Hal Higdon
Best known for his detailed training plans that have helped countless runners reach their goals of completing 5K's, marathons, and every distance in between, Hal Higdon is both an accomplished runner and a talented writer. Higdon proclaims that his latest release, "4:09:43," is among his greatest works yet, no small claim from an otherwise modest individual who has penned literally dozens of books, and it is hard to disagree as Higdon masterfully combines great story telling with the accurate presentation of a major historical event. While some critics have been quick to dismiss the book for not focusing enough on the bombings themselves, they clearly have missed the point; "4:09:43" is about the experience of running the Boston Marathon, and aside from the terrible tragedy that occurred on April 15, 2013, Marathon Monday in Boston has always been a day of celebration, a day when dreams are realized and the human spirit prevails. "4:09:43" is not a depressing play-by-play of the grievous events that forever changed the future of running, but instead, it is a book that captures the prestige of the Boston Marathon and the strength of the running community.
I have not run Boston, nor have I even had the chance to visit the great city, but Higdon provides such a vivid description of the events on Patriot's Day in Boston that it is easy to imagine yourself alongside fellow runners and the thousands of cheering spectators. Everything about the experience is noted, from boarding the school buses that transport runners to Hopkinton for the start of the race to sprinting the final meters down Boylston Street towards the finish. It is this description where "4:09:43" really shines, as it is not just Higdon's interpretation of running the Boston Marathon, but rather the combined experiences of nearly a hundred different runners that were in Boston this past April.
Following the events of the Boston Marathon Bombings, an abundance of blog posts and race reports were written and shared online. Fearing that these stories would eventually be neglected and lost in the infinite realm of cyberspace, Higdon made it his mission to collect and preserve these personal accounts. From there, Higdon began to weave these separate tales into a cohesive retelling of the 117th running of the Boston Marathon.
While the vast majority of "4:09:43" details the events preceding the explosions on Boylston Street, the final chapters of the book chronicle the bewilderment and panic that ensues as the bombs detonate and the news begins to spread. Even in these final chapters though, Higdon refrains form describing the graphic details of the tragedy, and instead leaves us in the heads of the runners as the day turns from celebration to confusion and despair. "4:09:43" at no point becomes a news report, and its message of hope and strength is consistent throughout, right to the very last page where a runner informs a security officer at Logan Airport that he will return for Boston 2014.
"4:09:43" is expected to hit shelves at the end of January, and Amazon is currently taking pre-orders. It is the first of what is sure to be many books about the 2013 Boston Marathon, but with its unique way of piecing together dozens of individual accounts into an inspiring singular narrative, it is sure to remain one of the best. Higdon presents an uplifting outlook on the running community as a whole, and "4:09:43" is the perfect book for those aspiring to run Boston or anyone interested in the major events of our sport.
I have not run Boston, nor have I even had the chance to visit the great city, but Higdon provides such a vivid description of the events on Patriot's Day in Boston that it is easy to imagine yourself alongside fellow runners and the thousands of cheering spectators. Everything about the experience is noted, from boarding the school buses that transport runners to Hopkinton for the start of the race to sprinting the final meters down Boylston Street towards the finish. It is this description where "4:09:43" really shines, as it is not just Higdon's interpretation of running the Boston Marathon, but rather the combined experiences of nearly a hundred different runners that were in Boston this past April.
Following the events of the Boston Marathon Bombings, an abundance of blog posts and race reports were written and shared online. Fearing that these stories would eventually be neglected and lost in the infinite realm of cyberspace, Higdon made it his mission to collect and preserve these personal accounts. From there, Higdon began to weave these separate tales into a cohesive retelling of the 117th running of the Boston Marathon.
While the vast majority of "4:09:43" details the events preceding the explosions on Boylston Street, the final chapters of the book chronicle the bewilderment and panic that ensues as the bombs detonate and the news begins to spread. Even in these final chapters though, Higdon refrains form describing the graphic details of the tragedy, and instead leaves us in the heads of the runners as the day turns from celebration to confusion and despair. "4:09:43" at no point becomes a news report, and its message of hope and strength is consistent throughout, right to the very last page where a runner informs a security officer at Logan Airport that he will return for Boston 2014.
"4:09:43" is expected to hit shelves at the end of January, and Amazon is currently taking pre-orders. It is the first of what is sure to be many books about the 2013 Boston Marathon, but with its unique way of piecing together dozens of individual accounts into an inspiring singular narrative, it is sure to remain one of the best. Higdon presents an uplifting outlook on the running community as a whole, and "4:09:43" is the perfect book for those aspiring to run Boston or anyone interested in the major events of our sport.
Looking forward to reading this! I love running related books and am always looking for new ones so I'm interested to see what you review.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and checking out my latest review! My goal has been to post a new review every week or so, but you know how work and whatnot can sometimes get in the way. To get updates on when new reviews are posted, follow me on twitter. (@runreadrun)
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