Great Running Events Australia

A treasure trove for running enthusiasts, discover 26 iconic locations of Australia's breathtaking trails and runs in this beautiful hardback.

Post the Covid-lockdown age, mass participation running events across Australia are booming. Whether it's a two-kilometre suburban street dash or going solo over a multiday race in which the most demanding terrain you encounter is in your mind, there is an event for you.

The rise in the popularity of running is part of a dynamic shifting of attitudes about the way we approach physical and mental endurance challenges. As Steve Moneghetti says in the introduction to the book, "what happened out of the Covid period is that so many people found exercise because it was one of the few things they could do. Individuals suddenly realised they could step into their runners, step outside and run – and as a result, latched on to all the benefits of running: mental well-being, good health, looking after weight and fitness."

This book does not provide a definitive list of running events in our country, nor does it boast a 'best of' theme. Instead, it is a snapshot of people, places and races... Great Australian Runs aims to inspire, inform, acknowledge and celebrate running and its people, places and races. (Taken from the introduction to the book, by James Knight)

Hardcover and fully illustrated, this book is a treasure trove for running enthusiasts. It showcases the top 26 most breathtaking and challenging marathon and running routes nationwide. It will take you on a journey through Australia's most iconic and diverse running courses – from the urban intensity of the Sydney Marathon to the rugged beauty of the Great Ocean Road and the remote challenge of the Outback Marathon. This list highlights the courses that should be on every runner's bucket list.

Written by seasoned plodder James Knight, the book details race histories, signature stretches and the joys and challenges of being part of Australia's vibrant running community. With stunning colour photography, Great Running Events Australia will inspire you to lace up and start planning your own running adventure.

JAMES KNIGHT was nine years old when he competed in his first fun-run, the Gunnedah Gallop, in country New South Wales. Back then, 1977, he could never have known those eight kilometres would help lay the foundations for his lifelong love of distance running. As a boy, he spent countless hours legging it around his family's property on a course designed by his older brother, Lewis, who marked the route by tying torn pieces of an old bed sheet to trees and fenceposts.

James first ran a marathon in 2000. It was the Sydney Olympic Test Event. The following year, just two months after the 9-11 attacks in the United States, he participated in the New York Marathon. He has run fourteen marathons including the Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Gold Coast. He also completed the gruelling 2010 North Face 100, now known as Ultra Trail-Australia, in the Blue Mountains.

James equates his marathon efforts to writing books. Both are 'long and slow.' He has written thirteen nonfiction adult books, and three, including one fiction, for children. A former sports journalist spanning television, radio, newspapers and online, he has also been a TV commentator at the Melbourne and Gold Coast marathons. James lives in Canberra with his wife, Clare, son Iggy, and dog, Roger.

Great Running Events Australia

James Knight

Hardie Grant

RRP: $39.99

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