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The Way of the Runner cover art

The Way of the Runner

By: Adharanand Finn
Narrated by: Derek Perkins
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Summary

A journey into Japan's fabled running culture from the award-winning author of Running with the Kenyans.

Welcome to Japan, the most running-obsessed nation on earth, a place where a 135-mile relay race is the country's biggest annual sporting event. Thousands of professional runners compete for corporate teams in some of the most competitive races in the world. Marathon monks run a thousand marathons in a thousand days to reach spiritual enlightenment.

Adharanand Finn spent six months immersed in this unique running culture to discover what it might teach us about the sport and about Japan. As an amateur runner about to turn 40, he also hoped to find out whether the Japanese approach to training might help him run faster. What he learned - about competition, teamwork, form, chasing personal bests and himself - will fascinate anyone keen to explore why we run and how we might do it better.

©2015 Adharanand Finn (P)2016 Audible, Ltd

What listeners say about The Way of the Runner

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Another fascinating study of a running nation

I loved 'Running with the Kenyans', and was thrilled to discover that Adharanand Finn had conducted a second one-man study, this time based in Japan. I love the fact that his wife and children are fully involved in these excursions, which really adds an extra dimension. This was another fascinating observation on a country's culture and attitude towards running, as well as a contemplative study of the author's own running. Interesting and engaging in equal measures, and inspired me to keeping looking for better form in my own running, even though I have no aspiration to win (or even enter!) any races.

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5 people found this helpful

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loved it!!!!!

if you love running you will love this book. full of tips on improving techniques

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3 people found this helpful

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Excellent.

Brilliant listen, very enjoyable. Fascinating insight into Japanese running which was little known to me. Also highly recommended Running With Kenyans.

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3 people found this helpful

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Doesn’t have much to say in the end

The culture of running in Japan is incredibly strong, but they are stuck in an old fashioned approach of just pounding out the miles - it means they produce lots of very high level runners, but no great ones. They need to modernise their methods - that’s it :)

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1 person found this helpful

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Excellent book loved the way of the runner

Excellent to listen to this incredible insight into how the professional run and think highly recommending.

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  • Overall
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Interesting with little excitement

It was a nice listen. Hearing about Japanese running culture was interesting, but they're is no real finale. The end was a little disappointing.

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Long winded

I started off enjoying this book as the writing is good as is the narrators performance. However, the story struggled to go anywhere. I have a suspicion that perhaps the author was under pressure to write a follow up book having had success.... Or perhaps he set out with a good idea however unfortunately it didn't quite work out as hoped. To be fair, I am an occasional runner and perhaps more serious runners might enjoy this book more than I did.

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I really enjoy this author

I love running and travelling. This book was very interesting for me and I listened it while running. i recommend it to runners or people interested in Japan. Third book of Finn that I listen. I can't get enough! Dear FinnSan, please move abroad to run again and write a third book.

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  • Overall
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Brilliant from start to end.

Well written, read and packed with insight and information but with a human touch. I cannot recommend highly enough.

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Good performance but no real substance

The book was enjoyable, but it was not what I was expecting. I was hoping for more tips and techniques on how to improve my running. This was more of a story of how the author went to Japan and networked and ran. However, the narrator was pleasant to listen to.

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