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The Road to Sparta: Running in the Footsteps of the Original Ultramarathon Man
The Road to Sparta is the story of the 153-mile run from Athens to Sparta that inspired the marathon and saved democracy, as told—and experienced—by ultramarathoner and New York Times bestselling author Dean Karnazes.
In 490 BCE, Pheidippides ran for 36 hours straight from Athens to Sparta to seek help in defending Athens from a Persian invasion in the Battle of Marathon. In doing so, he saved the development of Western civilization and inspired the birth of the marathon as we know it. Even now, some 2,500 years later, that run stands enduringly as one of greatest physical accomplishments in the history of mankind.
Karnazes personally honors Pheidippides and his own Greek heritage by recreating this ancient journey in modern times. Karnazes even abstains from contemporary endurance nutrition like sports drinks and energy gels and only eats what was available in 490 BCE, such as figs, olives, and cured meats. Through vivid details and internal dialogs, The Road to Sparta offers a rare glimpse into the mindset and motivation of an extreme athlete during his most difficult and personal challenge to date. This story is sure to captivate and inspire—whether you run great distances or not at all.
In 490 BCE, Pheidippides ran for 36 hours straight from Athens to Sparta to seek help in defending Athens from a Persian invasion in the Battle of Marathon. In doing so, he saved the development of Western civilization and inspired the birth of the marathon as we know it. Even now, some 2,500 years later, that run stands enduringly as one of greatest physical accomplishments in the history of mankind.
Karnazes personally honors Pheidippides and his own Greek heritage by recreating this ancient journey in modern times. Karnazes even abstains from contemporary endurance nutrition like sports drinks and energy gels and only eats what was available in 490 BCE, such as figs, olives, and cured meats. Through vivid details and internal dialogs, The Road to Sparta offers a rare glimpse into the mindset and motivation of an extreme athlete during his most difficult and personal challenge to date. This story is sure to captivate and inspire—whether you run great distances or not at all.
304 pages, Paperback
First published September 3, 2013
157 people are currently reading
1527 people want to read
About the author
Dean Karnazes
21 books316 followersDean Karnazes (b. Constantine Karnazes) is an American ultramarathon runner and author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
September 13, 2016
I won this book through GoodReads First Read program.
I am not a runner and had never heard of ultra marathons but I really enjoyed this book by Dean Karnazes-who is kind of a rock star of marathoners. Dean will get you in the running mood.
He gives you his background and how he got to be a marathon runner. He also sets out all of the marathons he runs which includes multiple ultra marathon. I never knew people ran that far. He talks about his Greek heritage and his big calves that are as a result.
Dean then takes you back in history to around 490 BC to a time when Persia was about to conquer Greece (more specifically Athens). He tells us the story of Pheidippedes who was a messenger for Athens. They first sent him to Sparta to get them to help Athens in their battle with the Persians at Marathon. This was a mere 156 miles away and Pheidippedes ran it. He then turned around and ran back right away. He then delivered the message to the general at Marathon (26 miles away) and then ran back to Athens to tell them what had happened at the battle. I enjoy history and what if history in particular. Dean gives us his opinion on what would have happened if Pheidippeds had not done all that running.
As most of you will know, Pheidippedes died when he delivered his last message and the term "marathon" came from the battlefield Marathon where he ran from. The distance of a marathon is more or less the distance from the battlefield to Athens.
Karnazes wants to relive what Pheidippedes went through so he runs in the ultra marathon called the Sparathalon in Greece. This race is 153 miles and has to be accomplished in 36 hours. You will get a mile by mile account of Dean's trek.
Pick it up and then go buy a nice pair of running shoes and socks. Avoid blisters.
I am not a runner and had never heard of ultra marathons but I really enjoyed this book by Dean Karnazes-who is kind of a rock star of marathoners. Dean will get you in the running mood.
He gives you his background and how he got to be a marathon runner. He also sets out all of the marathons he runs which includes multiple ultra marathon. I never knew people ran that far. He talks about his Greek heritage and his big calves that are as a result.
Dean then takes you back in history to around 490 BC to a time when Persia was about to conquer Greece (more specifically Athens). He tells us the story of Pheidippedes who was a messenger for Athens. They first sent him to Sparta to get them to help Athens in their battle with the Persians at Marathon. This was a mere 156 miles away and Pheidippedes ran it. He then turned around and ran back right away. He then delivered the message to the general at Marathon (26 miles away) and then ran back to Athens to tell them what had happened at the battle. I enjoy history and what if history in particular. Dean gives us his opinion on what would have happened if Pheidippeds had not done all that running.
As most of you will know, Pheidippedes died when he delivered his last message and the term "marathon" came from the battlefield Marathon where he ran from. The distance of a marathon is more or less the distance from the battlefield to Athens.
Karnazes wants to relive what Pheidippedes went through so he runs in the ultra marathon called the Sparathalon in Greece. This race is 153 miles and has to be accomplished in 36 hours. You will get a mile by mile account of Dean's trek.
Pick it up and then go buy a nice pair of running shoes and socks. Avoid blisters.
June 3, 2017
As good as the author's intentions were here, the bottom line is he can't write. Karnazes starts out trying to retrace the route Pheidippides ran from Athens to Sparta, then he mentions an earlier scholarly expedition that attempted to do the same, and then he runs the Spartathlon. It's never clear why he insisted on determining the route independently when others more qualified than him already did so. Still more problematic is his uncritical approach to the whole Pheidippides legend. There are more reasons to reject the historicity of Pheidippides than to embrace it, but Karnazes values romanticism over empiricism, which diminishes his general trustworthiness.
Those of us who made use of a thesaurus in our youth learned over time that there's a right way and a wrong way to use it. The right way is to use only those words that you're already familiar with and for whose semantic subtleties you have a good intuition. The wrong way is to randomly select words to avoid repetition and to sound fancy. Karnazes' use of the thesaurus is so obvious and unrestrained that's it's embarrassing and amounts to abuse.
In everything Karnazes communicated in this book, one thought has lasting merit: "An ultramarathon is a way to engage intimately with the world and at the same time escape from it."
But that is the exception. This is much more characteristic: "So permit me if you will, dear reader, a romantic departure from historical record to tell a concluding fictionalized version of what happened next to this venerated hemerodromos." If this writing style doesn't make you cringe, you'll probably be able to tolerate and possibly even enjoy The Road to Sparta.
Those of us who made use of a thesaurus in our youth learned over time that there's a right way and a wrong way to use it. The right way is to use only those words that you're already familiar with and for whose semantic subtleties you have a good intuition. The wrong way is to randomly select words to avoid repetition and to sound fancy. Karnazes' use of the thesaurus is so obvious and unrestrained that's it's embarrassing and amounts to abuse.
In everything Karnazes communicated in this book, one thought has lasting merit: "An ultramarathon is a way to engage intimately with the world and at the same time escape from it."
But that is the exception. This is much more characteristic: "So permit me if you will, dear reader, a romantic departure from historical record to tell a concluding fictionalized version of what happened next to this venerated hemerodromos." If this writing style doesn't make you cringe, you'll probably be able to tolerate and possibly even enjoy The Road to Sparta.
July 12, 2017
As a reader of Herodotus and Thucydides I was looking forward to new insights on Greek history. This book brought a small dash of that and a whole lot of purple prose regarding running and the glories of the author's Greek heritage.
The book centers around the accomplishments of Pheidippides, the renowned Greek herald who was central of the victory of the city states against the Persian invasion on the plains of Marathon. The Athenians, along with some smaller city-states, were facing overwhelming numbers of Persian soldiers, and more were heading by boat along the coast to raid Athens directly. The Greek victory is rightly considered one of the key events of European history. A victory by Persia might well have changed the complete character of Greece, robbed us of much of our intellectual and cultural heritage, and altered the world for centuries.
One of the key figures (from the author's perspective THE key figure) was Pheidippides (some histories offer different names). Seeing the forces of Persia heading toward them someone had the sense to say "This looks like a job for Spartans," a race that had one of the most bizarre cultures in history. Pheidippides ran the distance from Marathon, where the forces were gathering, to Sparta. Pheidippides ran the 152 miles (246 kilometers) from Marathon to Sparta. The Spartans replied they'd be happy to be there but needed to wait until the moon was full because the Spartans never did anything good or bad by half measures and that was their tradition. So Pheidippides, after running that distance in less than two days, turned around and ran back to give the reply to the Athenians. Note this was done without paved roads, quite possibly barefoot, over some of Europe's crappiest terrain. It was pretty phenomenal, but then note that a few days later the entire Spartan army ran the same distance, in armor, to Marathon and then kicked ass in a battle.
I'm not a runner myself, so it was difficult for me to navigate what felt like filler (I should have noted that this was published by Rodale, a health/fitness publisher and not a general or educational publisher) as Karnazes discusses becoming a runner, being a runner, moving from marathons to ultra-marathons, and, finally, participating in a race that goes from Athens to Sparta that was started in 1982. Meanwhile he reunites with family, talks about the superior qualities of rural life in Greece, gets blisters, has visions from exhaustion, and makes the whole distance with what I guess were more water stations than Pheidippides had. I also felt it was cautionary that Pheidippides then participated in the battle at Marathon in which Persians with inferior armor were hacked to pieces. Then he ran to Athens the 20+ miles from Marathon to yell "Nike. Nike." (Victory. Victory.) He then told that the Persian ships were heading their way and dropped dead, proving that anyone can run too much in certain situations
For a runner, either beginner or experienced athlete, this is probably a great and inspiring book. For a history nut it's a little history packed into a very large book which makes a promise that "the full story" will be told here for the first time when there are truckloads of books on Greek history that tell this story more succinctly with better footnotes. As a sports book it's above average. As a history book it ain't. But it is what it is. Let your taste and needs decide.
The book centers around the accomplishments of Pheidippides, the renowned Greek herald who was central of the victory of the city states against the Persian invasion on the plains of Marathon. The Athenians, along with some smaller city-states, were facing overwhelming numbers of Persian soldiers, and more were heading by boat along the coast to raid Athens directly. The Greek victory is rightly considered one of the key events of European history. A victory by Persia might well have changed the complete character of Greece, robbed us of much of our intellectual and cultural heritage, and altered the world for centuries.
One of the key figures (from the author's perspective THE key figure) was Pheidippides (some histories offer different names). Seeing the forces of Persia heading toward them someone had the sense to say "This looks like a job for Spartans," a race that had one of the most bizarre cultures in history. Pheidippides ran the distance from Marathon, where the forces were gathering, to Sparta. Pheidippides ran the 152 miles (246 kilometers) from Marathon to Sparta. The Spartans replied they'd be happy to be there but needed to wait until the moon was full because the Spartans never did anything good or bad by half measures and that was their tradition. So Pheidippides, after running that distance in less than two days, turned around and ran back to give the reply to the Athenians. Note this was done without paved roads, quite possibly barefoot, over some of Europe's crappiest terrain. It was pretty phenomenal, but then note that a few days later the entire Spartan army ran the same distance, in armor, to Marathon and then kicked ass in a battle.
I'm not a runner myself, so it was difficult for me to navigate what felt like filler (I should have noted that this was published by Rodale, a health/fitness publisher and not a general or educational publisher) as Karnazes discusses becoming a runner, being a runner, moving from marathons to ultra-marathons, and, finally, participating in a race that goes from Athens to Sparta that was started in 1982. Meanwhile he reunites with family, talks about the superior qualities of rural life in Greece, gets blisters, has visions from exhaustion, and makes the whole distance with what I guess were more water stations than Pheidippides had. I also felt it was cautionary that Pheidippides then participated in the battle at Marathon in which Persians with inferior armor were hacked to pieces. Then he ran to Athens the 20+ miles from Marathon to yell "Nike. Nike." (Victory. Victory.) He then told that the Persian ships were heading their way and dropped dead, proving that anyone can run too much in certain situations
For a runner, either beginner or experienced athlete, this is probably a great and inspiring book. For a history nut it's a little history packed into a very large book which makes a promise that "the full story" will be told here for the first time when there are truckloads of books on Greek history that tell this story more succinctly with better footnotes. As a sports book it's above average. As a history book it ain't. But it is what it is. Let your taste and needs decide.
August 15, 2018
I'll file this under not for everyone, but worth reading if you're (or have been) a distance runner (particularly someone who has ... at some point ... logged many miles) or genuinely interested in ancient Greek history.
Karnazes runs, and runs, and runs ... a lot ... and covers a lot a ground. He's also (obviously) quite smart, and ... when he's running (or not running), he's obviously thinking, and ... the output (among other things) is books.
Unlike the other book by Karnazes I read, I thought the best aspect of this book was the Greek history, particularly the new theories based on serious research of varying types. Conversely, the travelogue was good and the running stuff was a mixed bag. I've only been to Greece a couple of times - most recently, a couple/few years back - and Karnazes' eye as a tourist both resonated and entertained. But my guess is that I would've enjoyed this book more if I hadn't read the other one first....
I'm a sucker for a good ending, and, alas, Karazes totally let me down, changing ... I can't say everything ... but too much for his closing riff. It might work for you, but it didn't work for me. The Epilogue masked much of my disappointment, but it came too soon on the heels of the disorienting concluding passages for me to forget my frustration with the author's last minute leap....
I've now read two of Karazes' books, and, while I've enjoyed (and been entertained) by both, I still haven't (and probably won't ever) fully appreciate or connect with Karnazes as a person. Don't get me wrong: I'm impressed by him, and I respect his achievements, and ... I support his endeavors with my (oh-so-nominal) purchases of his books ... but ... I can't say I'm a fan or that I even really think I would like him if I met him (not that that's relevant anyway). I'm not sure this really sunk in until I read multiple passages about people lining up to have their picture taken with him or have him sign their books.... And I thought, gee, if he was running through my town, I probably wouldn't bother (which surprised me, because I have a healthy collection of photos with, for example, bicycle racers and other celebrities of various ilk, and, over the years, I've enjoyed having many a book signed by the author).... Hmmmm.... I don't know what to make of it.
The pages turned quickly enough, I learned a few things, and I like thinking/reading about running. So, ultimately, I'm glad I read the book, but I just don't see myself recommending it broadly, because, well, it's very much a niche endeavor.
Karnazes runs, and runs, and runs ... a lot ... and covers a lot a ground. He's also (obviously) quite smart, and ... when he's running (or not running), he's obviously thinking, and ... the output (among other things) is books.
Unlike the other book by Karnazes I read, I thought the best aspect of this book was the Greek history, particularly the new theories based on serious research of varying types. Conversely, the travelogue was good and the running stuff was a mixed bag. I've only been to Greece a couple of times - most recently, a couple/few years back - and Karnazes' eye as a tourist both resonated and entertained. But my guess is that I would've enjoyed this book more if I hadn't read the other one first....
I'm a sucker for a good ending, and, alas, Karazes totally let me down, changing ... I can't say everything ... but too much for his closing riff. It might work for you, but it didn't work for me. The Epilogue masked much of my disappointment, but it came too soon on the heels of the disorienting concluding passages for me to forget my frustration with the author's last minute leap....
I've now read two of Karazes' books, and, while I've enjoyed (and been entertained) by both, I still haven't (and probably won't ever) fully appreciate or connect with Karnazes as a person. Don't get me wrong: I'm impressed by him, and I respect his achievements, and ... I support his endeavors with my (oh-so-nominal) purchases of his books ... but ... I can't say I'm a fan or that I even really think I would like him if I met him (not that that's relevant anyway). I'm not sure this really sunk in until I read multiple passages about people lining up to have their picture taken with him or have him sign their books.... And I thought, gee, if he was running through my town, I probably wouldn't bother (which surprised me, because I have a healthy collection of photos with, for example, bicycle racers and other celebrities of various ilk, and, over the years, I've enjoyed having many a book signed by the author).... Hmmmm.... I don't know what to make of it.
The pages turned quickly enough, I learned a few things, and I like thinking/reading about running. So, ultimately, I'm glad I read the book, but I just don't see myself recommending it broadly, because, well, it's very much a niche endeavor.
June 20, 2018
A love letter to his ancestry, ultra-marathon running, and above all himself. The humble bragging of making a million bucks before 30 and "I've accomplished such and such" is insufferable. The hyperbole is suffocating. The only semi-redeemable portions are when he's talking about Pheidippides and hemerodromos, but even these are based on speculation. The ending is inspirational, I'll give Karnazes that.
January 29, 2019
Couldn't finish this book and gave up at 40%. Too much of painting a Greek scenery and hyping up the author's Greek heritage; not enough running.
September 23, 2021
I wanted to love this book, but it fell flat for me. Dean Karnazes, through this book, is trying to be a historian, which he himself admits he is not. That wasn't my major issue, however, a good editor would have done this book wonders. It frequently makes the same point multiple times, in multiple places. He also adds over the top, and much too frequent, embellishments into EVERYTHING. Found myself saying, "come on...we know Greece is great, let's move on now...."
Much of the book seemed like a story about how popular Karnazes is and how successful he is. Half the story of him running is him being bombarded by fans wanting his book signed. (Seriously, does anyone do that?? Like is there really THAT many fans of ultrarunning?) But don't worry, he also tells (brags) about how humble he is. (If you're really humble, do you have to tell people?)
I did finish the book, but found myself excited when it was over.
Much of the book seemed like a story about how popular Karnazes is and how successful he is. Half the story of him running is him being bombarded by fans wanting his book signed. (Seriously, does anyone do that?? Like is there really THAT many fans of ultrarunning?) But don't worry, he also tells (brags) about how humble he is. (If you're really humble, do you have to tell people?)
I did finish the book, but found myself excited when it was over.
August 23, 2017
Enjoyed learning about Pheidippides and his role in the battle of Marathon. As an ultrarunner, I feel the description of Dean's Spartathlon was a long boring stretch and tedious to wrap up. I appreciate the effort he put in articulating his journey, but the true experience of running an ultra is somewhat spiritual. Hard to express in words for a layman. If you're fascinated by running or getting into it, read Born to Run - Leadville 100 is narrated as a thrilling adventure.
To be fair, this book was more about finding identity. Nevertheless it was good learning about Dean's family & history/geography of Greece. With no disrespect to Spartathlon, ultrarunners will find this book clichéd since we experience all these emotions (determination, grit, spirituality, & character testing) in every race.
To be fair, this book was more about finding identity. Nevertheless it was good learning about Dean's family & history/geography of Greece. With no disrespect to Spartathlon, ultrarunners will find this book clichéd since we experience all these emotions (determination, grit, spirituality, & character testing) in every race.
March 19, 2021
As both an ultrarunner and someone who lived in Greece I couldn't ignore the endless embellishments. I wanted to like this, but it is poorly written, embellished to the point of me not believing him (his first olive experience? Come on what Greek family didn't give their kid an olive?), And was bifurcated enough between his running and himself it was just painful to listen to. Much like many an ultramarathon I tried to get through it and was relieved it was over and is one and done.
November 30, 2017
Sort of interesting, but written in a very bro-ey style and full of humblebrags about how popular Dean Karnazes is (and also how humble he is and how he's really an introvert at heart) and how many people like him. So basically more obnoxious than interesting.
May 16, 2018
Οκ, πέρασε ο μεγάλος ενθουσιασμός με τις υπεραποστάσεις και τις υπερεπιδόσεις, ακόμη ένα ενδιαφέρον σχετικό βιβλίο, όμως φτάνει πια με τον Καρνάζη :D
October 25, 2024
I didn't want this to end! Riveting history and such an inspiring personal journey!
September 30, 2018
I read Ultramarathon Man years ago, loved it, and was excited to sink my teeth into this book. The story of Pheidippides is remarkable, but I found Dean's writing in this book hard to get through. He mires the account with superfluous detail and commentary - spreading what can be conveyed in a paragraph into a whole page.
If you don't mind reading the same thing multiple times but with different adjectives (synonyms), then you will probably enjoy this book; there's a lot of interesting story hidden within. Just know that at times it will be a slog. I thoroughly enjoyed a couple chapters in the beginning, a few chapters in the middle, and maybe the last 40 pages (maybe 120 pages in total). I hope this helps!
If you don't mind reading the same thing multiple times but with different adjectives (synonyms), then you will probably enjoy this book; there's a lot of interesting story hidden within. Just know that at times it will be a slog. I thoroughly enjoyed a couple chapters in the beginning, a few chapters in the middle, and maybe the last 40 pages (maybe 120 pages in total). I hope this helps!
March 29, 2017
I really enjoyed listening to the audio version.
This is a fascinating book! Karnazes told his own story and Pheidippides' story well. His vivid descriptions of the ins and outs of running ultra marathons were very interesting. And his retelling of the battle of Marathon and of Pheidippides' unbelievably long runs as Athens' messenger were quite captivating.
It was unfortunate, however, that Karnazes believes he has found "salvation" through his journey as an ultra-marathoner following in the footsteps (literally!) of Pheidippides.
This book made me want to get back into running! And also put my measly half marathon in perspective...
This is a fascinating book! Karnazes told his own story and Pheidippides' story well. His vivid descriptions of the ins and outs of running ultra marathons were very interesting. And his retelling of the battle of Marathon and of Pheidippides' unbelievably long runs as Athens' messenger were quite captivating.
It was unfortunate, however, that Karnazes believes he has found "salvation" through his journey as an ultra-marathoner following in the footsteps (literally!) of Pheidippides.
This book made me want to get back into running! And also put my measly half marathon in perspective...
December 26, 2016
Great mix of history and running!
This book brings together two of my favorite things: History and Running...and somehow even hits on other things I love (economics, the California Missions, and even Mick Jagger). A quick and inspiring read this is a must for those who need some motivation to complete a marathon!
This book brings together two of my favorite things: History and Running...and somehow even hits on other things I love (economics, the California Missions, and even Mick Jagger). A quick and inspiring read this is a must for those who need some motivation to complete a marathon!
August 18, 2020
Meh. I was hoping for more, anticipating some in-depth retelling of the story of the original marathon. Instead it is just another of Karnazes' "Look How Awesome I Am" love-of-self books. Would not recommend.
Read
March 29, 2017Just finished this book. Highly recommend it, even if you're not into distance running. It's a really powerful "human story." Dean is a famous ultra runner who really helped bring recognition to the sport. He ties his own personal family story (he's Greek) and running story into the historic tale of Pheidippides, the Athenian who ran from Marathon to Athens to inform the Athenians of the victory against the Persians. That run was the inspiration for the marathon race, which has become a symbol of athletic endurance. What is not as well-known is that, just a couple of days before that run, Pheidippides ran from Athens to Sparta, and back again, to warn the Spartans of the imminent battle at Marathon. This was a distance of 150 miles, one way. He was in fact an early ultra marathoner, not just a marathoner. There is a race in Greece that recreates that epic run, from Athens to Sparta, and Dean participated in it. He weaves his own race with that of Pheidippides, and tells an enthralling tale of human endurance for both of them. He makes a case for Pheidippides's contribution to Western Civilization, something perhaps overlooked by historians who, unlike Dean, do not quite understand what covering that distance truly entails. I listened to it on audible (at 1.25 speed, haha) and enjoyed it immensely.
August 20, 2018
“And thus we are once again reminded that dying is part of living, that without death there would be no life, without darkness there would be no light... The ancient Greeks lived close to these dualisms, honest and in celebration of the insuperable realities of existence, both the glorious and the tragic. “Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued,” Socrates said shortly before drinking the poisonous hemlock. Only when the unbearable sorrow of our doomed fate is recognized and embraced can we see the true beauty in things and live a life beyond the ordinary. We worship the gods because they are immortal, but the gods envy us because we are not. Theirs is a race with no finish line, an endless string of days and nights stretching on eternity. The gods observed that human mortality is what gives life magic, that the tragedy of inevitable death is preferable to the sameness of eternal life. An existence that stretches on indefinitely is not a blessing, they realized, but a curse.”
September 9, 2020
A great book that rehashes Dean’s intro to running and some added back story (not mentioned in his first book). Then the book dives into Dean tracing his past via his family and Greek history. I imagined Dean and I were doing a long run together , a real LONG run, and he was explaining to me this fantastical story. 😀
I am biased as I relate to his running but I feel like others could relate regardless. It’s a personal journey to uncover the past and reconnect with a culture that feels elusive.
I am biased as I relate to his running but I feel like others could relate regardless. It’s a personal journey to uncover the past and reconnect with a culture that feels elusive.
January 14, 2023
I'm a Dean Karnazes fan. I met him once at a talk he gave at the Bushnell in Hartford, CT. At the time I was coaching for the Hartford Marathon Foundation, and he was the speaker at the night before the marathon event. I'd post a picture, but Goodreads doesn't have that option. He is amazing. I've read all his books and this one is a welcome addition to my collection!
In this installment he does his usual biographical stuff. Unlike other books, he takes us on a personal genealogical journey to Greece. He tells the story of Philippides while tracing his steps running hundreds of miles in Greece. I find these travel logs fascinating. Karnazes always does a great job of making you feel like you are the one having the adventure. He speaks to our deepest desire to matter by having done something extraordinary. He is extraordinary! Loved the book and recommend it.
In this installment he does his usual biographical stuff. Unlike other books, he takes us on a personal genealogical journey to Greece. He tells the story of Philippides while tracing his steps running hundreds of miles in Greece. I find these travel logs fascinating. Karnazes always does a great job of making you feel like you are the one having the adventure. He speaks to our deepest desire to matter by having done something extraordinary. He is extraordinary! Loved the book and recommend it.
September 19, 2025
I think that here the author went really out of his depth; the usual running stories are interspaced by historical (both modern and ancient), which are not always well thought through or written. For the author to proudly point to his Greek origins and then constantly bash the Greeks (primarily for the economic crisis, like a few poor citizens not paying some taxes would have created such crisis that was actually generated elsewhere, but heavily paid by the normal population), I think removes some credibility to his story. Great runner, obviously entitled to his own opinion, it would have been better for Karnazes to focus on the running
February 16, 2019
Dean has a fantastically readable writing style and it makes for an enjoyable and fact filled book. Runner or not, his glance into the history of the marathon juxtaposed against his own experience was interested and fun to read. Runners will glean from his experience and knowledge, and find much inspiration in his words.
January 26, 2020
Another great read by Dean. So much more to Phidippedes' story than lore tells us.
February 9, 2020
Mi_a placut mult, chiar daca sunt multe elemente istorice din Grecia antica, insa asta e ideea centrala a cartii: drumul lui Filipide urmat de Karnazes, alergand cei 246 km in mai putin de 36 de ore la Spartmaraton. E faina cartea, scrisa cu umor, insa cred ca Ultramaratoniatul mi_a placut putin mai multm
March 20, 2025
I like running books and I love history (particularly classical Hellenic history). I therefore liked this book.
Having an ultra runners perspective on the hemerodromos (professional runner in Ancient Greece) was lots of fun.
Having an ultra runners perspective on the hemerodromos (professional runner in Ancient Greece) was lots of fun.
June 25, 2017
A great personal narrative, and informative read that spans the history of marathon running, Ancient Greece, finding one's place in the world, and the man who may have arguably saved Western civilization.
April 14, 2021
Non-runners may not enjoy it as much as I did but I liked it and was inspired!
October 10, 2022
The story of a modern Greek-American runner retracing the steps of Pheidippides and the original marathon. Fascinating historical narrative and personal myth-making with connections from today back to the story of legend. Reminded me a lot of “An Oddysey” by Dan Mendelson, which tracked the epic voyage of Odysseus. Karnazes tracks his running career, his own journey of research of Ancient Greece, his travels to Greece, and finally his grueling completion of the “Spartathlon” race from Athens to Sparta. Much of this I listened to via an audiobook, while running and training for a marathon - might be the ideal way to read this book!
Some highlights:
“So much of the way we live our lives today has its roots in that prolific period of human development following the Battle of Marathon. And, most important for us runners, had Pheidippides failed in his conquest, we would have no marathon.”
“Pheidippides would have been under intense pressure to perform at his aristeia (bestness). He knew that every wasted step meant the invading Persians would be able to further fortify their position at Marathon and build their strength. While we Spartathletes had artificial cutoff times to reach certain milestones along the course, Pheidippides’s time constraints were very real. The consequences of his failure were unthinkable. The young boys of Athens would be castrated and made into servants, the women raped and enslaved. Older men would be seen as offering little value and would be disposed of without hesitation. Any surviving Athenian hoplites would be slaughtered wholesale, and all the treasures of architecture, art, and science would be looted or destroyed. Worse, the Greek system of democracy would be lost forever to a tyrant who ruled men not by consensus and collective accord, but through fear and intimidation.”
“While scholars and historians have consistently mentioned the deeds of Pheidippides, they’ve never dedicated much analysis to the plight of this great hemerodromos, despite the critical importance that recruiting the Spartans played in the course of history. Most academics seemingly take for granted the feat of this legendary hemerodromos and question it no further. Perhaps this is owing to the way Herodotus so casually mentions Pheidippides being dispatched to Sparta without further elaboration on what pulling off such an unfathomable undertaking entails, as though his ability to successfully run 140 miles nonstop was a forgone conclusion. In Herodotus’s time, the role of a hemerodromos was to run great distances, no big deal. This guy was just doing his job, that’s all.”
“The exact distance from Athens to Sparta is impossible to know given the vast number of potential routes and detours Pheidippides could have taken… One absolute certainty: He wouldn’t have had 75 well-stocked aid stations set up along the way with cheering volunteers. He also wouldn’t have been running on pavement, which 95 percent of the modern Spartathlon is run on.”
“In an effort to be as authentic as possible, I was hoping to complete the Spartathlon using only those foods that Pheidippides would have eaten: figs, olives, pasteli, fruit, and cured meats. Also, I would be relying only on plain water during the race, not the typical electrolyte replenishment beverages. It was as close an approximation to running in Pheidippides’s footsteps as could be undertaken, so I went for it.”
“Personally, I’ve always subscribed to the “listen to everyone, follow no one” approach. We are each built a bit differently; what works for others might not work for me (and vice versa). So I’m constantly experimenting with various nutritional strategies and continually tweaking my diet until I hit upon something that seems to work. In the final analysis, what usually works best for me is to simply listen to my body (go figure).”
“People think of pain purely in terms of a physical sensation, but there is also a very deep emotional connection to pain. Pain makes people uncomfortable. It hurts and is therefore viewed as a negative thing, as something that must be mitigated and cured. I’ve shifted that viewpoint and instead assigned positive feelings to the sensation of pain. Pain is good. I welcome pain, because it makes me feel alive. I like feeling alive, though I can’t lay claim to being the first to play the pain game. After all, Odysseus’s name in ancient Greek means “man of pain.””
“There are three capitalized letters no racer wants appearing next to his or her name on any race results, and they are DNF (Did Not Finish). But in a race of this intensity, DNF can take on an entirely different meaning: Did Nothing Fatal. As I started the approach to Mount Parthenion, I wondered to what extreme I was willing to push myself to reach Sparta. How far down was I willing to plunge into the murky nadir that separates consciousness from unconsciousness? How far would I go? The answer was clear. Pheidippides would stop at nothing, nor would I. Death before DNF.”
“Given Herodotus’s record, Pheidippides would have likely passed through this very same section of Arcadia in these same early morning hours, just as we were doing then. Would he have eaten from these same trees? To think that an ancient hemerodromos was running here 2,500 years ago fascinated me, and knowing that this was the land of my ancestral origins made the experience all the more visceral. I was connected to this place in ways I could not know… my ancestors raised their families in this land, fostered their hopes and dreams here, generation upon generation coming into and passing through life in these same hills and plains that I now ran through. This was their land, and in a timeless way, this was also my land.”
“My personal ethos demanded that I always demonstrate arête and uphold my bestness, no matter how weakened my state. As the legendary ancient Greek athlete Archilochus once expounded, “O heart, my heart, no public leaping when you win; no solitude nor weeping when you fail to prove. Rejoice at simple things and . . . know the tides through which we move.”
“Let our temperament be humble in both glory and in defeat, let us maintain modesty in times of high achievement and honor in times of heartbreaking failure, and let us never forget that the illusion of permanence can deceive and that all things have their place and time but must inevitably come to an end.”
“Despite its growing popularity, there is nothing easy about finishing a marathon. No matter if you are an elite front-runner or an anxious first-timer, the undertaking is fearsome. And that is because the marathon is not about running; it is about salvation. You see, we spend so much of our lives doubting ourselves, thinking that we’re not good enough, not strong enough, not made of the right stuff. The marathon offers an opportunity for redemption. Opportunity, I say, because the outcome is uncertain. Opportunity, I say, because it is up to you, and only you, to make it happen. There is no luck involved in finishing a marathon. The ingredients required to tackle this formidable challenge are straightforward: commitment, sacrifice, grit, and raw determination. Plain and simple.”
“At mile 20, the looming voice of uncertainty is all you can hear. It hurts so badly that you want to stop. It hurts so badly that you must stop. But you don’t stop. This time, you ignore that voice, you tune out the naysayers who’ve told you that you’re not good enough, not strong enough, not made of the right stuff, and you listen only to the passion within your heart. That burning desire tells you to keep moving forward, to continue putting one foot in front of the other no matter what.”
“You are, above all, a marathoner, and you will wear this distinction not only with the medal they place around your neck, but also deep within your heart, for the rest of your God-given years. Nothing can ever take that away from you. As with Pheidippides, you are part of a sacred fraternal order of the few and the proud. You have kindred spirits across borders and across time. Others may admire you, congratulate you, and tell you they are proud of you, but only those who cross that finish line know the true feeling. A marathoner is not just something you are, but someone you’ve become.”
— The Road to Sparta: Reliving the Ancient Battle and Epic Run That Inspired the World's Greatest Footrace by Dean Karnazes
https://a.co/eHJGI3Z
Some highlights:
“So much of the way we live our lives today has its roots in that prolific period of human development following the Battle of Marathon. And, most important for us runners, had Pheidippides failed in his conquest, we would have no marathon.”
“Pheidippides would have been under intense pressure to perform at his aristeia (bestness). He knew that every wasted step meant the invading Persians would be able to further fortify their position at Marathon and build their strength. While we Spartathletes had artificial cutoff times to reach certain milestones along the course, Pheidippides’s time constraints were very real. The consequences of his failure were unthinkable. The young boys of Athens would be castrated and made into servants, the women raped and enslaved. Older men would be seen as offering little value and would be disposed of without hesitation. Any surviving Athenian hoplites would be slaughtered wholesale, and all the treasures of architecture, art, and science would be looted or destroyed. Worse, the Greek system of democracy would be lost forever to a tyrant who ruled men not by consensus and collective accord, but through fear and intimidation.”
“While scholars and historians have consistently mentioned the deeds of Pheidippides, they’ve never dedicated much analysis to the plight of this great hemerodromos, despite the critical importance that recruiting the Spartans played in the course of history. Most academics seemingly take for granted the feat of this legendary hemerodromos and question it no further. Perhaps this is owing to the way Herodotus so casually mentions Pheidippides being dispatched to Sparta without further elaboration on what pulling off such an unfathomable undertaking entails, as though his ability to successfully run 140 miles nonstop was a forgone conclusion. In Herodotus’s time, the role of a hemerodromos was to run great distances, no big deal. This guy was just doing his job, that’s all.”
“The exact distance from Athens to Sparta is impossible to know given the vast number of potential routes and detours Pheidippides could have taken… One absolute certainty: He wouldn’t have had 75 well-stocked aid stations set up along the way with cheering volunteers. He also wouldn’t have been running on pavement, which 95 percent of the modern Spartathlon is run on.”
“In an effort to be as authentic as possible, I was hoping to complete the Spartathlon using only those foods that Pheidippides would have eaten: figs, olives, pasteli, fruit, and cured meats. Also, I would be relying only on plain water during the race, not the typical electrolyte replenishment beverages. It was as close an approximation to running in Pheidippides’s footsteps as could be undertaken, so I went for it.”
“Personally, I’ve always subscribed to the “listen to everyone, follow no one” approach. We are each built a bit differently; what works for others might not work for me (and vice versa). So I’m constantly experimenting with various nutritional strategies and continually tweaking my diet until I hit upon something that seems to work. In the final analysis, what usually works best for me is to simply listen to my body (go figure).”
“People think of pain purely in terms of a physical sensation, but there is also a very deep emotional connection to pain. Pain makes people uncomfortable. It hurts and is therefore viewed as a negative thing, as something that must be mitigated and cured. I’ve shifted that viewpoint and instead assigned positive feelings to the sensation of pain. Pain is good. I welcome pain, because it makes me feel alive. I like feeling alive, though I can’t lay claim to being the first to play the pain game. After all, Odysseus’s name in ancient Greek means “man of pain.””
“There are three capitalized letters no racer wants appearing next to his or her name on any race results, and they are DNF (Did Not Finish). But in a race of this intensity, DNF can take on an entirely different meaning: Did Nothing Fatal. As I started the approach to Mount Parthenion, I wondered to what extreme I was willing to push myself to reach Sparta. How far down was I willing to plunge into the murky nadir that separates consciousness from unconsciousness? How far would I go? The answer was clear. Pheidippides would stop at nothing, nor would I. Death before DNF.”
“Given Herodotus’s record, Pheidippides would have likely passed through this very same section of Arcadia in these same early morning hours, just as we were doing then. Would he have eaten from these same trees? To think that an ancient hemerodromos was running here 2,500 years ago fascinated me, and knowing that this was the land of my ancestral origins made the experience all the more visceral. I was connected to this place in ways I could not know… my ancestors raised their families in this land, fostered their hopes and dreams here, generation upon generation coming into and passing through life in these same hills and plains that I now ran through. This was their land, and in a timeless way, this was also my land.”
“My personal ethos demanded that I always demonstrate arête and uphold my bestness, no matter how weakened my state. As the legendary ancient Greek athlete Archilochus once expounded, “O heart, my heart, no public leaping when you win; no solitude nor weeping when you fail to prove. Rejoice at simple things and . . . know the tides through which we move.”
“Let our temperament be humble in both glory and in defeat, let us maintain modesty in times of high achievement and honor in times of heartbreaking failure, and let us never forget that the illusion of permanence can deceive and that all things have their place and time but must inevitably come to an end.”
“Despite its growing popularity, there is nothing easy about finishing a marathon. No matter if you are an elite front-runner or an anxious first-timer, the undertaking is fearsome. And that is because the marathon is not about running; it is about salvation. You see, we spend so much of our lives doubting ourselves, thinking that we’re not good enough, not strong enough, not made of the right stuff. The marathon offers an opportunity for redemption. Opportunity, I say, because the outcome is uncertain. Opportunity, I say, because it is up to you, and only you, to make it happen. There is no luck involved in finishing a marathon. The ingredients required to tackle this formidable challenge are straightforward: commitment, sacrifice, grit, and raw determination. Plain and simple.”
“At mile 20, the looming voice of uncertainty is all you can hear. It hurts so badly that you want to stop. It hurts so badly that you must stop. But you don’t stop. This time, you ignore that voice, you tune out the naysayers who’ve told you that you’re not good enough, not strong enough, not made of the right stuff, and you listen only to the passion within your heart. That burning desire tells you to keep moving forward, to continue putting one foot in front of the other no matter what.”
“You are, above all, a marathoner, and you will wear this distinction not only with the medal they place around your neck, but also deep within your heart, for the rest of your God-given years. Nothing can ever take that away from you. As with Pheidippides, you are part of a sacred fraternal order of the few and the proud. You have kindred spirits across borders and across time. Others may admire you, congratulate you, and tell you they are proud of you, but only those who cross that finish line know the true feeling. A marathoner is not just something you are, but someone you’ve become.”
— The Road to Sparta: Reliving the Ancient Battle and Epic Run That Inspired the World's Greatest Footrace by Dean Karnazes
https://a.co/eHJGI3Z
December 23, 2016
**I received this book from the Goodreads Giveaway**
I actually entered to win this book for my son, who loves to run and is a triathlete. After reading it I told him I'm not sure I want him to read it and become an ultramarathoner!! Dean Karnazes is definitely an elite athlete with a mindset that keeps propelling him to run farther and farther. I enjoy running but not that much! I also am a fan of ancient Greek history so that was another reason I was drawn to this book. So I was looking forward to this book. I liked the book. Can't say I loved it. I was looking for more of the history of the run by Pheidippides; granted there doesn't seem to be a great deal of information on it, but none the less. The beginning was a bit fragmented and the history was scattered. I'm sure this journey meant more than I can say to Dean as a Greek, which does add an interesting note to the story. It was hard for me to tell if the book was about Dean's accomplishments or the Spartathlon, even though he did say he is not the kind of person to toot his own horn. He does end the book with a down to earth, friendly finale but it was hard sometimes to get past all his accolades. While he made a disclaimer, as a history buff, I find it hard when people make up their own stories to bits of history or embellish a bit much. Who knows, maybe he is right, but we will never know. Once Dean got to the race in Greece, it flowed better. The Spartathlon is quite a journey and it was fascinating reading. I think more detail could have been put here rather than at the beginning. There was a lot of set up to a quicker ending. I will say that the descriptions of the places in the book are beautifully written and make it easy and a pleasure to visualize. The conclusion at the end answered a nagging question I had. Since the Spartathlon was 153 miles, I couldn't figure out how the Marathon is 26.2 miles. Another instance of not having the whole picture of a historical event so I appreciated Dean giving the whole story of the invasion that precipitated the run by Pheidippides.
I'm hoping since my copy was an uncorrected version that his editors found some of the grammatical errors! My one suggestion would be to include a map of the race and some of the area! He mentions so many cities and destinations, it would have been nice to have a map to look at and really grasp the race course.
The book is worth reading. There is no doubt Dean is a very accomplished, elite athlete and it is beyond my comprehension the level of running he reaches. For avid runners and other elite athletes, this is a good book to read.
I actually entered to win this book for my son, who loves to run and is a triathlete. After reading it I told him I'm not sure I want him to read it and become an ultramarathoner!! Dean Karnazes is definitely an elite athlete with a mindset that keeps propelling him to run farther and farther. I enjoy running but not that much! I also am a fan of ancient Greek history so that was another reason I was drawn to this book. So I was looking forward to this book. I liked the book. Can't say I loved it. I was looking for more of the history of the run by Pheidippides; granted there doesn't seem to be a great deal of information on it, but none the less. The beginning was a bit fragmented and the history was scattered. I'm sure this journey meant more than I can say to Dean as a Greek, which does add an interesting note to the story. It was hard for me to tell if the book was about Dean's accomplishments or the Spartathlon, even though he did say he is not the kind of person to toot his own horn. He does end the book with a down to earth, friendly finale but it was hard sometimes to get past all his accolades. While he made a disclaimer, as a history buff, I find it hard when people make up their own stories to bits of history or embellish a bit much. Who knows, maybe he is right, but we will never know. Once Dean got to the race in Greece, it flowed better. The Spartathlon is quite a journey and it was fascinating reading. I think more detail could have been put here rather than at the beginning. There was a lot of set up to a quicker ending. I will say that the descriptions of the places in the book are beautifully written and make it easy and a pleasure to visualize. The conclusion at the end answered a nagging question I had. Since the Spartathlon was 153 miles, I couldn't figure out how the Marathon is 26.2 miles. Another instance of not having the whole picture of a historical event so I appreciated Dean giving the whole story of the invasion that precipitated the run by Pheidippides.
I'm hoping since my copy was an uncorrected version that his editors found some of the grammatical errors! My one suggestion would be to include a map of the race and some of the area! He mentions so many cities and destinations, it would have been nice to have a map to look at and really grasp the race course.
The book is worth reading. There is no doubt Dean is a very accomplished, elite athlete and it is beyond my comprehension the level of running he reaches. For avid runners and other elite athletes, this is a good book to read.
May 8, 2018
This is a very badly written book. Parts of it is a rehash of the author's personal story we know from "Ultramarathoner man", which, although short and unpretentious, is a much better book, in my view. The other part is author's attempt to recreate the events of the first marathon, the famous run from the field of Marathon to Athens. Author is clearly out of his depth here, and makes a huge hash of history (and geography as well: for example, how about the fascinating fact that "California is one of the few places on Earth that, similar to Greece, enjoys Mediterranean climate"? Maybe there is a reason it's called Mediterranean - and that's because that's the climate prevalent all around the eponymous sea?) I gave up on this book when I got to the part where Cyrus the Great wins the battle against Babylonians, who employ Lydian cavalry (Lydia was conquered by Cyrus several years before the Babylonians' turn came) that used Arabian horses (where did that come from?) There are many more blunders of similar degree. What's more though is that author continues to intrigue the readers about the amazing story that is about to come - but it never comes. The actual story is well known, to anyone who is even slightly familiar with the period's history. The one good thing about the book is author's personal perspective, as a runner, and his attempts to recreate the state of mind and the circumstances of the ancient runners based on personal experience. Other than that, the book seems like a badly written attempt at recreating the success of "Born to run" (which, despite its questionable scientific merits, is at least entertaining).
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