Comrades Book Reviews
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This review was originally published on 'The Runner's Bookshelf' Facebook Group.
I didn’t quite get round to writing reviews of the previous two books I read; ‘The Rise of the Ultra-Runners’ by Adharanand Finn and ‘Running Outside the Comfort Zone’ by Susan Lacke, but since they both had a Comrades link I thought I’d do three mini-reviews having just finished ‘Comrades Marathon; The Ultimate Human Race’ by John Cameron-Dow.
As I may have mentioned, I’ve entered Comrades 2020 so my reading choices are reflecting my current preoccupation with preparing myself mentally, if not yet physically for my biggest ever challenge. Having read Finn’s previous two fantastic running books, Rise of the Ultra Runners seemed to be timed to perfection for me on its release. As with the earlier books it’s a compelling read and I found the author even more relatable in this book than in his previous writing. I rarely think I’d re-read a book but honestly I think this is one I’d like to return to as I felt it was not only a really good read but excellent preparation for turning to an ultra myself. Having been lured by the legend of Comrades myself I particularly enjoyed the section about the great South African race and was moved by Finn’s account of his own Comrades journey. From what I have ascertained from the three books, the author isn’t prone to outbursts of emotion but he finds the Comrades experience to be such a meaningful one that I read this section with a tear in my eye and feeling excited about the challenge I’ve set myself. This was probably the best running book I’ve read this year and I’m sure I would feel the same even without the Comrades connection.
On something of a roll I turned to ‘Outside the Comfort Zone’ and immediately warmed to Susan Lacke not least because she’s clearly closer to my kind of pace and I definitely related to the sense of not feeling quite ‘good enough’ as I embark upon this adventure. Her humour really got me hooked and I read the book quickly with lines like this one giving me a smile on the way:
‘the most important lessons are usually delivered in the form of your ass, gift wrapped and handed to you in the most humbling of runs’. I also enjoyed her honesty in describing how scared she was of running with 10 year-old girls in one of the series of challenges she had set herself; let’s just say I can relate to the fear of children I’m not related to!
The self-doubt she has in relation to running Comrades was so recognisable to me that I almost found it difficult to read and again I found myself moved by her description of the race and the profound impact it had on her. I have clearly signed up for something that is special whatever your pace, background and ability. There’s so much more I wanted to say about this book, I wish I’d reviewed it here sooner, needless to say I will be seeking out her other running book and hopefully reviewing that in more detail.
So to the third of my Comrades books and as you can tell from the title this has more than a slight connection! I wanted to understand more of the history of the Comrades Marathon and this book covers every race up to 2010 in detail. I’ll be honest that I found some of it repetitive and hard going at first; rather like reading back-to-back race reports, the names, times and sections of the course started to merge a bit in my mind. I’m pleased to say it picked up, especially with the interesting parallels drawn with the political climate in South Africa at any given time in Comrades’ history. The Bruce Fordyce years up to the more recent times were easier to read just because of the more recognisable characters and amusing or interesting anecdotes from competitors as the field increased in size and diversity.
I’ve really started to understand some of what makes this event so special in the words of those who have taken part and whilst it’s undoubtedly a daunting task, the connection between the elite athletes and those who are closer to the cut-offs seems to be pronounced even within the world of running which I’ve always felt connected elite and recreational athletes uniquely within sport:
‘There were individuals and organisations bringing people together in a spirit of comradeship despite diversity. The country was approaching a crossroads. The Comrades Marathon, born of triumph over adversity in the aftermath of the First World War, remained an institution of hope, confidence and unquestioning acceptance of all who were prepared to accept its all-inclusive idealism.’
Whilst at times this was a difficult read it was a rewarding one, leaving me feeling excited to hopefully become part of the community of Comrades finishers, knowing something of its history and of those who have made it a legendary and historic race. I was saddened to find that the author passed away early this year.
I'd love to hear from Blog readers who have read any books about Comrades or ultra-marathons in general that might help me in my training on the road to Comrades.
This review was originally published on 'The Runner's Bookshelf' Facebook Group.
I didn’t quite get round to writing reviews of the previous two books I read; ‘The Rise of the Ultra-Runners’ by Adharanand Finn and ‘Running Outside the Comfort Zone’ by Susan Lacke, but since they both had a Comrades link I thought I’d do three mini-reviews having just finished ‘Comrades Marathon; The Ultimate Human Race’ by John Cameron-Dow.
‘the most important lessons are usually delivered in the form of your ass, gift wrapped and handed to you in the most humbling of runs’. I also enjoyed her honesty in describing how scared she was of running with 10 year-old girls in one of the series of challenges she had set herself; let’s just say I can relate to the fear of children I’m not related to!
The self-doubt she has in relation to running Comrades was so recognisable to me that I almost found it difficult to read and again I found myself moved by her description of the race and the profound impact it had on her. I have clearly signed up for something that is special whatever your pace, background and ability. There’s so much more I wanted to say about this book, I wish I’d reviewed it here sooner, needless to say I will be seeking out her other running book and hopefully reviewing that in more detail.
I’ve really started to understand some of what makes this event so special in the words of those who have taken part and whilst it’s undoubtedly a daunting task, the connection between the elite athletes and those who are closer to the cut-offs seems to be pronounced even within the world of running which I’ve always felt connected elite and recreational athletes uniquely within sport:
‘There were individuals and organisations bringing people together in a spirit of comradeship despite diversity. The country was approaching a crossroads. The Comrades Marathon, born of triumph over adversity in the aftermath of the First World War, remained an institution of hope, confidence and unquestioning acceptance of all who were prepared to accept its all-inclusive idealism.’
Whilst at times this was a difficult read it was a rewarding one, leaving me feeling excited to hopefully become part of the community of Comrades finishers, knowing something of its history and of those who have made it a legendary and historic race. I was saddened to find that the author passed away early this year.
I'd love to hear from Blog readers who have read any books about Comrades or ultra-marathons in general that might help me in my training on the road to Comrades.
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