain dog. To his great regret he recently had to give up playing cricket. He lives in the West Yorkshire hills with his family and their animals.
