Running While Black cover art

Running While Black

Finding Freedom in a Sport That Wasn't Built for Us

 Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection of 900K+ titles.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto-renews for $8.99/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Running While Black

Written by: Alison Mariella Désir
Narrated by: Alison Mariella Désir
Try Standard free

$8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.74

Buy Now for $26.74

About this listen

 A searing exposé on the whiteness of running, a supposedly egalitarian sport, and a call to reimagine the industry

“Runners know that running brings us to ourselves. But for Black people, the simple act of running has never been so simple. It is a declaration of the right to move through the world. If running is claiming public space, why, then, does it feel like a negotiation?”

Running saved Alison Désir’s life. At rock bottom and searching for meaning and structure, Désir started marathon training, finding that it vastly improved both her physical and mental health. Yet as she became involved in the community and learned its history, she realized that the sport was largely built with white people in mind.

Running While Black draws on Désir’s experience as an endurance athlete, activist, and mental health advocate to explore why the seemingly simple, human act of long distance running for exercise and health has never been truly open to Black people. Weaving historical context—from the first recreational running boom to the horrific murder of Ahmaud Arbery—together with her own story of growth in the sport, Désir unpacks how we got here and advocates for a world where everyone is free to safely experience the life-changing power of movement.

As America reckons with its history of white supremacy across major institutions, Désir argues that, as a litmus test for an inclusive society, the fitness industry has the opportunity to lead the charge—fulfilling its promise of empowerment. Politics & Government Racism & Discrimination Running & Jogging Social Sciences Discrimination Sports Physical Exercise Health Mental Health
All stars
Most Relevant
Necessary reading for anyone facilitating inclusive fitness. An important perspective and reflection on what it’s like to be a black runner.

Poignant, confronting, necessary.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
An important book that all runners, no, all should read. While there were many facts in the book that I already knew, hearing them again through Alison’s voice makes them resonate in a deeply profound way.

An important book that you should read!

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