Like the Wind Storytelling
Better Faster Farther – an exclusive interview and book excerpt
In June 2024, Maggie Mertens book Better Faster Farther: How Running Changed Everything We Know About Women will be published by Algonquin Books. Here is an exclusive interview with the author followed by an excerpt from Mertens’ book.
Global Running Day: LtW Stories from Around the World
Like the Wind is published by a team dedicated to sharing meaningful storytelling about running. The heart of what we do is publishing stories that connect runners from around the world, providing inspiration and insight into the lives of people for whom running is a way of life.
Running on Thin Ice
This is Swedish Lapland. Lying inside the Arctic Circle, it’s Europe’s last remaining wilderness and the heartland of the indigenous Sámi people. This region, Jokkmokk municipality, covers an area the size of Wales yet only has a population of around 3,000 …
Run for Freedom
Nike! Nike! Nenikekamen!” “Victory! Victory! Rejoice, we conquer!” 490BC. Pheidippides, a messenger, finally arrives at the end of his 26-mile run from a battlefield in Marathon to the Acropolis in Athens to deliver news of an unexpected Greek victory over Persian invaders.
It’s uniquely your challenge. And your reason why.
When it comes to running, everyone is engaged in a solo battle. Whether the athlete is competing in a 100m Olympic final or trying to get out of the door for a 30 minute easy run, the challenge is singularly personal. Does that make running unique as far as sport is concerned?
Hakone
“It’s the greatest race you’ve never heard of: the Hakone Ekiden. Lots of races may lay claim to this impressive title, but few have such a legitimate case. On 2 and 3 January every year, this local university road relay brings Japan to a standstill.
Still waiting for the change
Just after 11.30am on 5 November 2006, Samia Akbar took a last right turn in Central Park and raced towards the finish line of the 37th annual New York City Marathon. As 12th woman, she would cross the finish line – in her first marathon – in 2h34m14s.
Enough is enough
I ran every night in the dark and had felt pretty comfortable. A man blocked the bridge I was crossing to ‘get directions to the metro’… aka to tell me I was beautiful and that he wanted to talk to me.
Turning Point
First the suspicion, then the revolution. Fifteen years ago, a young Catalan runner shook up the then small world of trail running. Accused of cheating in the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, 20-year-old Kilian Jornet shook up the small world of trail running to the point of breaking its codes.