Born To Run 2

The Ultimate Training Guide

By Christopher McDougall and Eric Orton Penguin Random House, 2022

When Christopher McDougall’s book Born to Run hit shelves in 2009, it sparked a minimalist running shoe revolution. The bestselling work, which chronicles the American journalist’s journey to Mexico’s Copper Canyons to learn the running secrets of the Indigenous Tarahumara people, argues that humans are born to run—and that cushioned, supportive shoes alter our natural gait and lead to injury.

I read Born to Run while the book was enjoying its run on the New York Times bestseller list and was persuaded to try minimalist running myself. After a few months in “barely there” shoes, my calves were so tight I could barely walk, let alone run. I switched back to cushioned shoes and haven’t looked back.

Since the height of Born to Run’s popularity, the running shoe industry has moved so far from the minimalist movement that in 2020, World Athletics introduced rules to cap shoe midsole stack heights. Yet McDougall remains a committed advocate for minimalism. Born to Run 2 isn’t solely about shoes—it’s a how-to book that lays out a 90-day “Run Free” program for runners of all abilities—but it champions minimalist running and recommends several “barefoot” models that are still on the market. McDougall and his co-author, coach Eric Orton, argue that “too many runners make the mistake of thinking that if cushioned shoes ruined their form, then minimalist shoes can fix it. But changing footwear changes nothing, as their strained calves and aching heels would later attest.” The key, they and others in the book argue, is to perfect their running form—and Born to Run 2 includes step-by-step instructions.

Do you need to be on the minimalist shoe bandwagon to enjoy Born to Run 2? No, but it would help. The book also explores ideas that transcend shoe preference, including the pros and cons of running with music and the benefits of sharing your running journey with others. I admit I glazed over some sections of the book, such as the collection of low-glycemic recipes, but, for the most part, I was drawn in by the storytelling. Throughout the book, McDougall and Orton share personal stories of runners that offer insight into the experience of running as members of marginalized communities.

Though Born to Run 2 is a reference guide, it’s best read front-to-back, as each lesson builds on the ones before and references characters who appeared in earlier chapters.—