An exploration of the art of running, and a quest to ensure you can continue for a lifetime Never before have so many people run so many miles, or set themselves such ambitious targets, in pursuit of self-fulfillment: marathons, ultra-marathons, extreme adventures. And never before have people had such high hopes of remaining vigorous and active - young in all but name - long after retiring from the work-place. Yet that last goal, perhaps more precious than any of the others, remains elusive. It can be done, but only a few succeed. Most runners succumb to injury or illness in middle age; others are defeated by dwindling energy levels, or by the gradual falling-off of their peers. They can only envy the charmed few who continue to enjoy the life-enhancing joys of running well into what used to be considered extreme old age. Horrified by the thought of breaking off his life-long love-affair with running, Richard Askwith began to think seriously about a question with profound implications for every enthusiastic runner: how can you keep running, happily and well, for the rest of your life - ideally, well into your nineties and beyond? Askwith's quest for the secrets of running longevity takes him on a long, mystifying journey: to laboratories and running tracks, cities and remote mountain villages, on several continents. He meets scientists and coaches, gurus and cranks, ninety-year-old sprinters and hundred-year-old marathon runners - and with each passing month his quest grows more urgent.
'In The Race Against Time, Askwith touches upon something larger than simply running or sport - he helps us to see ourselves ... Both inspiring and moving' - Adharanand Finn, author of Running with the Kenyans A quest for the secrets of happy, healthy whole-life running, and how runners can keep enjoying their sport, whatever their age What do you do when the sport that has been your lifeline to physical and mental well-being starts to slip away from you? Richard Askwith, a life-long running enthusiast, was sunk in mid-life despair. Plagued by injuries and demoralised by failing strength and speed, he was on the point of giving up for good. Then he came across the remarkable world of late-life athletics, and resolved to find out more. The result is a thrilling, life-affirming quest for the secrets of the happy few who keep on running all through life's later decades, culminating in a life-changing adventure at the World Masters Athletics Championships. It's a resounding