The Longest Race

July 30, 2012
Veteran long-distance runner Ayres, a 55-year competitor in more than 600 races, brings the reader along for his grueling trek on the 2001 JFK 50 Mile, the nation’s oldest ultramarathon, explaining some critical insights that enable one to cross the finish line. Ayres starts strong as he ascends in the cold to the Appalachian Trail, descends downhill to the Potomac, sets the pace along the towpath, and fights fatigue passing the Civil War landmarks of Harper’s Ferry and the Antietam battlefield. Using Sheehan’s axiom of “listening to your body,” the author provides runners with crucial information and key tips, ending with his must-have “Notes for an Aspiring Ultrarunner,” advising on breathing, nutrition, attitude, technique, training, footwear, and terrain. Revealing, savvy, and fast-paced, Ayres’s eloquent book on marathon running is a master class on the priceless life lessons of enduring and conquering obstacles to victory.

September 15, 2012
A leading environmental activist and ultramarathoner uses the 2001 JFK 50 Mile as a staging ground for his reflections on running, aging, and saving the planet. Running Times founding editor and publisher Ayres (God's Last Offer: Negotiating for a Sustainable Future, 2000, etc.) was 60 when he decided to run the JFK 50 Mile again, two months after 9/11. He had placed first in the ultramarathon in 1977 and wanted to see if he could still keep up with the younger competitors. His aim was not to set a world record but to determine how much accumulated experience would compensate for the inevitable attrition of age. Ayres admits he is addicted to running, but its importance for him goes beyond the physical--a race of that length is "a ritual of survival." He had been running competitively since high school and recalled how the first JFK 50 Mile, held just months before Kennedy's assassination, was a Cold War response to the president's call for Americans to toughen up. While judging his pace and adjusting the rhythm of his breathing, Ayres speculated about the role played by long-distance running in the pursuit of game and the physical evolution of modern man. He drew parallels between sustaining the planet and maintaining health and vigor as we age, themes that still engage him today. He even had a few moments to muse on such mundane matters as the proper footwear for racing--not boots but flexible shoes that allow feet to sense the trail. Ayres won his age category in 2001, continues to compete at age 71 and intends to run the JFK 50 Mile again this November. The author's broad-ranging interests and accumulated wisdom will appeal to a wide readership, not just runners and environmentalists.

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September 1, 2012
As dawn breaks on a cold November morning, Ed Ayres lines up to compete in the JFK 50, an ultramarathon race that has occurred annually since 1963. From the first quick miles on the road to the slower, more challenging portion on the Appalachian Trail, Ayres takes his readers through the experience of running this historic ultramarathon. Like the expert runner that he is, Ayres perfectly paces his tale and evokes the feeling of being on a long, rambling run with a very good friend. A gifted storyteller, he seamlessly moves between discussing running to exploring larger life issues such as why we run, our impact on the environment, and the effects of the nation's declining physical fitness. The book is well structured, and the conversation is thought provoking, planting questions and ideas that readers will ruminate on long after the last page is turned. Ayres' narrative skill makes this book stand out from other accounts of ultramarathons and is sure to appeal to both runners and nonrunners alike.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)