Can I also add Cerutty's Be Fit or Be Damned! --- It was hilarious how judgemental and old-school he was. I loved it. I just read it this Winter. He cracked me up with his OG training and view of life.
"You are a weak person, and not a real man, if you need to smoke and drink to feel good. Well, a few drinks might be okay, but for goodness sake, know your limit!" He literally wrote in that style.
Some great suggestions. Another one that I might add would be "A Cold Clear Day", a bio of Buddy Edelen. Held the world marathon record back in 1963. A great read in the pre-Shorter / pre-Pre time.
Professor Osler passed away last month. We had some email communication regarding his charts in the back of Serious Runner's Handbook. Sadly, I did not obtain all of his algorithms regarding race distance conversions. It was revised in 2019 and retitled The Conditioning of Distance Runners. He also wrote Ultramarathoning: The Next Challenge in 1979.
My Boston Marathon History 800 pages has had three editions. The most recent is 2017. There was another with mostly photos and little stories from the point of view of towns, cities, and spectators. My favorite book about running is the first one I read when I was a teenager, Run,Run,Run, by Fred Wilt. I still picture the solid yellow cover. Published in 1964. I read it a couple of years after that when the world had very few books about running. Clarence DeMar's book, "Marathon" was a terrific journey in his own words back to running in the first half of the 20th century.
Tom
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"Racing the Antelope" by Bernd Heinrich (I think it was re-printed as Why We Run)
+1 for Racing the Antelope / Why We Run. Underrated book and definitely in my top 3.
Another one under the radar is "to the EDGE" by Kirk Johnson. I'd consider it more of an honoroable mention, but a good read (a NY Times writer who decided to do the Death Valley Ultra after dealing with the grief of his brother's death)
Professor Osler passed away last month. We had some email communication regarding his charts in the back of Serious Runner's Handbook. Sadly, I did not obtain all of his algorithms regarding race distance conversions. It was revised in 2019 and retitled The Conditioning of Distance Runners. He also wrote Ultramarathoning: The Next Challenge in 1979.
The Conditioning of Distance Runners (which is available on ) was his first "book" (more of a pamphlet and also published in multiple parts in Runner's World) and is different from Serious Runner's Handbook.
I’d add Born to Run. great storyline only downside is it made me get plantar fasciitis from trying to run barefoot.
I was about to post something similar, tongue in cheek. Born to Run is on the list as it's contributed to more runner injuries then all the others combined!
I realized I answered this with my personal top 10, but if the question is asking which 10 books have been most important to the sport, then my answer is different. I think The Complete Book of Running, Jogging, Running to the Top (Lydiard), Daniels, and Once a Runner all have to be on the list for the influence they've had.