Do you want to start running but don’t know where or how to get started?
Should you run every day? How far should you run? How fast should you be running?
If you’ve got those questions, then these best running books for beginners may help.
This list of the best running books for beginners will guide you through your first few weeks as a runner, help you boost your running endurance, and inspire you to continue running.
Let’s get started with the best running books for beginners.
Whether you’re a runner looking for running tips or a cyclist searching for cycling advice, this site is here to help you elevate your fitness game.
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If you’re getting started with running, start here…
These two best running books for beginner runners will ease you into running, improve your endurance, and set the stage for more running, safely.
The Beginning Runner’s Handbook: The Proven 13-Week Run Walk Program, Ian Macneill
The Run Walk Run Method, Jeff Galloway
A run walk program is one of the best things you can do to build fitness, endurance, and strength without overloading your system.
Wondering why you should begin with a blend of walking and running?
It’s because your bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles need time to develop strength for running. This strength helps you absorb the impact of running.
If you don’t give your system enough time, you’ll place yourself at a much higher risk for a stress fracture, shin splints, and other running injuries.
So before you run non-stop, you have to apply stress to your bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles gradually—with walk breaks.
After you’ve finished your run-walk program and want to boost your endurance…
80/20 Running: Run Stronger and Race Faster by Training Slower, Matt Fitzgerald
Want to run fast? Slow down.
That’s counterintuitive, right?
But with this book, you’ll learn why running slow—slower than you’re probably used to—actually builds your endurance and speed.
If you want to take your running to the next level—whether that’s running faster or longer—then this book’s one of the best running books for beginner runners.
If you’ve finished your first 5K and want to run faster…
Run Faster from the 5K to the Marathon, Brad Hudson, Matt Fitzgerald
One of the most valuable skills to develop as a runner is listening to your body.
This skill can help you learn when to take a day off or when to adjust your workout.
But you don’t have to figure it all out on your own.
With this book, you can learn how to become your own best coach to train better and run faster.
If you need inspiration and motivation, then start with these best running motivation books for beginner runners…
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen, Christopher McDougall
Has anyone ever told you, ‘running is bad for your knees’? You might believe that yourself.
But if that’s true, how do some people run without injury and without fancy modern running gear? Perhaps it’s because we’re all born to run.
Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance, Alex Hutchinson
As a new runner, you’ll learn that running needs endurance—physical and mental endurance.
And in Endure, you’ll find out how the brain and body work together to help you push your limits.
When it comes down to it, you can always go farther than you think you can.
26 Marathons: What I Learned About Faith, Identity, Running, and Life from My Marathon Career, Meb Keflezighi, Scott Douglas
You might not think that, as a new beginner runner, you’ll have much in common with an elite marathoner, but you do.
Even those running at a 5:00 min/ mile pace face the same challenges as any other runner—overcoming the urge to quit, balancing running and family, and managing uncomfortable moments while running.
Want more running book recommendations? Explore more running motivation books for beginner runners in this list.
If you’re interested in building your mental toughness for running…
Your mind is a powerful muscle.
It can encourage you to run, or it can give you many reasons to stay at home.
The good news is, you can train your mind for running by building mental toughness. Mental toughness will give you the ability to stay consistent, determined, and focused on your running goals.
Want to learn more? Then grab this free guide now.
We’ve covered the best running books for beginners that will help guide you into running and keep you inspired to run.
If you need a quick list, the best running books for beginners are…
If you’re getting started with running…
The Beginning Runner’s Handbook: The Proven 13-Week Run Walk Program, Ian Macneill
The Run Walk Run Method, Jeff Galloway
If you’ve finished a run-walk program and want to increase your distance…
80/20 Running: Run Stronger and Race Faster by Training Slower, Matt Fitzgerald
If you want to run faster…
Run Faster from the 5K to the Marathon, Brad Hudson, Matt Fitzgerald
If you want to read running motivation books for beginner runners…
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen, Christopher McDougall
Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance, Alex Hutchinson
26 Marathons: What I Learned About Faith, Identity, Running, and Life from My Marathon Career, Meb Keflezighi, Scott Douglas
