The Art of Running: From Marathon to Athens on Winged Feet

Journalist and classics scholar Marcolongo (The Ingenious Language) collects a series of meandering musings on life, death, and running. After picking up a jogging habit in her early 30s, Marcolongo sought to understand “what drives millions of men and women to go out every day” and do the same. She covers such topics as the Greek origins of the marathon, running’s “flow” state, accessibility issues in the sport, and misogyny experienced by female runners who’ve been sexualized by the exercise apparel industry and barred from racing (as recently as 1967, for example, Kathrine Switzer was suspended from the American Athletics Federation for completing the Boston Marathon). After much soul-searching and no small amount of sweat, Marcolongo concludes that she runs because of a “fear of dying: It’s tangible proof that, for today... I’m still in good health, still alive.” While the sport itself might offer “sublime moments,” making it through this short book is often a slog. Sections documenting the author’s preparation for a marathon lack momentum, and takeaways manage to both underwhelm and undercut the book’s purpose, as when Marcolongo realizes she’ll never be able to communicate the experience of completing a marathon “to others, or even, in part, to myself.” Readers seeking to understand the sport’s allure would be better served by putting this down and lacing up their sneakers instead. (Apr.)