The Best Books to Read While Marathon Training, According to Chicago Run Club Leaders
By Allison Yates
At Read & Run, we believe stories and movement enhance our lives and athletic experiences, and there’s nothing more motivating than reading the achievements of some of our most inspiring running celebrities.
The Chicago running community officially kicks off training for the 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon this week, so we asked local run club leaders to share the best books to read while training.
[Related: Chicago Readers & Runners Race the Chicago Distance Series in the Entries for Equity Program]
Whether it's your first or fiftieth marathon, here are the best books about running to read while you’re marathon training this summer.
1. Running While Black: Finding Freedom in a Sport That Wasn't Built for Us by Alison Mariella Désir
Author Alison Mariella Désir speaks with Read & Run Chicago in October 2024.
“Whether or not you’re marathon training, Running While Black is an essential read for runners everywhere. Hearing directly from Désir about her experiences as a Black female runner in a mostly white runner-dominated world will offer you a perspective into the running world that is significant to truly understanding all runners. And during those long training miles, her audiobook allows you to hear inspiration and food for thought directly from Désir herself.”
— Sabrina Ehmke, Founder of Skokie Swifters Run/Walk Club
“It’s hard to sum up why this book is so incredibly amazing and a must read, but one of the takeaways for me is to remember that running is about community and joy, and not about our times or BQs.”
— Tahnee Lacey, Read & Run Chicago social media consultant and runner with #FriendsRunning and Chingonas Run Chicago
2. Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes
“I loved reading his story and how he gutted through the pain, and I especially loved all the food he ate while training for his ultras!”
— Kelly Devine of Run to the Pub Running Club
3. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
“I listened to this on audiobook while training for my first marathon in the grueling Chicago summer humidity. His precise and vivid descriptions of the pain in the body and the joy of having a running routine were the perfect compliment for my first woes and wins in running.
I will never forget doing speed work in this odd pandemic-era training cycle, dodging fellow pedestrians to stay safe, having to bring all hydration with me due to closed water fountains. There was something so comforting about the solidarity I felt with his pain, both in relation to my burgeoning body strength and given the emotional turmoil we were all in during that time.”
— Allison Yates, Founder of Read & Run Chicago and Read & Run Tours
4. Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory by Deena Kastor and Michelle Hamilton
“Having not grown up as an athlete, the whole concept of ‘mental skills’ was so foreign to me. Suffice to say, when I started distance running, I had a lot to learn. Though my slow pace is far from Deena Kastor’s, I had so many tangible takeaways from the mental skills she uses to break records and win marathons. Whether you’re a new runner or have done dozens of marathons, there’s so much goodness in this book to apply to your own training.”
— Allison Yates, Founder of Read & Run Chicago and Read & Run Tours
5. 26 Marathons by Meb Keflezighi and Scott Douglas
“Meb Keflezighi is one of the most accomplished elite runners, and hearing his hilarious, heartfelt, and human stories of facing what feel like impossible challenges reinvigorated my love for racing and got me eager to sign up for another marathon.”
— Allison Yates, Founder of Read & Run Chicago and Read & Run Tours
6. Me, You & 26.2: Coach Denise’s Guide to get YOU TO YOUR First Marathon by Denise Sauriol
“Before our first marathon Coach Denise was very kind to send us her book when the run club did not even exist yet. The book is filled with tips, guidance on training, great perspectives, and incredible first-timers’ stories. The stories are very motivating, inspiring, and assuring (that you can trust your training)!”
— Anchisa, Tammy, & Ali of Gold Coast Run Club
7. Performance Nutrition: Applying the Science of Nutrient Timing by Krista G. Austin and Bob Seebohar
“I’ve been trying really hard to zone in on nutrition. As a woman, endurance plus aging has been challenging. ”
— Lucy Negrete of Venados Running Club
8. Friluftsliv: Connect with Nature the Norwegian Way by Oliver Luke Delorie
“Friluftliv is the enjoyment of the outdoors no matter the weather, which is the secret to getting through a Chicago winter as we have every Friday since December 2020. The secret to toughing it out is finding the moments of beauty and joy that you can find (in Chicago winters especially) while running outside with friends.”
— Pat Dwyer of West Town Brew Crew
9. Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J Ratey with Eric Hagerman
“This book is all about science-backed reasons why we should exercise — remarkably, also the inspiration behind the West Town Brew Crew catchphrase ‘Running Outside With Friends’.”
— Pat Dwyer of West Town Brew Crew
About the Contributors
Meet the Skokie Swifters
Skokie Swifters with Alison Mariella Désir. Courtesy of Skokie Swifters.
Skokie Swifters is a running and walking club for everyone from beginners to experienced distance runners. Whether you want to get moving outside, are looking to make some new friends, or need a little motivation while you train for an upcoming race, you'll find a welcoming community in the Swifters.
Community is at the heart of what they do. Whether it is supporting local businesses, learning about new parts of Skokie, cleaning up local paths, or providing fellow residents with food pantry items, the Skokie Swifters foster connections among their club, the people of Skokie, and surrounding communities.
They believe if you run or walk, you belong.
Meet Run to the Pub Running Club
Members of Run to the Pub Running Club. Courtesy of Run to the Pub Running Club.
Run to the Pub is a social running club in the North and South Suburbs of Chicago.
Meet Gold Coast Run Club
Anchisa, Tammy, & Ali of Gold Coast Run Club. Courtesy of Gold Coast Run Club.
Gold Coast Run Club began as a way to bring together runners in their neighborhood to train on the beloved Lakefront Trail. Their runs are designed to offer support, encouragement, and a consistent space for runners building mileage around Chicago’s half and full marathon seasons. Over time, they’ve expanded not just in size, but in spirit — adding more pace groups, incorporating social events, and collaborating with fellow run clubs, brands, and companies across the city. They’re especially grateful for their incredible volunteers/pacers and the runners who travel from all over the world to meet them at Castaways.
They regularly share their run schedules and pace groups on their Instagram stories — come run with them!
Meet West Town Brew Crew
West Town Brew Crew. Courtesy of West Town Brew Crew.
Runners in the midst of marathon training often find West Town Brew Crew (WTBC) as a Friday morning "oasis" during a grueling training week as WTBC tries to accentuate humor and friendship according to our catchphrase: “Running Outside With Friends.”
We also began as a way to support our beloved local West Town coffee shops and their staffs during the depth of the pandemic in December 2020. We explore different coffee shops throughout the West Town community area and other parts of the city, highlighted by a new route each week, and sometimes lake jumps in the summer. The 6:40 a.m. start on a Friday is "magic" as it is perfect to allow time for a run and a chat before runners have to get to work either remotely or in the office.
The leader Pat Dwyer is a self-described “broken down ex-hooper” and a current RRCA certified run coach whose special niche is connecting runners of different paces with runs that begin with the ritual “doffing of Adidas basketball snap pants” which creates a laugh and community spirit.
Each week a new regular assumes the role as a "cruise director" and leads the runners at around a 10:30 mile per minute pace which tends to be the best meet-in-the-middle for elite runners and non-elite runners. The group always makes at least one photo stop to ensure no one is left behind. We are constantly amazed by the new acquaintances and friendships that arise out of this weekly run. We even have a sister club in Seattle, West West Town Brew Crew which the Seattle locals affectionately call "West West."”