"From starting-gun to finishing tape may be a clean ten seconds, but behind that moment swirl a few thousand years of human joy and despair and endeavour—this seems to be the argument of Gotaas’s rich and engrossing book."

Spectator

"An admirable attempt to cover the running phenomenon, not merely in its cultural and historical sweep but also in its philosophy. Gotaas starts by giving us some of the fascinating history of running, showing that it has been part and parcel of human life since our earliest days and has featured prominently in cultures ranging from that of the Incas . . . to Sumeria. . . . It is the attempts by Gotaas to get beneath the surface of running that provide the book’s most revelatory moments."—Matthew Syed, Times (UK)

Matthew Syed | Times (UK)

"Recreational running, Gotaas points out, has been around since the dawn of recreation time. It’s not some modern punishment we invented to burn off excess pints and pizza; it’s our most ancient and universal form of play, and has been rhapsodised and dramatised for thousands of years. Gotaas combs the world for true running tales, and comes up with some beauties. . . . An amazingly wide-ranging study."

Christopher McDougall | Guardian

“As well as being vital to our early survival, running is a universal form of play, as this fascinating study shows . . . Gotaas’s research ranges as freely across the globe as it does through time. He pays as much attention to modern African champions as he does to European greats, carefully and colorfully describing the lives of overlooked luminaries such as Abebe Bikila, the barefoot Ethiopian who won the 1960 Olympic marathon in Rome, and Henry Rono (Kenya’s ‘Mr Comeback’).”

Observer

“Fulfils its brief brilliantly.”

Independent

“Gotaas has amassed a huge range of material here . . . rich in detail and anecdote.”

History Today

"Gotaas takes a broad, shallow approach in this history of running worldwide. . . The book includes many interesting pearls and debunks myths associated with running. . . . Recommended."

T. K. Ambrose | Choice