Two Hours
Two Hours is a book about the world’s greatest distance runners and their quest to run previously unthinkable times for the marathon.
Summary
Two hours to cover twenty-six miles and 385 yards. An exceptional feat of speed, mental strength and endurance. The sub-two-hour marathon is running’s Everest, a feat once seen as impossible for the human body. But now we have reached the mountaintop.
In this spellbinding book Ed Caesar takes us into the world of the elite of the elite: the greatest marathoners on earth. Through the stories of these rich characters, and their troubled lives, he traces the history of the marathon as well as the science, physiology and psychology involved in running so fast, for so long. And he shows us why this most democratic of races retains its savage, enthralling appeal – why we are drawn to test ourselves to the limit.
Reviews
“Caesar’s Two Hours explodes out of the blocks, continues at a terrific clip, never flags and breasts the tape victorious, its arms in the air. Like the best foot race, it is tight, pacy and riveting (…) A brilliant debut. Give the man a medal and a bunch of flowers”
Esquire (UK)
“I didn’t think any book could make me interested in marathon running. Two Hours did that and much more. Ed Caesar’s in depth reporting explores one of sport’s ultimate questions: is there a final human boundary and, if so, where? A terrific book: elegant, engaging and rewarding.”
Ed Smith
Author of Luck
“For a human being—for one of us—to run 26.2 miles in 120 minutes will require a belief in everything but our limits. Only a reporter of Ed Caesar’s diligence, and a writer of his ease, could make such an improbable achievement feel more than likely. He makes Two Hours feel like destiny.”
Chris Jones
Author of Out of Orbit
“A wide-ranging and compelling account of marathons and the very fastest men who run them… Caesar’s winning prose will keep even armchair readers turning pages, perhaps tuning in to watch the next marathon.”
Kirkus
(Starred Review)
“Fascinating… Caesar’s writing is lyrical and passionate, a celebration of the human spirit and what it can achieve.”
Jamie Doward
The Observer
“Superb. Caesar has established himself as perhaps the best new longform magazine writer since John Jeremiah Sullivan.”
Richard Williams
The Guardian
Awards
Cross Sports Book Award
For New Writer of the Year 2016
Purchase
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