Way of the Runner, The

I had high hopes for Finn's book given how little literature in English there is on Japanese distance running but I came away highly disappointed. The subtitle of Finn's book claims that it is a "A Journey into the Fabled World of Japanese Running," however, the author never actually gains access to the top University ekiden teams he moves to Japan to write about. Without access to this "fabled world," Finn sets about writing a memoir about his experience living in the suburbs of Kyoto with his family for six months. Rather than providing insight into the world of competitive Japanese distance running, Finn fills the pages with stories of the culture shock his children faced, the well-known cultural differences between "East" and "West," and the mundane goings-on of his adopted ekiden team. While Finn's writing is clear and easy to read, the content as advertised was grossly lacking.

I really enjoyed Running with Kenians but was totally disappointed with this one. Not too much information about Japan itself or Japanese runners, nothing special about training schedules or nutrition in everyday life. Only general ideas that are wide known. Also too much personal feelings and details about the trip. This information would be more relevant if published on personal Facebook account, but to devote half of the book to personal stories about injury or about difficulties with daughters in school is kind of weird. I have paid to read about Japanese runners and their running traditions but only 25 % of the book is really about these. Kind of wasted time.

I wish he'd gone more into depth on the "marathon monks" of Mt. Hiei. This is more of a travelogue of one guy than a truly in depth focus on the ekiden system of Japanese running. It goes into adequate surface detail of the Japanese corporate relationship with ekiden running but if you want a true history of that sport you should look at other sources. I have not read Mr. Finn's other book about the Kenyan runners yet, so I cannot really compare this work with his other one, but as a standalone piece, this book only gives a taste of Japanese running that the reader may wish to learn more about.

I loved Finn's previous book, Running with the Kenyans. Here he continues his marvelous storytelling style of writing, weaving his story around his travels to Japan. Most of us will not get the opportunity to go to Kenya or to Japan, much less become embedded in the running scene. This will be our only chance to see the running society up close. Finn has his ups and downs in contacting the ekiden running clubs and the running monks. This makes the story even more adventurous as you turn each page to find out if he makes contact despite language barriers and the somewhat closed off manner of the Japanese culture. An added bonus is the candid profile of Japan's most popular marathon runner in the current running era. If you loved Born to Run, you are sure to enjoy Finn's books as he takes you inside the culture as much as introducing the motivations and training of the runners, all in the same enthralling narrative style.

Having read Running with the Kenyans, I wondered how the author would be able to equally capture my imagination in this book. I shouldn't have worried. There is nothing like an Englishman in a foreign land to capture the awkwardness of contrasting cultures.Yet he is also our hero, and we can all at times relate to his travails, as he deals with language barriers, ingrained cultural norms, and kids.A great read for devotees of the pure art of running, as well as those that enjoy travel literature.

I was a big fan of Adharanand Finn's "Running with the Kenyans." I love his immersive style. He moved to the Rift Valley with his family for that one. Here, he troops the entire family -- including three young children -- to the suburbs of Kyoto to explore Japan's Ekiden running culture. Indeed, the book is as much about his family's journey as it is about his deep dive into Ekiden. Let's just say that anyone's romantic ideal of a vacation journey via the Trans-Siberian railway will be put off the idea for good here.I loved the premise of this idea. I've been intrigued with Japanese running since the days of the great Boston marathon champion and long-time 25k and 30k WR holder, Toshihiko Seko. [In fact, if I have one quibble about the book, it's that I wish Finn had sought out Seko for comment...or maybe he did and the famously monkish Seko turned him away.]Finn does well to tie the discipline and struggle of running to the self-professed ideal traits of the Japanese. I like the way he uses Robert Whiting's seminal book, "You Gotta Have Wa." Whiting did much the same thing as Finn, but used baseball as his vehicle. Finn quotes Whiting's work: "The Japanese believe that only through endless training can one achieve the unity of mind and body necessary to excel . . . The traditional view in this rich but cramped and resource-poor land is that nothing comes easily, and that only through doryoku (effort) and the ability to persevere in the face of adversity can one achieve success."Finn finds that the obsessive Ekiden culture fits Japan like hand in glove...the ideas that the nail that is stuck up gets hammered down, and of sacrifice of the individual for the sake of the team. These ideas are steeped deep into Japanese culture. Finn points out that the dominant theme of Manga, Japan's rich graphic novel scene, is not of individual glory and triumph, but rather of personal struggle until our hero learns to become part of the team.That leads to some perverse outcomes in Japanese running. In terms of pure magnitude of good runners, the numbers are shocking. Finn juxtaposes results in Japan and his native UK, noting that "[a] few weeks after I return from Japan, the British half-marathon trials take place...The winner, Scott Overall, runs a time of 64 minutes 44 seconds. On the very same day, in Japan, the national university half-marathon championships take place. The student in that race finishing way back in 100th position runs almost exactly the same time as Overall, the British champion, finishing in a time of 64:47."And, yet: "So yes, they are good. But in the end, the more interesting question was why are they not better? Why, with a highly developed running system unrivalled anywhere in the world, was the winner of the university championships that day, a full hundred places further ahead, only running 62:09? While this is quick, it’s hardly a time to cause even a ripple on the international stage."Finn attributes this outcome to two factors: corporate sponsorship of Ekiden leads to a level of comfort for runners that the Kenyans and Ethiopians just don't have (some of those guys are running to literally put food on the table). And, of course, there's the constant theme of Japanese overwork. The word "Karo'shi" (death from overwork) never makes an appearance here, but its spectre is felt: Finn's book abounds with tales of injury from overwork and brutal coaches whose physical abuse would never be tolerated in most Western societies. One bright light: Finn focuses on a new breed of coaches whose sensitive, emotionally intelligent approach is the new broom sweeping out the old.I bought and read the Kindle version and there's one odd, off-putting note: the editing. Do we really have an editor who does not know the difference between "Its" and "it's" and "affect" and "effect"? It's jarring to read sentences like these two:"Interestingly, in women’s ekiden running, Hakone has the opposite affect.""We stick it in a pot and hang things off it’s three tiny branches."The misuse of "it's" for "its" pops up a dozen or more times. It's a discordant note on an otherwise enjoyable book.

This is the second book I’ve read by Adharanand Finn and is just as brilliant as his first. I really love learning about running and these two books are superb - this one in a very compelling way. Keep them coming!!!!

Really easy read, great insights into the Japanese running culture. As a foreigner living in Tokyo I could relate to many of the stories.