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An exploration of the art of running and a quest to ensure you can continue for a lifetime

Never before have so many people run so many miles or set themselves such ambitious targets in pursuit of selffulfillment marathons ultramarathons extreme adventures And never before have people had such high hopes of remaining vigorous and active young in all but name long after retiring from the workplace Yet that last goal perhaps more precious than any of the others remains elusive

It can be done but only a few succeed Most runners succumb to injury or illness in middle age others are defeated by dwindling energy levels or by the gradual fallingoff of their peers They can only envy the charmed few who continue to enjoy the lifeenhancing joys of running well into what used to be considered extreme old age

Horrified by the thought of breaking off his lifelong loveaffair with running Richard Askwith began to think seriously about a question with profound implications for every enthusiastic runner how can you keep running happily and well for the rest of your life ideally well into your nineties and beyond

Askwiths quest for the secrets of running longevity takes him on a long mystifying journey to laboratories and running tracks cities and remote mountain villages on several continents He meets scientists and coaches gurus and cranks ninetyyearold sprinters and hundredyearold marathon runners and with each passing month his quest grows more urgent

Richard Askwith 2023 P Penguin Audio 2023