Book Review - The World’s Toughest Endurance Challenges

Rob Howard / 06.12.2012

“This book is dedicated to all those people who take on life’s challenges.  Who don’t accept the everyday. Who push themselves to their physical and mental limits. And who set out in the attempt to achieve something amazing.”

There have been quite a few books along these lines, and this is one of the best.  The authors have chosen well from the many, many races making ‘world’s toughest’ claims, and their choices on constitutes are world class endurance challenge are hard to argue with.  Appropriately the book opens with an introduction on what constitutes ‘tough’ and the guidelines the authors used to choose the events to feature, plus a list of the 10 key challenges the events present athletes with (heat and cold, terrain, altitude, elevation change, mental strength etc.)

In all Richard Hoad and Paul Moore chose 50 events, spread across every continent, and there is a final section on ‘Cross-Continent’ challenges, such as the Adventure Racing World Series and 4 Deserts Series.  The events also include a wide range of sports.  The majority are running or cycling, but there are also paddling races, swims, horse riding, sailing, dog sledding, rowing, paragliding and multisport events featured.  Which events would you pick from around the world in those disciplines?

Each race is given 3 or 4 pages, including some impressive photography and panels with a map, some key facts, and an end piece written by a competitor on their experience at the race.  These include some well known endurance competitors who will be familiar names to SleepMonsters readers (Mark Lattanzi, Jen Segger, Nick Gracie) but are not always the athlete who has made the biggest mark on the competitive history of that particular event.

So what you get in 200 pages is a coffee table book that has an authenticity that ismissing in too many marketing lead glossy compilations, with a good mix of stunning photography, accurate information and first hand opinion.

It’s one of those books any athlete can dip into and whichever page falls open they will find something to interest and inspire. Within its pages you can read about adventures all around the world ... and who knows, it might just be the spark to light the blue touch paper on your own endurance ambitions ...

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The World’s Toughest Endurance Challenges

By Hoad and Paul Moore

Published by Bloomsbury Sport - 2012

Hardback, 208 pages, ISBN 978 1 4081 5885 2

RRP £25.00

(You can buy the book here at a 25% discount.)