Read all about it

In between checking weather forecasts and deciding what to wear on Monday, relax with a good book and get into the spirit of the Boston Marathon.


Boston Marathon & Beyond. A collection of stories highlighting the history of the Boston Marathon, from the first race to the first women through to the modern day.

Alcorn, Alfred. The Long Run of Myles Mayberry. The novel’s main character, unsuccessful in the workforce,has a dream of winning the Boston Marathon. Describes his ambition and determination to capitalize on his lone chance at greatness in Boston.

Babon, Gene. The Race to Boston: Achieving Excellence in Long Distance Running. Combined with commentary on the author’s own racing experience, a training program developed by the writer to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

Barnes, Linda. Dead Heat. An innovative sleuth with unorthodox tactics is in charge of protecting a senator who is running not only for re-election but also the Boston Marathon.

Beardsley, Dick and Maureen Anderson. Staying the Course: A Runner’s Toughest Race. The story recounts his amazing race against Alberto Salazar in the 1982 Boston Marathon, as well as the course of his life in the years following his narrow and unexpected defeat.

Benoit Samuelson, Joan with Sally Baker. Running Tide. One of the greatest runners in history — 1984 Olympic Gold medal winner and two-time Boston Marathon champion — tells her compelling story.

Benyo, Richard. The Masters of the Marathon. Biographies of several of the world’s greatest marathoners, including many Boston Marathon champions.

Blaikie, David. Boston: The Canadian Story. Canadian men and women who have made their marks at the Boston Marathon.

Brant, John. Duel in the Sun: Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, and America’s Greatest Marathon. The story of the famous battle between Salazar and Beardsley in the 1982 Boston Marathon.

Connelly, Michael. 26 Miles to Boston: The Boston Marathon Experience from Hopkinton to Copley Square. Personal account of the experience of running the Boston Marathon. Forewords are written by John A. Kelley,Bill Rodgers, and Uta Pippig.

DeMar, Clarence. Marathon. The seven-time winner of the Boston Marathon tells his story in this biography from 1937.

Derderian, Tom. Boston Marathon: The History of the World’s Premier Running Event. Year-by-year chronicle with sources including accounts from the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and several of Boston’s other daily papers from the early to mid-1900s.

Derderian, Tom. The Boston Marathon: A Century of Blood, Sweat, and Cheers. 100 people, places, and stories. Foreword by Bill Rodgers.

Driscoll, Jean with Janet and Geoff Benge. Determined To Win: The Overcoming Spirit of Jean Driscoll. Autobiography of her prolific career atop Boston’s wheelchair division.

Falls, Joe. The Boston Marathon. Boston Marathon champions, as well as the less extraordinary participants,and what motivates people to run the Boston Marathon.

Higdon, Hal. On the Run From Dogs and People. A humorous and entertaining survey of the sport of running, specifically the Boston Marathon prior to its mass appeal.

Higdon, Hal. Boston: A Century of Running. The author’s twenty-ninth book; written in anticipation of the 100th Boston Marathon; officially recognized by the Boston Athletic Association.

Hosler, Ray, ed. Boston, America’s Oldest Marathon. Historical account.

Kardong, Don. Thirty Phone Booths to Boston. A non-fiction collection of a runner’s stories, including one in which he maps the locations of key telephone booths along the Boston Marathon route and calls them on the day of the race as runners pass.

Kidd, Bruce. Tom Longboat. Olympic marathoner and Boston Marathon champion in 1907, this book’s main character is considered one of Canada’s finest athletes, having lost only three races in his amateur career.

Kram, Mark and Alex G. Campbell, Jr. Miles to Go. Tale of an American, a German, and a Japanese runner; each has his own motivations, but they are all determined to do whatever is necessary to win the Boston Marathon.

Kulper, Eileen with Michael Goodman and Skip Berry. The Boston Marathon. Illustrated children’s book highlighting the Boston Marathon’s history.

Lewis, Frederick and Dick Johnson. Young At Heart: The Story of Johnny Kelley, Boston’s Marathon Man. John A. Kelley’s uplifting vision of running and the human spirit.

Lonergan, Tom. Heartbreak Hill, The Boston Marathon Thriller. Fictional story of race-day complications,celebrity entries, and a swift investigation.

Marsh, Carole. The Mystery at the Boston Marathon. A group of kids tries to track down the mysterious whereabouts of their teacher who disappeared from the Boston Marathon.

McGillivray, David J. with Linda Glass Fechter. The Last Pick: The Boston Marathon Race Director’s Road to Success. The story of Boston Marathon Race Director, marathon runner, and motivational speaker Dave McGillivray. With a foreword from Joan Benoit Samuelson.

McKay, Robert. The Girl Who Wanted to Run the Boston Marathon. Young love and childhood dreams lead this novel to its finish, while the Boston Marathon looms as an elusive goal.

Nall, Sam. It’s Only A Mountain: Dick and Rick Hoyt, Men of Iron. Biography of a father and his son, who was born with cerebral palsy, and their incredible accomplishments competing as a tandem in road races and triathlons.

Rodgers, Bill with Joe Concannon. Marathoning. Autobiography of the four-time champion of the Boston Marathon with the Boston Globe’s longtime running scribe.

Semple, Jock with John J. Kelley and Tom Murphy. Just Call Me Jock. A collection of memories told through John J. Kelley and Tom Murphy, creating a story of the legendary Boston Marathon official and club manager.

Switzer, Kathrine. Marathon Woman: Running the Race to Revolutionize Women’s Sports. The inspiring story of the woman who broke through the gender barrier in the marathon, propelling women to the sport’s forefront and helping to get the women’s marathon into the Olympic Games.

Tsiotos, Nick and Andy Dabilis. Running with Pheidippides. Stylianos Kyriakides, Greek winner of the 1946 Boston Marathon, ran to a miracle finish in efforts to save his country from famine.

Tuckman, Bruce W. Long Road to Boston. Inspired by his own racing experience, this author and avid runner creates a passionate story about a man’s race from Hopkinton to Boston.

Ward, Michael. Ellison “Tarzan” Brown: The Narragansett Indian Who Twice Won the Boston Marathon. The biography of 1936 and 1939 Boston Marathon champion Ellison “Tarzan” Brown. Includes a foreword by John J. Kelley.

Williston, Floyd. Johnny Miles: Nova Scotia’s Marathon King. Non-fiction account of a delivery boy from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, who won the Boston Marathon in 1926 and 1929. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Nimbus

Allen, Elise. The Traveling Marathoner: A Complete Guide to Top U.S. Races and Siteseeing on the Run. A guide to 12 U.S. marathons — one per month — which features the Boston Marathon in the “April” chapter.

Cleary, Kathleen. If This Is Heaven, I Am Going to Be a Good Boy: The Tommy Leonard Story. The story of the founder of the Falmouth Road Race, and the Boston Marathon’s Official Greeter.

Gaaserud, Micheala and Renee Dexter. From Fairbanks to Boston: 50 Great U.S. Marathons. Detailed guides of the top U.S. marathons.

Gibb, Roberta. To Boston with Love: The Story of the First Woman To Run The Boston Marathon. Her story of facing the odds and challenging institutions is affectionately written and directed toward the city.

Henderson, Joe, ed. The Boston Marathon. “Booklet of the Month” from Runner’s World magazine in April 1972; history, as well as highlights the 1971 race.

Nason, Jerry. The Story of the Boston Marathon: From 1897. Boston Globe booklet, presenting the history of the Marathon from 1897 to 1965, compiled by the newspaper’s running writer and sports editor.

Robinson, Roger. Heroes and Sparrows: A Celebration of Running. It is the first study of running as a literary subject and is included in most lists of the sport’s outstanding books.

Robinson, Roger. Running in Literature: A Guide for Scholars, Readers, Runners, Joggers and Dreamers. Robinson’s wit and intelligence crackle through this masterful guide to running’s place in literature.

Robinson, Roger and Kathrine Switzer. 26.2: Marathon Stories. Robinson and Switzer explore the history of the marathon through words and an extraordinary selection of photographs.

Sandler, Michael. Jean Driscoll: Dream Big, Work Hard. A children’s book about eight-time Boston winner Jean Driscoll and her struggle to overcome spina bifida to become a wheelchair champion.



Source: B.A.A.