Running with the Kenyans

Passion, Adventure, and the Secrets of the Fastest People on Earth

By: Adharanand Finn

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

“A dusty road stretches into the distance like a pencil line across the arid landscape. Lions, rhino, and buffalo roam the plains on either side. But I haven’t come to Kenya to spot wildlife. I’ve come to run.”

Whether running is your recreation, your religion, or just a spectator sport, Adharanand Finn’s incredible journey to the elite training camps of Kenya will captivate and inspire you. Part travelogue, part memoir, this mesmerizing quest to uncover the secrets of the world’s greatest runners - and put them to the test - combines practical advice, a fresh look at barefoot running, and hard-won spiritual insights.

As a boy growing up in the English countryside, Adharanand Finn was a natural runner. While other kids struggled, he breezed through schoolyard races, imagining he was one of his heroes: the Kenyan long-distance runners exploding into prominence as Olympic and world champions. But as he grew up, pursued a career in journalism, married and had children, those childhood dreams slipped away - until suddenly, in his mid-thirties, Finn realized he might have only one chance left to see how far his talents could take him.

Uprooting his family of five, including three small children, Finn traveled to Iten, a small, chaotic town in the Rift Valley province of Kenya - a mecca for long-distance runners thanks to its high altitude, endless running paths, and some of the top training schools in the world. Finn would run side by side with Olympic champions, young hopefuls, and barefoot schoolchildren... not to mention the exotic - and sometimes dangerous - wildlife for which Kenya is famous.

Here, too, he would meet a cast of colorful characters, including his unflappable guide, Godfrey Kiprotich, a former half marathon champion; Christopher Cheboiboch, one of the fastest men ever to run the New York City Marathon; and Japhet, a poor, bucktoothed boy with unsuspected reservoirs of courage and raw speed. Amid the daily challenges of training and of raising a family abroad, Finn would learn invaluable lessons about running - and about life.

©2012 Adharanand Finn (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Part scientific study, travel memoir, and tale of self-discovery, Finn’s journey makes for a smart and entertaining read.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Equal parts cultural examination, cult-of-running treatise, and poignant memoir, Running with the Kenyans thrives on a variety of levels. Like the skilled distance runner he is, Finn paces this book marvelously and then saves the best for the final kick. This book packs all the pleasure and satisfaction - and none of the ancillary pain - of a long training run.” (L. Jon Wertheim, senior editor, Sports Illustrated, and coauthor of the New York Times best seller Scorecasting)

“If you want to know the secrets of Kenyan runners, and have a rollicking adventure along the way, join Finn in his fascinating tale of what it is to go stride for stride with the fastest people on Earth.” (Neal Bascomb, author of The Perfect Mile)

Fantastic Journey!

A fascinating story that was a sheer joy from start to finish. Loved everything about the book!

Solid Entertaining Story, Well Performed

If you could sum up Running with the Kenyans in three words, what would they be?

This is a very good and entertaining story, well written and well performed. I enjoyed it.

exceeded my expectations

a story well written and read. If you want to know the real secrets to the Kenyans success in running, then this book will give you an open door view into the hardwork and determination that is needed to be successful. The secrete? there is none. its all hardwork!

Great read!

I really enjoyed this book. It provides readers with a glimpse of how the greatest runners in the world live, eat and train.

Really enjoyed this book

Having run 6 marathons myself, I could identify with each story. He's quite an author.

Great escape to Kenya

Would you listen to Running with the Kenyans again? Why?

I listened to the story several times- a few chapters over and over. I loved the race prep and the visual impression of the villages.

What did you like best about this story?

It hit on my favorite topics; travel, adventure, running, family and wild animals. What could be better?!!

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene on NY eve at the game preserve.... lions think of a tent no differently than a rock...

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Fast & curious

great book

I've enjoyed every single chapter of this book and the way it was narrated. It is very interesting and inspiring at the same time. Would recommend to everyone.

Great Story with quirky "British" Narrator

Inspiring story. Perhaps not as well crafted or engaging as Born to Run, but in the same genre. This will have a more narrow appeal than BTR, however. I don't see many non-runners being interested by the book. The subject is more than worthy of attention and has seemingly been ignored the mainstream sports media -- why are nearly ALL of the top distance runners from Iten, an obscure village in the mountains Kenya?? Their domination of distance running is like nothing the world has seen before. These athletes run speeds that were unimaginable just 15 years ago, and their running form is amazing to behold. Hopefully we'll see more books on this topic in the near future! The only negative is the quirky British narrator, who would be entirely out of place if it weren't for the fact that the author is british. At certain points, his style is almost robotic.

Really enjoyed this book

Really emotive story. Learned a lot of facts from the Kenyan culture and training style. Excellent narration.

A must for runners

Would you listen to Running with the Kenyans again? Why?

I enjoyed all aspects of this book! The technical details around running form and gear, the social aspects of western versus African runners and Finn's journey make the entire book worth a second listen.

What did you like best about this story?

As a runner I cannot say any one thing hit me as the best thing about the book. I took different things away from it and even generated conversation with friend (runners and non-runners) based on the information.

What does John Lee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

John Lee is excellent at expressing what the author is trying to convey. I often found myself thinking of John Lee's voice as Finn's. I am sure the next book I listen to featuring John Lee will take some time re-adjust to him NOT being Finn.