Best Gifts for Runners Who Read

After a refreshing run, there's nothing better than winding down with a good book. But with so many options out there, how do you find the perfect read to complement your post-run relaxation? We've got some options for you!

1. Sorted by Dr. Juliet McGrattan

A friendly, accessible handbook that gives you a top-to-toe MOT to help you stay fit and well. From wearing the right bra or exercising during your period, to recovering from illness or keeping active during pregnancy, our own Dr. Juliet's advice will soon have you sorted and on the road to health.

$20.00

2. Running Throughout Time: The Greatest Running Stories Ever Told by Roger Robinson

Roger Robinson had two goals in telling these epic running stories – “to bring them to life, and to get them right.”

His new book is double masterpiece of vivid story-telling and ground-breaking research. It is a landmark in the history of women's running, among much else. Roger is a writer, journalist, literature professor, elite runner, and husband of Kathrine Switzer. The book is dedicated to her.

$20.00

3. Her Fearless Run: Kathrine Switzer's Historic Boston Marathon written by Kim Chaffee, illustrated by Ellen Rooney

Kathrine Switzer changed the world of running. Share her story with runners young and old with this narrative biography that follows Kathrine from running laps as a girl in her backyard to becoming the first woman to run the Boston Marathon with an official race number in 1967. Her inspirational true story is for anyone willing to challenge the rules.

*Books are autographed by Kathrine and the author, Kim Chaffee

$17.99

4. Running While Black: Finding Freedom in a Sport That Wasn't Built for Us by Alison Mariella Désir

Running While Black draws on Désir’s experience as an endurance athlete, activist, and mental health advocate to explore why the seemingly simple, human act of long distance running for exercise and health has never been truly open to Black people. Weaving historical context—from the first recreational running boom to the horrific murder of Ahmaud Arbery—together with her own story of growth in the sport, Désir unpacks how we got here and advocates for a world where everyone is free to safely experience the life-changing power of movement.

*Price varies. External link takes you to Bookshop.org (not an affiliate link)

5. Choosing to Run: A Memoir by Des Linden with Bonnie D. Ford

In her first book, listeners will learn the story behind her resolve: the way Des trains, the way she thinks, her relationships with other great runners of her generation, and how much she values her family and friends. They’ll hear about her deep connection to the most famous marathon in the world, her two very different Olympic experiences, and how she defined new goals and set a world record at the 50-kilometer distance.

Most of all, they’ll learn what makes her get up and run every day.

*Price varies. External link takes you to Bookshop.org (not an affiliate link)

6. Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory by Deena Kastor and Michelle Hamilton

Let Your Mind Run is a fascinating, intimate look inside the mind of an elite athlete, a remarkable story of achievement, and an insightful primer on how the small steps of cultivating positivity can give anyone a competitive edge.

*Price varies. External link takes you to Bookshop.org (not an affiliate link)

7. Stand: A Memoir on Activism. A Manual For Progress. What Really Happens When We Stand on the Front Lines of Change. by Kathryn Bertine 

What really happens on the front lines of change? For Kathryn, a former ESPN columnist and professional cyclist, advocating for gender equality wasn't even on her radar in 2006. She was on a journalism assignment, trying to get to the Beijing Summer Olympics. By 2016, everything changed. Global petitions, documentary filmmaking, pressure groups, secret meetings, bullying managers, brain injuries, devastating depression, healing victories…the decade-long span of one woman's foray into activism was rife with difficulties. But also a journey of hope, passion, courage and triumph.

*Price varies. External link takes you to Bookshop.org (not an affiliate link)

Every order helps support our mission to empower women around the world to become leaders in their local communities who in turn inspire others to live fearless, healthy lives. It's a ripple effect sparked by YOU!

Click to learn more about 261 Fearless: https://www.261fearless.org/