To the Limit - The Meaning of Endurance from Mexico to the Himalayas

The author of Out of Thin Air, winner of the Margaret Mead Award 2022, journeys through different cultures to find out the meaning of endurance.

List of contents

1. Why Am I Doing This?
2. From 'Pedestrianism' to Dance Marathons to the UTMB: Are we playing or are we working?
3. Lakes in a Day
4. 'I Don't Want a Watch Making That Decision For Me': The Art of Tracking
5. The OMM (Original Mountain Marathon): where GPS is not allowed
6. Limits, Technology and the Elephant in the Room: Doping in endurance sports
7. Enduring Social Media
8. 'When the Deer Raises his Tail, We're Running': The Tarahumara
9. Other Reasons to Run: including the Hopi
10. Ride to the Sun: 100 mile overnight bike ride from Carlisle to Crammond
11. 'Eat Well, Move Well, Enjoy': Trail Running in Nepal: and interview with Mira Rai
12. Chomulungma: Sherpas on Everest
13. Enduring in a Changing Climate: Lewis Pugh, UN Patron of the Oceans and Damian Hall, ultra runner

About the author

Michael Crawley is an anthropologist, writer and runner based in Durham. He has run a 2.20 marathon and represented Great Britain in road running. In 2019, Michael was awarded a PhD in anthropology by the University of Edinburgh, following fifteen months of research living and running alongside runners in Ethiopia. His book Out of Thin Air: Running Magic and Wisdom from Above the Clouds in Ethiopia won the prestigious Margaret Mead Award in 2022. Michael has written for the Guardian, Runners' World and Trail Running and his latest research is on endurance, self-tracking and doping which has taken him to Nepal and Mexico amongst other places.

Product details

• Authors: Michael Crawley, Crawley Michael
• Publisher: Bloomsbury
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 21.04.2026
• EAN: 9781399403443
• ISBN: 978-1-3994-0344-3
• No. of pages: 272
• Subjects: Guides > Sport > Track and field athletics, gymnastics; SOCIAL SCIENCE / Popular Culture, SPORTS & RECREATION / Running & Jogging, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Anthropology / Cultural & Social, Social & cultural anthropology, ethnography, Social and cultural anthropology, True stories of heroism, endurance & survival, Marathon & cross-country running, True stories of heroism, endurance and survival, SPORTS & RECREATION / Cultural & Social Aspects, Marathon and cross-country running