Book Review :26 Marathons

Book review

Title: 26 Marathons
Author: Meb Keflezighi
Genre: Memoir


26 marathons in 15 years. 

This book traces the journey of  4 time Olympian Meb Keflezighi from 2002 to 2017.  Divided into 26 chapters which is the marathon distance in miles, each chapter is dedicated to the race he's competed in. He describes his experiences and lessons learnt from every event. 

He thrives on the philosophy of running to win. With this he doesn't necessarily mean securing the first place but getting the best out of yourself in every run.  He begins his running career in 2002 with the New York City Marathon and goes on to participate in the Chicago Marathon and several editions of the Boston,Olympian, London and ends his career with the 2017 edition of the New York Marathon. 

Meb's tumultuous journey sees him through his visit to his birth place Eritrea, the tough life of folks in that place, his training regimes, struggles, injuries, illnesses and self doubts and winning streaks. 

The lucid style of writing gives the readers a feeling that they are in conversation with him. Despite his low moments, Meb always thrives on optimism. He also explains the nuances of learning when to quit and taking those tough albeit sensible decisions during a race. While he is retired from racing, he is still running as he enjoys the endorphins associated with the sport. 

26 marathons is a book that will resonate with every runner/sportsbuffs irrespective of the fact whether they are professional or recreational. It gives an interesting perspective into the minds of the elite runners. Inspirational ad enriching, this is one marathon that you will enjoy running. 

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