The Inspirational Memoir of the World's Greatest Ultra-Runner

If you follow ultrarunning at all, you're familiar with Kilian Jornet. He's only 25, but he has already won the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc 3 times, won Western States, and set the record for the ascent/descent of Mt. Kilimanjaro. He's a phenomenal runner and an inspiration to those who see him run.

Unfortunately, the inspiration has a hard time coming through in his new book, Run or Die. Reading Run or Die is certainly an interesting experience, essentially a stream-of-consciousness race report on some of Kilian's big runs: his trans-Pyrennes run, UTMB, WS (his first race there, when he came in third), and his Mt. Kilimanjaro run. We read the blow-by-blow of the runs, as well as his reflections on life and running.

For me, Run or Die misses the most important element of a running book: inspiring me to get up and run. Rather than feeling like, "Wow! That's a lot of running! I want to go run now!" I felt like "Hmm. That guy runs a lot. I don't think I can run like that. What's for dinner?" I realize this is more a reflection on me than on Kilian, but I have read plenty of running memoirs that inspire me to lace them up and head out the door.

Kilian will be fun to watch as his career continues. It seems like he has what it takes to dominate the sport of trail running for many years to come. I will be interested to read his next book, maybe 5-10 years down the road, when, I think, he'll have more to share.

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the electronic review copy!

Kilian Jornet's book is a fascinating account of his amazing running feats. A trail runner extraordinaire, Jornet accomplished more before he was 25 years old than most runners do in a lifetime. His passion and determination really come through as he describes his experiences as an extreme runner. Jornet is definitely a freak of nature. If you're a runner, or if you're just a fan of inspirational stories, give this book a shot. The next time I come across something in my life that I think I can't do, I will think of Kilian Jornet.

I found Jornet's writing a bit simplistic and far too motivational. Nevertheless, it is quite interesting to get into the mind of an elite athlete and understand how he competes in his sport. There are definitely some cognitive strategies that Jornet employs that are intriguing. I do think one learns a bit on mental and physical conditioning while reading this book.

Overall, the story arc is captivating. Definitely a nice winter read!

Whatever you think of ultrarunning, this is an amazing book about maybe "the" most amazing ultrarunner so far! Kilian is only 25 he has done more running up and down really tough mountains than many athletes twice his age. The writing has an unusual style; it has been translated and he obviously comes from a different culture, but I found it fascinating and I found myself thinking many times, "What would I do in that situation"....huh...."I would never BE in that situation"! Living vicariously for a few hours in a really creative, determined runner's mind was a treat! Just read it!

Kilian might be the most talented mountaineer out there. He is head and shoulders above everyone else. This book shows how much he loves outdoors and started at an early age. He describes some of his epic adventures in this book. This is very inspiring book.

I did not enjoy reading until now. My wife got me few books related to the areas that I love, but it never got me going. When I got this book from my wife, I discovered one more area of life to enjoy; reading.

This is a very well written book by Kilian Jornet about competitive running. He's a world champion runner, and we read about his challenges and his insights into the philosophy of running. Highly recommended.

After reading a few good books about ultra-running I had high expectations about this one.
I am still a big fan of him, but the story is lame and poorly written.
Tons of 4th grade metaphors and all about feelings.
The book is full of phrases like “I was running softly through that beautiful nature, feeling my feet barely touching the ground and the smell of early spring…”. I actually made this one up, but you will see, most of the book are just a sequences of corky phrases.
Shame… a good journalist reporter could do wonderful with his story and could make an unbelievable book, but this one is not the case.

Prepare to be impressed: "Run or Die" by Kilian Jornet is all about over the top accomplishments (like running to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro). Get inspired to ‪get outside for adventures of your own‬.

This is a very well written book by Kilian Jornet about competitive running. He's a world champion runner, and we read about his challenges and his insights into the philosophy of running. Highly recommended.

After reading a few good books about ultra-running I had high expectations about this one.
I am still a big fan of him, but the story is lame and poorly written.
Tons of 4th grade metaphors and all about feelings.
The book is full of phrases like “I was running softly through that beautiful nature, feeling my feet barely touching the ground and the smell of early spring…”. I actually made this one up, but you will see, most of the book are just a sequences of corky phrases.
Shame… a good journalist reporter could do wonderful with his story and could make an unbelievable book, but this one is not the case.

Prepare to be impressed: "Run or Die" by Kilian Jornet is all about over the top accomplishments (like running to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro). Get inspired to ‪get outside for adventures of your own‬.

Kilian Jornet tells stories from his childhood along with a few race reports in this very short book. I think that leaves out the interesting parts of the story: what happens between the races. There's no build up to these big events.

Superbly written. The insight into this young legend's mentally is fascinating. Jornet's writing style is unique, helping the reader to experience everyone of his footsteps on his quest to win some of the hardest races in any sport.