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Runner 13

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

The gripping thriller from the bestselling author of Breathless, based on her own extraordinary ultra-running experience.

It’s the ultimate test of endurance: two-hundred-and-fifty miles in the brutal heat of the Sahara, with only the supplies you can carry on your back.
Adri is ready. Returning to ultra-running in the wake of a scandal, she needs to prove to herself – and her young son – that she’s a winner.
When a fellow runner is badly injured, Adri knows something isn’t right. Yet in a race this extreme, even a dead body can be explained away.
But there’s a killer stalking the hot sand. And the problem with running faster than everyone else, is that you’re miles ahead of anyone who can save you...

©2025 Amy McCulloch (P)2025 Penguin Audio Action & Adventure Crime Thrillers Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Suspense Thriller & Suspense Scary

Critic reviews

If there was a race to write a dark, immersive thriller that will transport you to a whole new world (of extreme marathon running) then Runner 13 by Amy McCulloch would be first across the line. A masterclass in atmospheric writing, it is told with resounding skill and authenticity, as deadly events at the extreme end of competitive running threaten the lives and families of troubled participants. This is gold medal storytelling and I raced through it. (JANICE HALLETT)
Runner 13 is an utterly brilliant immersive thriller set in a terrifyingly arduous adventure race think Agatha Christie meets Marathon de Sables meets the Barkley Marathons. It is smart, visceral and deliciously dark and twisty. (LOUISE MINCHIN)

Brilliantly atmospheric and with relentless pace, Runner 13 is one of the most propulsive adventure thrillers I’ve read. It will leave you gasping for breath. I loved it! (LIV MATTHEWS)
Amy McCulloch does it again! Runner 13 is an absolute scorcher of a thriller that examines the lengths we are willing to push ourselves for what's right. Each chapter left me out of breath and desperate to learn what would happen next. Reading this book was a race to the very last page. All in all, Runner 13 proves that no one does an adventure thriller quite like Amy McCulloch. (SARA OCHS, author of The Resort)
A thriller set around the fascinating world of ultra-running where there's always the threat that even the race might kill you. Utterly breathtaking - absolutely loved it. Amy's best yet (CATHERINE COOPER)
'In Runner 13, McCulloch's firsthand experience of ultra running shines through every page. I felt like I was there! A fast-paced adventure thriller that will get your pulse racing. Not to be missed (LUCY CLARKE)
Tense, exhilarating and deeply immersive, I raced through this epic ultramarathon thriller. So good on character, with a layered plot and vivid desert setting—I loved it as a runner, a reader, and a full-of-admiration writer (LAURA STEVEN, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Our Infinite Fates)
As soon as I finished it I ordered all Amy's other books. A breathless, complex thriller. I steamed through it (JANE FALLON)
Runner 13 is the most tense, gripping and breathless novel I’ve read in a very long time. With more terrifying twists and turns than a mountain ultramarathon, I already predict it’ll be the thriller of the year. (TIM LEBBON)
All stars
Most relevant
I like that Amy is a runner herself and all the running related details in the book are accurate. it's a well written story that moves along at a pace. very well narrated by the various voices.

Exciting and authentic

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Atmospheric thriller with great narrators. I loved it! and that's all I have to say.

Perfection

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A compelling tale - bit far fetched but really enjoyable. I liked the fact there was a female lead and the subject of endurance running was riveting. Loved the descriptions of the landscape and physical challenge .

Refreshingly different thriller

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