A celebration of one of the sport's most revered institutions

Not only has he made me a better player, his programme has helped me to enjoy the pursuit of personal improvement

Candid, funny and inspiring, this is part personal journey, part “how to” guide for female runners.

The new memoir from Alexandra Heminsley is a meditation (slash romp) on running, life and love. Penned in her own inimitable style, the book is a funny tread through the raft of body insecurities and mental anguish we all go through when we put on our trainers.

This book is an emotional whirlwind split into two perfect halves. First is the story of Heminsley’s own running journey – from being certain that she wasn’t a runner at all, to completing five marathons . . . The second half offers the most practical advice on ‘how to run like a girl’, invaluable, as once you finish the book, even the most unenthusiastic of sportswomen will be longing to pull on the Lycra and run for the hills.

[An] idiosyncratic, enjoyable tale... Never less than compelling

Delightful and endearing…a contemplation of the beauty and joy of experiencing the world out there, beyond the tarmac

Very readable and inspiring

The most beautifully written book I have read in ages... Askwith explains why his mind is forever wandering towards thoughts of running freely, up hills, across fields, and through forests whose damp leaves look “like smashed Marmite jars”. You can’t read such metaphors without being moved by them — literally

I finished Askwith's book feeling an urgent need to run up the nearest fell, with no watch and no plan. Just me and my whistle, running free

[Askwith's] prose is as easeful and exhilarating as his energy and attitude

A captivating book, well-written

An inspiring account of running in natural surroundings

Richard Askwith’s memoir/guide Running Free inspired me to lace up my trainers and go yomping through the nearest woods

The paperback is worth picking up for any keen runners… [Askwith’s] flowing prose will inspire you to slip on your trainers and head outside

As a manual for sheer enthusiasm it can’t be bettered

His wonderfully evocative history of that north country oddity, fell running, captured my imagination on my first reading, and it has recaptured it on each subsequent one

This is probably my favourite running book and I have returned to read it several times

A courageous act of witness.

An obvious choice, ultimately. A book that went beyond entertainment or education in their normal senses. This is the book that opened the world's eyes to the incredible doping scandal in cycling and the crimes of Lance Armstrong. A book that will be on almost all awards lists for books this year, and will surely migrate to the lists of all-time great books as its impact becomes more apparent over time.

Explosive... a stunning and sometimes sickening account of the doping pervasive in the pro peloton.

Haunting... takes readers deep inside the gory cult of back-alley phlebotomy that ruled cycling as Armstrong launched and nurtured his Livestrong brand.