When Running Made History

Sports and Entertainment

by Roger Robinson

Robinson takes readers on a globe-trotting tour that combines a historian's in-sight with vivid personal memories going back to just after World War II. From experiencing the 1948 "Austerity Olympics" in London as a young spectator to working as a journalist in the Boston Marathon media center at the moment of the 2013 bombings, Robinson offers a fascinating first-person account of the tragic and triumphant moments that impacted the world and shaped the modern sport. He chronicles the beginnings of the American running boom, the emergence of women's running, the end of the old amateur rules, and the redefinition of aging for athletes and amateurs.



With an intimate perspective and insightful reporting, Robinson captures major historical events through the lens of running. He recounts running in Berlin at the time of German reunification in 1990, organizing a replacement track meet in New Zealand after the disastrous 2011 earthquake, and the tri-umph of Ethiopian athlete Abebe Bikila in the 1960 Olympics in Rome. As an avid runner, journalist, and fan, Robinson brings these global events to life and reveals the intimate and powerful ways in which running has intersected with recent history.

Genres: Sports, History, Nonfiction

328 pages, Hardcover

Published May 17, 2018

About the author

Roger is a writer and educator who has taught and performed worldwide and is an experienced workshop leader and lecturer on poetry. He was chosen by Decibel as one of 50 writers who have influenced the black-British writing canon. He received commissions from The National Trust, London Open House, BBC, The National Portrait Gallery, V&A, INIVA, MK Gallery and Theatre Royal Stratford East where he also was associate artist. He is an alumni of The Complete Works.

His workshops have been part of a shortlist for the Gulbenkian Prize for Museums and Galleries and were also a part of the Webby Award winning Barbican’s Can I Have A Word. He was shortlisted for The OCM Bocas Poetry Prize, The Oxford Brookes Poetry Prize and highly commended by the Forward Poetry Prize 2013. He has toured extensively with the British Council and is a co-founder of both Spoke Lab and the international writing collective Malika’s Kitchen. He is the lead vocalist and lyricist for King Midas Sound and has also recorded solo albums with Jahtari Records

Reviews

[Abdul Kareem · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have decided to read this book or if you are considering reading this book, it means most likely you are interested in running with at the very least some knowledge about running or you are a runner yourself who understands the pain a human body can endure, at times pushing through the limits of the unimaginable realm which you have never discovered. Consider this: You have lived ' N ' number of years, and you have witnessed many moments in the world around you; to narrow it down - A small world of athletics. Backtracking, you might have witnessed unbelievable performances from the most recent diamond leagues, world championships, Olympics, and indoor and outdoor track seasons. More often than not, many of us are privileged to have witnessed historical moments in athletics on our screens and can relive these moments on YouTube and possibly remember where we were when those said moments were etched in history. ' When Running Made History ' is one such collection of the experiences of those moments by the writer Roger Robinson, who aside from being married to a legend in the running community has witnessed historic moments which has helped shape athletics the way we see and experience it now. Roger has managed to share his experience through a book which is something we normally do with family and friends when we experience something worth sharing. Having lived through the time of WWII, to Roger Bannister breaking the impossible barrier of sub-4-minute mile to Kathrine running the marathon till Kipchoge breaking the 2-hour barrier in an unofficial world record time in the marathon, Roger brings his experience out in such a way that one can feel seeing those moments through the lens looking back in time. This book can feel personal to some and informative to some, but regardless the knowledge being poured into this book by the writer is immense with a personal touch of nostalgia that he feels at times with the acceptance of time which has passed. Being a runner, a commentator and a world record holder at the international level in masters, Roger had made sure that this book is not a biography but just a recollection of his memories and his journey within the running community.

[Jonathon Hagger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing piece of historical writing that expresses the deep essence of what it means to be an athlete and the impact the sport has made in the world. The writing is fluid and intoxicating, the stories enticing and exciting, the book as a whole is fantastic.

The writers ability to explain the context of the stories in history while simultaneously assessing the social impact made is extraordinary.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book on the history of competitive running from the first person perspective of a talented thinker and writer who saw much of it. I enjoyed the immense amount of information it contained, the many anecdotes only possible from someone who was there, and the photographs in each chapter that illustrated moments in history. If you're interested in the history of running or competitive sports and/or are just a happy middling runner/athlete who could use a little inspiration, this is a great book to pick up. It's thoughtful and detailed, though not a complete history of competitive running. If you want even more information the book contains a great bibliography - and I'd second the author's recommendation of Kathrine Switzer's Marathon Woman: Running the Race to Revolutionize Women's Sports, which I read shortly before this book and which focuses on the history of women's running.

[Terzah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-written first-hand tour of some of running's great moments. It's impressive that the author had a front-row seat to so many of the events he chronicles here. I do wish he'd been a little less self-congratulatory at times, but as both a runner and a writer, he's the real deal, and I really liked and agreed with his thesis about the positive role running plays in the general history of human affairs.

[Letitia Moffitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable, if a bit scattered. Robinson's love of running comes through on every page, making this a good book for runners to peruse (how interesting it would be to non-runners, I am not sure; i myself am slightly obsessed with running).

[Cherie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Back in the good old boys club when just men ran....found the writing dull. DNF.

[Chad Veal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shed a tear on the Meb Boston Chapter.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Periodically intersting but mostly navel-gazing and self-absorbed blowhardery.