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Run Wild
With his down to earth voice and a great sense of humour, Boff Whalley writes about how running brings a real world of discovery and adventure, from reaching the top of a mountain with the sun at your back and moon in front creating two shadows, to running up Mount Fuji on a break from work.
288 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2012
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August 10, 2012I totally enjoyed Boff Whalley's book. It was about so much more than running. Loving nature, enjoying your life, taking chances and living without fear.
April 10, 2015
This book was a mixed bag. Early on Boff Whalley asserts that he is no whiner, that he is a positive person rather than a Positive Thinker™ but I came away feeling that his brand of positivity is more about relishing going against what he perceives as the flow, about being a contrarian. I half felt that even as someone essentially on his side of the argument he'd wrong-foot me.
There is a lot in this book about his dislike of marathons and specifically the New York Marathon. Too much - and he hasn't talked to enough other people about why they do what they do, what sort of running is accessible to them, what they enjoy. I also felt he could have picked apart some of the issues more thoroughly - for example the complex business of marathons and other road races' role in charity fund-raising, where he seemed to tail off.
I was disappointed to realise that when Boff Whalley says 'wild running' he really means 'up and down hills, the steeper the better' - and the 'freedom' he promotes in practice appears to involve a good deal of racing on a set route, even if he is honest (which I think he probably is) about his disinterest in winning and times. He contrasts the effects on the body of pounding pavements and claims the only harm you do to yourself running off road is if you fall over...hmmm, never knee or ankle damage from vertiginous descents at speed???
I am not sure that he realises that the reason he likes to run without music may not be solely about the superior experience of running in nature but because the rest of his life is full of music as a member of Chumbawumba.
So, there was a lot to dislike in the book and yet I did enjoy it and felt he said a lot of important things in an interesting way. There *is* more to running than marathons, than thick soled shoes and techno fabrics and too many people are not running off-road not simply for the main reason that they don't have anywhere nearby and cannot conveniently or affordably (or environmentally responsibly) get there, but because they are unreasonably afraid. I enjoyed the depiction of life as a jobbing band member and how he fits running into that and he describes infectiously the need to run and the joy.
There is a lot in this book about his dislike of marathons and specifically the New York Marathon. Too much - and he hasn't talked to enough other people about why they do what they do, what sort of running is accessible to them, what they enjoy. I also felt he could have picked apart some of the issues more thoroughly - for example the complex business of marathons and other road races' role in charity fund-raising, where he seemed to tail off.
I was disappointed to realise that when Boff Whalley says 'wild running' he really means 'up and down hills, the steeper the better' - and the 'freedom' he promotes in practice appears to involve a good deal of racing on a set route, even if he is honest (which I think he probably is) about his disinterest in winning and times. He contrasts the effects on the body of pounding pavements and claims the only harm you do to yourself running off road is if you fall over...hmmm, never knee or ankle damage from vertiginous descents at speed???
I am not sure that he realises that the reason he likes to run without music may not be solely about the superior experience of running in nature but because the rest of his life is full of music as a member of Chumbawumba.
So, there was a lot to dislike in the book and yet I did enjoy it and felt he said a lot of important things in an interesting way. There *is* more to running than marathons, than thick soled shoes and techno fabrics and too many people are not running off-road not simply for the main reason that they don't have anywhere nearby and cannot conveniently or affordably (or environmentally responsibly) get there, but because they are unreasonably afraid. I enjoyed the depiction of life as a jobbing band member and how he fits running into that and he describes infectiously the need to run and the joy.
August 11, 2017
This is a really enjoyable, interesting and inspiring book, part hymn to off-road running and part critique of corporate, tarmacked marathons. As a road cyclist and hiker, but only an occasional jogger, I hadn’t really considered the central premise of this book which is that fell running is all about the journey, the adventure, living in the moment, connecting with the planet, and having fun, whereas completing 26.2 coned and cordoned miles is really only about the destination and its completion, only a resolute ignoring of the (pain of the) moment, and scarcely any fun. Whalley argues this dichotomy with obvious knowledge and passion, and many of the points he makes are sensible, philosophical and even wise, in a well-it-stands-to-reason kind of way: of course running with minimal cushioning on uneven surfaces with a zig-zagging gait builds sturdy legs, less prone to injury than the asphalt plod of the city jogger; of course it’s more life-affirming to exercise surrounded by beauty and with a sense of adventure. But I am happy to be presented with obvious wisdom, obvious if only I'd thought about it! So, if you are afraid of maps and getting lost, but have an urge to get amongst the heather, bracken and the mud, then this could be the book for you. Actually I understand the lure of the city marathon - the support, the buzz, the monumental status - and I “get it” that it’s better that people pound pavements than do nothing, but I also accept that there just isn’t any beauty or poetry or romance in city running, like there is in fell running. I liked the numerous cultural references – I could have predicted The Fall, but not Oprah, and Primo Levi jarred a little – but for me the best aspect of this enjoyable book is that adventure is on your doorstep if you only dared to look: a heath, a wood, waste ground, a beck, the margins of farm land – all these places offer the possibility of beauty, poetry and living in the moment in a way that pavements can’t. I’m totally glad I read Run Wild and find that I might have caught the scent of adventure. Definitely a good read.
July 2, 2017
"When we were young we dreamt of adventure. Then as we got older we were taught that dreams for adventure are for the young, and we got scared by poverty, joblessness and the responsibilities of relationships and children. We grew up." Running wild gives us some of that back.
February 24, 2013
Well, I made it all the way to to the end of this book which is an impressive feat. This author is the singer in Chumbawumba and it is about his hatred for the marathon and his love for trail running. Normally, I wouldn't have an issue reading something like this (even as a marathoner), but it took him to the last chapter in the book to mention anything positive about running a marathon. After spending 260 pages bashing the NYC marathon and those that were running on the streets, he mentions that if they are running, at least they are out there doing it.
This is probably the most fired up I've been about a review. He goes on and on about the greatness of trail running, how it's so much better than other running, and he makes it sound like he's better than anyone who runs on pavement. I run on pavement, trails, mountains, whatever. If people are out there running, good for them. I didn't get that sense from the author. If you were exploring a new city, or on a business trip and chose to run on a treadmill or in the city, well shame on you.
Overall, it was an easy read (despite the pent up aggression I had) and he paints some nice pictures along the way about his trail running. I don't agree with the tone of the book towards a majority of runners, and was very excited to hear that when he applied for a media pass to the NYC Marathon, he didn't receive a reply. I guess that's what he gets for not really being a journalist or a media person, and then bashing them in a book.
This is probably the most fired up I've been about a review. He goes on and on about the greatness of trail running, how it's so much better than other running, and he makes it sound like he's better than anyone who runs on pavement. I run on pavement, trails, mountains, whatever. If people are out there running, good for them. I didn't get that sense from the author. If you were exploring a new city, or on a business trip and chose to run on a treadmill or in the city, well shame on you.
Overall, it was an easy read (despite the pent up aggression I had) and he paints some nice pictures along the way about his trail running. I don't agree with the tone of the book towards a majority of runners, and was very excited to hear that when he applied for a media pass to the NYC Marathon, he didn't receive a reply. I guess that's what he gets for not really being a journalist or a media person, and then bashing them in a book.
January 2, 2017
I loved the writing about how he felt when running- and I was definitely jealous of the time that he has to run and the opportunities that he's had to run in some really spectacular places. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the wild places, especially Yosemite, and was definitely itching to get my trainers on by the end and get muddy on the trails near my house! I understood some of his hostility to the corporate marathons, but I did feel that he should have done more to find out why people choose to run these races, and what they get out of them, and to explore his feelings towards that type of running in greater depth.
May 11, 2013
A really enthralling read about the author's love of fell-running, and visceral dislike of city marathons. Some strikingly beautiful passages - his evocation of a "group photo" on a mountain peak brought tears to my eyes. Never less than thoroughly engaging. It's got me turning my eyes away from the canal towpath and up to the valley sides...
April 27, 2016
City marathons are capitalism, wild running is anarchism. That's the summary, and I can't say I disagree, but boy does he go on about the evils of city marathons!
November 23, 2019
I genuinely and truly enjoy marathons, I love the atmosphere, I love the feeling, I love the people, I love the challenge and I just plain love doing them. I do an annual trail run and I've done a few of the Lakeland trails, but road running is my core (at least with running) and marathons are my favourite distance for them.
If not for that I definitely would rate this book at least 1 star higher, but as with when I read Ramble on, the seeming verbal assault on my way of enjoying things because the author had different views unfortunately tainted my experience of the whole book.
Anyway onto the review:
If you're a die hard trail/fell runner then this book would be ace (and honestly I'd recommend it anyway, just with a pinch of salt and a cup of understanding). Boff does really well at explaining his experiences running the trails and if not for his routine put downs of road runners then I think this book would honestly have some of my favourite running language.
Also if you're someone looking for something to introduce you to a new way of doing things then again, Boff does a really grand job of describing the things he enjoys in a way that would make them sound enticing and exciting to an outsider.
Just don't think running on a road is though...
In case you've not gathered Boff isn't a fan of running on pavement, and he's not afraid to not only share that but put down those who enjoy it. It might not have been meant the way it came across but it ends up with Boff sounding like he's better than people simply for the fact he doesn't like road running (and don't get him started on people with the audacity to enjoy music while they run!).
It's the same type of attitude which left a bit of distaste in my mouth after reading Walden, which funnily enough is a book and is written by a man Boff admires very much.
Also if you ever want to really date your book include a reference to a celebrity. Admittedly it's no fault of Boff's but having almost a full page talking about running alongside Jimmy Savile and a few references to it later on really does not look as grand or impressive now as it would have done many years ago.
If not for that I definitely would rate this book at least 1 star higher, but as with when I read Ramble on, the seeming verbal assault on my way of enjoying things because the author had different views unfortunately tainted my experience of the whole book.
Anyway onto the review:
If you're a die hard trail/fell runner then this book would be ace (and honestly I'd recommend it anyway, just with a pinch of salt and a cup of understanding). Boff does really well at explaining his experiences running the trails and if not for his routine put downs of road runners then I think this book would honestly have some of my favourite running language.
Also if you're someone looking for something to introduce you to a new way of doing things then again, Boff does a really grand job of describing the things he enjoys in a way that would make them sound enticing and exciting to an outsider.
Just don't think running on a road is though...
In case you've not gathered Boff isn't a fan of running on pavement, and he's not afraid to not only share that but put down those who enjoy it. It might not have been meant the way it came across but it ends up with Boff sounding like he's better than people simply for the fact he doesn't like road running (and don't get him started on people with the audacity to enjoy music while they run!).
It's the same type of attitude which left a bit of distaste in my mouth after reading Walden, which funnily enough is a book and is written by a man Boff admires very much.
Also if you ever want to really date your book include a reference to a celebrity. Admittedly it's no fault of Boff's but having almost a full page talking about running alongside Jimmy Savile and a few references to it later on really does not look as grand or impressive now as it would have done many years ago.
April 20, 2022
This is a fine book with many lovely turns of phrase, but unfortunately the premise is stretched rather thin and makes it a little hard to finish. The central premise here is Whalley's argument for trail running and his bemusement with the concept of the city marathon as the defining popular feature of running. The book is recounted through a series of anecdotes and historical stories as the author spends a year in and around New York in order to understand the famous New York Marathon. Unfortunately there isn't much of a trajectory through these anecdotes in order to tire the book together, but instead the book twists and turns in tight circles around the central premise. Whalley talks about the more wandering nature of trail running, as opposed to the linearity of the big city marathon. If we were to take this metaphor, the books structure would be more like someone running in haphazard circles around a field than the wandering, but still making progress, nature of trail running. There is enough here to build this into a stronger structured book, it just needs some editing to give it a sense of progress towards the argument!
January 11, 2024
As an ex-runner, turned hiker, I appreciated the twists and turns Whalley took. It was like my own mind on a long run. The book reminded me of my favorite podcast of all times, the interview with poet John O'Donohue with On Being's (Or whatever she is calling it these days) Krista Tippett. Landscape is so much of our soul and Boff Whalley covers the terrain with humor, poignancy, and just enough indignation at the status quo (especially the oh so hallowed city marathon) that he made me wish I was still a runner instead of, these days, being physically inclined to be more of a reader about running. Sigh. I have run one city marathon. Chicago in 2003. I have also run just one 9.3 mile trail run that involved steep slopes (One with a margarita waiting at the top), stream crossings, and other obstacles.
My running life, as it was, existed well between these two extremes, mostly lesser distances on my lunch hour or weekends. A rural plodding on the side of gravelly roads (no sidewalks) while looking out over rolling hills and farmland. But I enjoyed tagging along with Whalley in this memoir/inspirational ode to fells running.
My running life, as it was, existed well between these two extremes, mostly lesser distances on my lunch hour or weekends. A rural plodding on the side of gravelly roads (no sidewalks) while looking out over rolling hills and farmland. But I enjoyed tagging along with Whalley in this memoir/inspirational ode to fells running.
March 21, 2023
In Run Wild , Boff Whalley (of former Chumbawamba fame) makes an impassioned plea to other runners to ditch the city marathon and head to the trails instead. As somebody who loves trail running myself, only very rarely venturing to the roads, I really should have enjoyed this more. However, there was something I couldn't get past. The book starts with Whalley observing one of the most popular marathons in the world (New York), ostensibly to try to understand why so many people would want to run over tarmac through dull scenery when there are so many beautiful trails around. But, in reality, he never makes any real attempt to understand what drives the city marathon runner. He has numerous pre-conceived criticisms (some of which I agree with, others not) which he describes in great detail, and never attempts to challenge. The call to arms would have been far more effective if he had simply extolled the virtues of trail running (which he does as well, in the more enjoyable parts of the book), rather than sneering at those who enjoy running through cities.
A more minor criticism is that some of the chapters felt quite repetitive, and the book a little disjointed overall. I think it would have worked nicely as a collection of essays, but needed tighter editing so that each separate essay had a clear and distinct topic, linked with a coherent narrative around the central theme of trail running. There was plenty of interesting content to bring together in this way - recollections of how he discovered trail running, accounts of his own trail runs, reflections on the works of mountaineers and naturalists - but it felt a little disorganised, and probably about 50-100 pages too long overall. 4/10
A more minor criticism is that some of the chapters felt quite repetitive, and the book a little disjointed overall. I think it would have worked nicely as a collection of essays, but needed tighter editing so that each separate essay had a clear and distinct topic, linked with a coherent narrative around the central theme of trail running. There was plenty of interesting content to bring together in this way - recollections of how he discovered trail running, accounts of his own trail runs, reflections on the works of mountaineers and naturalists - but it felt a little disorganised, and probably about 50-100 pages too long overall. 4/10
October 20, 2024
Really enjoyed the book in the end. About a third in I was getting a little bored of the marathon bashing as I had interpreted it - not a marathoner myself but aspiring Hyroxer which I believe Mr Whalley would find even more limiting - but I am glad I pushed on. Made me chuckle, and I love the drive for all things new, experiences, curiosity. That side of the book grabbed me.
February 7, 2019
The first half was inspiring and you just want to be out there with him. The latter part was a little repetitive with the theme of no Tarmac, go wild, but enjoyable overall. To be able to run like Boff you have to start with shorter distances though!
January 11, 2021
I enjoyed the bits where he actually talked about running but the book jumped about all over the place with a loose thread running through it about the New York marathon. I could have lived without so many literary references and a bit more description of the authors runs in America
August 26, 2018
Got me off the road and onto the local trails
January 27, 2022
A little repetitive but makes me want to go out running in the countryside.
February 4, 2026
loved it
February 11, 2018
Loved it! He completely changed my perspective on running and I am glad, it has helped make my running less confined and more free!
July 29, 2012
A free-ranging manifesto for 'wild' running, written in Whalley's characteristic quirky style. Felt there was too much of the marathon-bashing really. Would have like more on the joys of fell and off-road running really.
March 24, 2013
This book was inspirational to me personally. I had got in a rut with my running and after reading this I was out there running again and better than ever. Not everyone will agree with him but I certainly do and have been telling everyone ever since.
January 9, 2015
It is, like wild running, a bit rambling but the juxtaposition of sections about the New York Marathon with his own running experiences give it a good structure. Plenty here to think about as I run through rain and mud tomorrow morning I think.
December 10, 2024
Great book on why running is not only about running marathons - or maybe while real running isn't about racing at all.
July 7, 2013
This guy just loves torun forget all the whistles and bells
September 25, 2013
Didn't enjoy it.
If you are trail runner, you may find the book of interest.
Found the author a bit too self absorbed.
If you are trail runner, you may find the book of interest.
Found the author a bit too self absorbed.
July 20, 2016
Gets me wishing I could run around the hills of Scotland - the author's impassioned writing was fun. Chumbawumba.
June 12, 2014
One of the best books on running I've read. Well written and thought provoking. Up there with Feet in the Clouds.
August 17, 2014
I'm already a fully converted wild runner but this is still awesome inspiring stuff
October 20, 2014
I picked it up thinking there'd be a lot more psychogeographing, but this amounted to about a page.
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