Run the World

June 15, 2016

A National Collegiate Athletic Association All-American at Rice University, debut author Wade added Watson Fellowship recipient to her list of accomplishments in 2012 and set off for a year of travel, community, and long-distance running with athletes from around the globe. Wade's fearless enthusiasm for the terrain and training methods she encounters in 22 countries reveals the tenacity behind her athletic success. Readers become acquainted with each destination as the author does: through the locals' favorite running routes and foods. Paired with a friendly, personal tone, this approach to the travel narrative genre will be appreciated by running enthusiasts and readers interested in Olympic track and field history. Beginning in London, on the sidelines of the 2012 Olympics, Wade continues to share Olympic history about the locations and athletes in each country she visits. After a year collecting training tips, recovery techniques, recipes, and friends, Wade enters and wins her marathon debut and a qualifying time for the 2016 Olympic trials. VERDICT Wade's endearing and inspiring story will appeal to readers looking for an insider's view of the determination and spirit shared by Olympians (and casual runners) throughout the world.--Meagan Storey, Virginia Beach

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2016
In 2012, fresh out of Rice University with an impressive resume that included NCAA All-American, Olympic Trials qualifier, and a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, which challenges students to create their own path and stay out of the U.S. for one year, Wade packed a bag that included only four pairs of running shoes and spent her year traveling to nine countries and putting in 3,500 training miles. In this engagingly written, autobiographical account of her year abroad, Wade gains invaluable experience as a student of the sport from world-class runners and coaches from England, Switzerland, Ethiopia, Japan, and even Scandinavia. She learns about food and fellowship while navigating language barriers and foreign terrain with maturity and openness that makes for a refreshing read. While cultures, diet, and training regimens may vary, she discovers hard work and dedication are still keys to athletic success. Every so often a book comes along that becomes a cult classic for competitive runners but also has appeal to a broader audience. John L. Parker's Once a Runner (1978), Christopher McDougall's Born to Run (2009), and Chris Lear's Running with the Buffaloes (2000) were all such books, and this terrific debut is sure to join their ranks.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)