Runner: A Short Story About A Long Run

“Runner” (2015), a riveting and uplifting short work of nonfiction by British long-distance runner and extreme athlete Lizzy Hawker, traces Hawker’s spirit of adventure, from running feats as a London schoolgirl to her record-breaking, global accomplishments as an adult athlete. Hawker’s narrative not only tackles the seemingly insurmountable physical aspects of her journey but also delves into the mental and emotional journeys she faced as well. By detailing her experiences of overcoming the very limits of human endurance, her autobiography underscores the fact that others can also break through seemingly insurmountable barriers to reach new heights in their lives as well, whether in running, other sports, or nonathletic pursuits.

One of the stand-out moments in the narrative, used to define the spirit of the book, is a moment when Hawker is waiting for the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc race to begin, a race she would go on to win an amazing five times in her illustrious career. While waiting near a church in the center of Chamonix, surrounded by her fellow runners, Hawker observes the arduous task ahead of her: looming mountains in the distance, with 8,600 meters of ascent and descent, and a course that stretches over 158 kilometers of terrain. Though she could have let the fear and doubt surrounding such a feat get to her, she instead finishes the course—almost twenty-seven hours of effort—as the first woman to do so. This accomplishment helps to propel Hawker to the status of one of Britain’s most decorated ultra-runners and athletes.

Hawker’s autobiography contends that she “fell” into running, making it a happy accident. Indeed, before the awards and accolades, Hawker had had one of her first run-ins with her future calling as a child of six when she visited the Swiss Alps. Though she later ran in a few marathons (including the London Marathon), she signed up for her first ultra-marathon of forty miles based on happenstance: she happened to be staying with friends in Wales.



From these “humble” beginnings, she went on to win the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc five times. She became the 100km Women’s World Champion and garnered a world record for twenty-four-hour road running. In 2011, she set a new record for running from Everest Base Camp to Kathmandu and in 2013, beat her own record. She set a new women’s record for the 155-mile Spartathlon and won a 2013 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year award, as well as many, many other accomplishments.

More than anything, Hawker’s story will encourage anyone who identifies with or even doubts the classic underdog story. Hawker had no formal training; self-taught, she had no gym or coach when breaking into the field. Moreover, she managed to finish a Ph.D. in physical oceanography in 2005, while simultaneously conducting research for the British Antarctic Survey on climate change. Hawker’s story highlights what grit, endurance, and determination can achieve against all odds.