'Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional'

The essential book for every runner: a fascinating reflection on the power of running and an interesting insight into the life of this internationally acclaimed author. In 1982, after selling his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, Murakami began running to keep in shape. A year later, he completed a solo route from Athens to Marathon, and now, after dozens of such races, he reflects on the influence the sport has had on his life and writing.

Balanced between travel narrative, training diary, and memoir, this revealing memoir covers his four-month preparation for the 2005 New York Marathon, spanning from the Jingu Gaien gardens in Tokyo, where he once shared the track with an Olympian, to the Charles River in Boston.

Occasionally funny and serious, playful and philosophical, this book is essential for fans of this brilliant yet private author, as well as for the growing population of athletes who find similar satisfaction in long-distance running.

*Murakami's new book "Writer as a Profession" is available now*

'There could never have been a book like this memoir about running and writing. In its own way, it's nothing less than inspiring' Evening Standard

'Extremely enjoyable... You don't have to have run a marathon to be captivated' Sunday Telegraph

'Comical, charming, and philosophical... an excellent memoir' GQ

Pages: 192, Dimensions: 12.9x12.9cm