Book Report – Running Man by Charlie Engle

Running Man is the autobiography by Charlie Engle, a man whose journey took him through drug addiction and prison but was saved, or more often maintained, by his addiction to running. The book is amazing because it gives a long term account of how functioning some can be while battling substance abuse. It is also a deep dive into the world of long and ultra distance running.

Engle was successful at business and owned an auto repair business. However, he was also a drug addict and prone to frequent crack cocaine binges that would cause him to go missing for days at a time. At rock bottom, he found running and began a new addiction with the activity. His obsession with distance grew and Engle became one of the elite ultra runners in the country and competed in the most grueling competitions on Earth.

At 300 pages, or 10 hours and 25 minutes, its medium length read but one that is well worth it. Engle tells it straight and his story is both insane and inspiring without any of the fluff often found in books of this sort.