Kara Goucher is a professional runner, now retired from competing. She is still very active in the running world as a track and field analyst for NBC, and she hosts a podcast with another favorite running rockstar, Des Linden. I had heard of Goucher but not known much about her story. I like to learn about these professional female distance runners because it inspires me to keep running. The Longest Race is Goucher’s memoir about her life with running. She has a long list of awards and accolades, but I won’t list them here. You can look her up. If you do, you might find her described as a whistleblower of the doping and sexual abuse that was going on at Nike. This is what she talks about in this memoir and I was both intrigued and mortified. The abuse she endured was awful, but she was able to rise above it and hold accountable the people who abused her.

I was able to relate to her story of abuse only in a broad way, because those on the other side of trauma often speak a lot of the same language. Even if the details are different, we all get it on one level or another. So that was refreshing to read and I found myself wanting to reach into the book and hug her.

I was also inspired by the way she talked about running. It helped revive a bit of my desire to run more. When she was training for competition it sounded brutal, but when she was able to run for fun, I could definitely relate, and it brought back warm memories of when I was training for my marathons and half marathons. Some of what running brought Goucher – freedom, confidence, courage – are what running has brought me as well. Throughout the book I felt like I could relate to her, and it inspired and encouraged me. I think that’s the whole point of a memoir, so I would say she nailed it! I would recommend this book, 10/10.