9 Great Running Books You Should Be Reading Right Now

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9 Great Running Books You Should Be Reading Right Now

Looking for a good book to start the new year? Here are some of the best running books of 2016 and a few new ones released in 2017.

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Olympic Collision: The Story of Mary Decker and Zola Budd by Kyle Keiderling, $28

More than 32 years after one of the most famous track and field spectacles in history, author Kyle Keiderling tells an invigorating story about the fateful moment that Zola Budd and Mary Decker collided in a 3,000-meter race on the track at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and the saga that unfolded afterword. It's a fascinating read for any track fan or Olympic history buff, especially at such a key point in the rise of women's running in the U.S. and around the world.

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The Endurance Diet: Discover the World's Greatest Athletes' 5 Core Habits to Look, Feel and Perform Better by Matt Fitzgerald, $17

Matt Fitzgerald has spent two decades studying the diets of elite athletes, and in that time, he has identified five core habits they use to attain optimal health and performance: eat everything, eat quality, eat carbohydrates, eat enough, and eat individually. Whether you want to lose weight, win a race, eat a healthier diet or follow the nutrition regimen like an elite athlete, this book will offer insights into a science-based diet and lifestyle program that will help decrease body fat, get better results from workouts and recover better.

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Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight, $29

The story about how Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman started Nike. If you are a sneaker geek or a fan of business books, this memoir falls somewhere in between. It's a compelling read full of insight, humor and entrepreneurial spirit. It tells the story of how a boot-strapped start-up idea became the world's largest athletic footwear and apparel company, and one of the world's top marketing superpowers.

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Complete Training Journal and Believe Logbook by Lauren Fleshman and Roisin McGettigan-Dumas, $21 and $18

The latest works from motivational runners/writers Lauren Fleshman and Ro McGettigan-Dumas, the "Compete Training Journal" focuses on high-end performance while the stripped-down "Believe Logbook" is aimed at helping runners stay on track and offer accountability to complete daily, weekly and monthly workout regimens.

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The Born Again Runner: A Guide to Overcoming Excuses, Injuries, and Other Obstacles―for New and Returning Runners by Pete Magill, $19

For runners who have lost fitness at some point in life, this is the method to get back in shape again. Pete Magill knows a thing or two about that. As a drug-addled young man, he once found himself in the ER, with his body telling him to give up. Taking up running seemed impossible—but he willed himself to do it anyway. With a new clean-living approach, Magill went on to become one of the fastest masters runners ever and a sought-after coach.

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Grand Trail: A Magnificent Journey to the Heart of Ultrarunning and Racing by Frederic Berg and Alexis Berg, $45

Simply put, this is the most inspirational and breathtaking coffee table book about running ever published. It shares the stunning beauty and raw emotions of ultrarunning, paying tribute to the passion and splendor of the sport and lifestyle while eloquently depicting 13 amazing trail races around the world and profiling 16 of the world’s top ultra-distance athletes (including Kilian Jornet, Scott Jurek and Emelie Forsberg).

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Rocket Fuel by Matthew Kadey, RD, $23

Perfect for the active foodie, this book provides more than 80 real-food, simple fuel recipes for before, during and after a workout.

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The Haywire Heart by Chris Case, John Mandrola, MD, and Lennard Zinn, $25

This book offers a groundbreaking examination of heart conditions in athletes, offering new evidence that going too hard or too long can damage your heart forever. That's perhaps not what a recreational athlete wants to hear as the new year begins (with new event goals in mind), but that's what makes it such a compelling read. It also explains what athletes can watch for and how to protect their hearts while participating in cycling, running, triathlon and other endurance pursuits.

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The River Road by Dennis Barker, $14

The River Road is an evocative novel about becoming a runner at the start of the original American running boom. Set in 1972, Barker, who would go on to become a top U.S. running coach, weaves together hints of his own personal running journey with the American running success of that summer and a bit of the social change happening in the world at the time. A classic coming-of-age story, it’s a compelling read that will appeal to longtime runners, fans of the sport and anyone who appreciates how running can change a life forever.