To the Limit - by Michael Crawley

About the Book

The author of Out of Thin Air, winner of the Margaret Mead Award 2022, journeys through different cultures to find out the meaning of endurance.

Book Synopsis

SHORTLISTED FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2025 SPORTS PERFORMANCE BOOK OF THE YEAR

'A fascinating and multilayered exploration of what it means to endure'
Alex Hutchinson, author of Endure

The author of Out of Thin Air, winner of the Margaret Mead Award 2022, journeys through different cultures to find out the meaning of endurance.

So many of us are embracing endurance sports - whether it is running an ultra-marathon, taking on long-distance cycling events or even climbing Mount Everest. But what is it that makes us voluntarily do exhausting things? When we lace up our running shoes or jump on our bike, are we embracing freedom, or are we simply reproducing ideas about productivity and competition from the world of work? And what kinds of broader social and spiritual significance does endurance have indifferent parts of the world?

To the Limit sets out to rediscover the joy of moving together as a group - whether it's running the length of the Lake District in a day, or navigating the descents of the Sindhupalchok International Trail Race in Nepal. It shows us how endurance activities can help bring people together, and even change the way we think about the natural world and our place in it.

Review Quotes

"Michael Crawley gives runners a unique and illuminating gift: to see themselves through the eyes of a trained anthropologist. The result is a fascinating and multilayered exploration of what it means to endure" --Alex Hutchinson, author of Endure

"Entertaining and fascinating" --Vassos Alexander, author of Don't Stop Me Now

"An immersive investigation into the world of endurance and the people and cultures who do it" --Damian Hall, ultra runner and journalist

"I'm loving it ... packed full of brilliant discussions" --Cyclist Online

"engaging... [endurance sport] comes to lyrical life in Michael Crawley's evocations" --The TLS

About the Author

Michael Crawley is an anthropologist, writer and runner based in Durham. He has run a 2.20 marathon and represented Great Britain in road running. In 2019, Michael was awarded a PhD in anthropology by the University of Edinburgh, following fifteen months of research living and running alongside runners in Ethiopia. His book Out of Thin Air: Running Magic and Wisdom from Above the Clouds in Ethiopia won the prestigious Margaret Mead Award in 2022.