The Long Run: A Memoir

Menzies-Pike’s engaging book braids together feminist and literary theory, cultural criticism, history, and a moving personal narrative that explores the ways in which physical movement can lead to transcendence in the face of tragedy. After her parents’ plane crash immobilizes her with grief, Menzies-Pike, editor of the Sydney Review of Books, returns home from wandering the world to run on a treadmill. As she trains for her first race, she recounts the challenges early female runners faced. Violet Percy ran a marathon (and set a record) in short heels at a time when women were told running would imperil their fertility. In the 1960s, “women in the United States were forbidden from racing any distance over a mile and a half.” Men tried to drag early female Boston Marathon runners off the course. Ultimately, the narrative is one of reserved success. Women’s running has gained wider acceptance, though some women worry about running alone at night, and running remains largely a sport of the privileged. The frequent transitions between memoir and criticism can be jarring, but this is still an important and fascinating record of women’s running experiences. [em](May) [/em]