There’s no shortage of books out there about running. Lots of runners and coaches have taken the time to write down their experiences and share them with the rest of us. In this post, we’ll look at three books we recommend about running that we think will help you learn more about the sport while keeping you entertained.

1. Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide, Hal Higdon

Hal Higdon is a well-known running coach who provides training plans and advice to the running community. If you are running your first marathon, you should check out his website to find a beginner-level training plan to get you started.

His book, Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide, takes you through everything you need to know about running a marathon. All of his training plans are included in the appendix, but you’re better off going to the website for those, since he updates them regularly.

The book gives expert advice on all aspects of the marathon. He goes into detail about what you can expect leading up to the race, what the training process will be like, and what your non-running friends will have to say about the process! The advice is great, the humor is great, and the training plans have been used by thousands of successful marathoners.

2. 80/20 Running: Matt Fitzgerald

This book offers a new paradigm for training. The general idea behind 80/20 running is the author’s recommendation that you do 80% of your runs at a lower intensity, and 20% of your runs at a higher intensity. He claims this disparity will allow you to build up your strength and see significant improvements in your abilities.

There is some debate on the topic, but there is definitely a lot to be gained from following the advice. Many runners fall into a trap of just lacing up and putting their miles in without paying much attention to pace and time goals. That style is a wish-for-the-best approach, whereas Fitzgerald’s process puts you in the driver seat.

The book goes into significant detail about the science and the recommendation. It also gives training plans that follow the 80/20 approach for several race distances.

3. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running: Haruki Murakami

If you’re looking to get out of the science of running and instead learn more about the psychological effects of a good run, look no further than Haruki Murakami’s book. He is a remarkably successful novelist with a writing style that is unmatched. His fiction writing skills translate strongly to this book, in which he provides us with insight about how running has impacted his life.

Most runners feel their lives have been changed by the sport. Whether we use running as a tool to keep in shape, get in shape, spend time with ourselves, or any other benefit, we all agree that running can be a magical experience. No other individual sport can make us feel so connected to ourselves while also connecting us to the rest of the running community. Murakami understands this better than most and took the time to write down his thoughts about running so that new and old runners alike can benefit from his putting into words some of the things we’ve all thought about.