Listen free for 30 days

  • Born to Run

  • A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
  • Written by: Christopher McDougall
  • Narrated by: Fred Sanders
  • Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (537 ratings)

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Born to Run cover art

Born to Run

Written by: Christopher McDougall
Narrated by: Fred Sanders
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $23.31

Buy Now for $23.31

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The astonishing and hugely entertaining story that completely changed the way we run. An epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt?

“Equal parts quest, physiology treatise, and running history.... The climactic race reads like a sprint.... It simply makes you want to run.” —Outside Magazine

Isolated by Mexico's deadly Copper Canyons, the blissful Tarahumara Indians have honed the ability to run hundreds of miles without rest or injury. In a riveting narrative, award-winning journalist and often-injured runner Christopher McDougall sets out to discover their secrets. In the process, he takes his readers from science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultra-runners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to a climactic race in the Copper Canyons that pits America’s best ultra-runners against the tribe. McDougall’s incredible story will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that you, indeed all of us, were born to run.

©2009 Knopf (P)2009 Random House

What the critics say

“Compelling. . . . Entertaining. . . . [McDougall] uses an extended portrait of one of the world's least known cultures, the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico's Copper Canyons, to put modern American running under an exacting magnifying glass.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“Equal parts quest, physiology treatise, and running history. . . . [McDougall] seeks to learn the secrets of the Tarahumara the old-fashioned way: He tracks them down. . . . The climactic race reads like a sprint. . . . It simply makes you want to run.”—Outside Magazine

“Hugely entertaining. . . . One of the most joyful and engaging books about running to appear for many years.”—The Irish Times

What listeners say about Born to Run

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    456
  • 4 Stars
    63
  • 3 Stars
    14
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    370
  • 4 Stars
    55
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    372
  • 4 Stars
    48
  • 3 Stars
    13
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Motivant!

En courant, c’est super de lire ce livre, un récit autobiographique et documentaire, 2 en 1!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

incredible story

I loved this book so much ! I learned so much about what it means to be a runner and a human !

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Lulls you into a submissive state of enlightenment

At times I found it hard to listen to, but later realized I really enjoyed those parts that I wish were faster. Great performance and loved the story, especially the informative tangents.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Must read for runners

Full of unspoken facts that will change completely the way you look at running. It changed running for me - it’s not even the same sport as it was before - and resurrected the runner in me from a decade of back-pain-induced withdrawal.
And it’s all wrapped up in this addictive story telling that keeps the pages turning.
Read it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

complete enthralling!

this book was completely entertaining. it was educational, comedic and inspiring from the starting line to the finish!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Made me wonder where my limits were

This book was definitely an ear catcher. I was hooked to the concepts of ultra and keen to learn more. I think its a great place to start for anyone interested. Though i didn’t quite agree with everything in the book. it certainly held my attention and propelled my own search for more information, and inspired me to do my first ultra.

#Audible1

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Great story and very good narrator. Would recommend.

It's got everything. Kept me paying attention the whole time.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

3rd time I’ve listened to it on the trails!

Love this book! It inspires me every time! I’ve listened to it on trails and road all over the world. I love the Science and how the sheer joy of running is translated into every sentence. Love how it is read out loud as well! Thanks and to all future listeners- go run - light, easy, free!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A key read for any runner. This book is great!!!!

The story follows the author through an amazing journey with the world's greatest ultra runners, interspersed with anecdotes from running history to medical science.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Inspiring

Fascinating story that inspires me to get back out there! A great look into human history, global cultures and long distance running.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!